02 February, 2006 
                         Wetland Ecosystems and Human Well-being 
           The fifth report released by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment considers the links between 
           wetlands and related ecosystems and human well-being. It highlights the urgent need to manage the 
           trade-offs between agricultural production and water use, land use and biodiversity, and water use 
           and biodiversity in order to assure a more sustainable management of wetland ecosystems and the 
           services they provide to humanity. 
        The recently released fifth Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report was designed for the Ramsar Convention on 
        Wetlands to meet the need for information about the consequences of ecosystem change for the human well-being. 
        Its main objective was to strengthen the link between scientific knowledge and decision-making for the conservation 
        and wise use of wetlands.  
        Titled “Ecosystems and Human Well-being: The Wetlands and Water synthesis”, this report covers a wide range of 
        wetland ecosystems including rice-fields, estuaries mangroves, seagrass beds, lakes, rivers, marshes, and coastal 
        regions to a depth of 6 meters at low tide level.  
        The main findings of the report are summarised as following:  
        • Wetlands are estimated to cover a minimum of 1,280 million hectares on a global scale.  
        • Wetland ecosystems provide many services that contribute to human well-being and poverty alleviation. The most 
        important  ones  include  fish  supply,  water  availability,  water  purification  and  detoxification  of  wastes,  climate 
        regulation, mitigation of climate change, and flood regulation.  
        • More than 50% of wetlands in the developed countries were destroyed during the 20th century. Many types of 
        wetlands worldwide continue to be degraded, converted, or lost, even though benefits gained from maintaining them 
        are often greater than the benefits associated with their conversion. 
        • Wetlands provide many non-marketed and marketed benefits. The total economic value of unconverted wetlands 
        is often greater than converted wetlands. For instance, in Canada, areas of intact freshwater marshes have a total 
        economic value of $5,800 per hectare compared with $2,400 when drained marshes are used for agriculture.  
        • The degradation and loss of wetlands and wetland species is more rapid than those from other ecosystems.  
        •  The  primary  direct  drivers  of  wetland  lost  or  degradation  are  development-related  conversion  of  coastal 
        ecosystems, leading to large-scale losses of habitats and services.  
        •  Other  drivers  include  diversion  of  freshwater  flows,  nitrogen  loading,  overharvesting,  changes  in  water 
        temperature, and species invasions;  
        • The primary indirect drivers of change have been the growth of human populations in coastal areas coupled with 
        growing economic activity; 
        • Global climate change and eutrophication are expected to aggravate the loss and degradation of many wetland 
        ecosystems with adverse effects on human populations.   
        According  to  the  report,  the  implementation  of  cross-sectoral  and  ecosystem-based  approaches  to  wetland 
        management (e.g. basin-scale management and integrated coastal zone management) are more likely to ensure 
        sustainable development than many existing sectoral approaches.  
        The main measures required to manage wetlands in a sustainable manner include: 
        • Sustainable intensification of agriculture. 
        • Slowing and adapting to climate change. 
        • Slowing the global growth in nutrient loading. 
        • Greater involvement of concerned stakeholders in decision-making that affect wetlands. 
        • Investments in agricultural science and technology and natural resource management. 
        • Strict regulation of marine fisheries, especially with regards to fishing quotas. 
        • Reducing the detrimental environmental impacts of aquaculture. 
        • Payments for ecosystem services provided by watersheds. 
        • Development of water markets and water pricing. 
        For more information: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx 
                    Opinions expressed in this News Alert do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. 
                                                                      European Commission DG ENV          1 
                                                                                    News Alert issue 8 
                                                                                      February, 2006