Wetland loss
Wetland loss is the disappearance or conversion of wetland area through drainage, development, erosion, or other changes in land and water conditions.
Wetland drainage: The removal or diversion of water from wetland soils to make land drier. Drainage directly converts waterlogged habitat into land used for farming, settlement, or infrastructure.
Biodiversity loss: The decline or disappearance of biological diversity within a place or across Earth. Wetland conversion removes habitat and can reduce the populations of species that depend on it.
Wetland mapping: The identification and spatial depiction of wetland locations and boundaries. Maps provide the baseline needed to detect where wetland area is disappearing.
Wetland inventory: A systematic record of wetland locations, types, extent, and condition. Incomplete inventories make estimates of total loss and regional trends uncertain.
Land reclamation: The creation of usable land from seas, wetlands, or other water-covered areas. Filling and enclosing wetlands can turn them into urban, industrial, or agricultural land.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, separated patches. Roads and development can isolate remaining wetlands even where some area persists.
Remote sensing: The collection of information about Earth from sensors that do not directly contact its surface. Satellite imagery helps track wetland extent and conversion across large regions.
Global wetland loss: The worldwide decline in wetland area over time through conversion and degradation. Global estimates differ because studies use varying definitions, periods, and data sources.
Coastal erosion: The wearing away and retreat of coastal land by waves, currents, and storms. Erosion removes coastal wetland area where sediment supply cannot keep pace.
Flood risk: The likelihood and potential severity of harm caused by flooding. Losing wetlands can reduce water storage and increase downstream flood exposure.