Earth has lost a fifth of wetlands since 1700, but most could still be savedPhoto: Pixabay/Marisa04Like so many of the planet’s natural habitats, wetlands have been systematically destroyed over the past 300 years. How much of the Earth’s precious wetlands have been lost since 1700 was recently addressed by a major new study published in Nature. The main reason for these global losses has been the drainage of wetlands for growing crops. The US, central Asia, India, China, Japan and south-east Asia are also reported to have lost 50% of their original wetlands. Wetland habitats are being conserved around the world, often at huge expense.

Source: The Guardian February 13, 2023 04:00 UTC