In an issues paper released to mark World Wetlands Day, on 2 February, WWF documented how the world's swamps, marshes and lakes were being increasingly converted for agriculture, housing and industrial use.
Wetlands also face mounting threats from invasive species and pollution.
If unaddressed, these continuing threats to wetlands could intensify the problems associated with freshwater shortages. Water is a finite resource. We must act urgently to maintain the natural water cycle if future generations are to inherit a planet fit to live on. Conserving wetlands worldwide is a crucial step in the process. About two billion people are already experiencing water shortages.