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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met on Tuesday with a delegation from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliam...
The world’s wetlands are disappearing at the fastest rate of any ecosystem, with a new report warning of major economic losses if urgent action is not taken.
The destruction of wetlands worldwide could lead to a loss of $39 trillion in economic benefits by 2050, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Convention on Wetlands.
Wetlands play a crucial role in supporting fisheries, agriculture, flood regulation, water purification, and carbon storage. The report states that around 22% of global wetlands have vanished since 1970, marking the most rapid decline among ecosystems.
The losses affect both freshwater and coastal systems, including rivers, peatlands, mangroves, and coral reefs. The report identifies several contributing factors: land-use changes, pollution, agricultural expansion, invasive species, and climate change impacts such as sea level rise and drought.
Hugh Robertson, the lead author of the report, warned that the extent of degradation is significant and cannot be overlooked.
The report calls for annual investments ranging from $275 billion to $550 billion to reverse the decline. It notes, however, that current global spending remains considerably below the required level.
Since 1970, an estimated 411 million hectares of wetlands have been lost — an area equal to roughly half a billion football pitches. Additionally, 25% of remaining wetlands are now considered degraded.
The findings come ahead of a global meeting of the parties to the Convention on Wetlands, set to take place next week in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The convention, signed by 172 countries including China, the United States, and Russia, was established in 1971 and meets every three years. It remains unclear whether all signatories will participate in the upcoming session.
According to the report, wetland degradation is most severe in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, though signs of decline are increasingly visible in Europe and North America.
Some countries, including Zambia, Cambodia and China, have initiated wetland restoration projects aimed at reversing the damage.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
Azerbaijan is stepping up its renewable energy ambitions with plans to develop eight new solar and wind plants by 2027, backed by $2.8 billion in investment and aimed at exceeding its 2030 climate targets ahead of schedule.
On the second day of Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW), attention centred on strengthening international cooperation, accelerating the transition to clean energy, and ensuring a fair and inclusive approach.
Super Typhoon Ragasa lashed Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain on Wednesday.
When Climate Week kicks off in New York City on Sunday (21 September), it will mark the largest event of its kind yet, with organisers reporting a record number of companies participating and more events than ever before.
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