Global Wetlands

The Wetlands are a crucial part of the ecological system and the storehouse of numerous ecosystem services that provide humanity's well-being and preserve the natural ecological system. Wetlands manage the hydrological process and track the ecological environment. These wetland systems are classified differently at the global level based on their origin, use, hydrology, composition, water level, and wetland physical and chemical characteristics. These wetland systems are important for the survival and environmental stability of humans. Since the beginning of human civilization on this planet Earth, wetlands have become the lifeline of civilizations. Often along and in the outskirts of wetlands, cultures have grown. This precious wetland environment's economic interests are not yet recognized at the global and regional levels by policymakers and decision-makers. These wetlands are distributed in all climate zones in the geographical and climatic setting, from the tropics to the tundra regions. It is the world's most efficient and important ecosystem. As recorded by Davidson et al., the largest wetland areas in 2018 are Asia (32% of the global area), North America (27%), Latin America and the Caribbean (16%), Europe's wetland areas (13%), Africa (10%), and Oceania (10%). At present, 2414 wetland sites of international significance covering 254 543 972 ha are internationally important at the country and humanity levels. Many wetlands have been destroyed and impaired by rapid agriculture and urbanization in North America and Europe, including the extinction of most floodplain areas. Increasing pressure on water supplies is also a very dominant factor responsible for wetland destruction in various regions at the global and local levels due to population pressure, land use cover changes, global warming and climate change, and lack of legislation and governance. The current section of the book highlights global wetlands, categorization, and status. Threats and mitigation initiatives are also proposed for wetland habitat conservation in this chapter.