Wetlands play a crucial role in the supply of freshwater.
Acting as giant sponges, they absorb rainfall and slowly release it over time, while helping to purify water and control floods. Responsible governments should already be planning to secure the water supply for future generations. This will only be done if a much greater per cent of the world's wetlands are effectively preserved from threats such as drainage and pollution. More than half the world's wetlands have been destroyed in the past 100 years, and today, over 800 million people around the world are without basic clean freshwater. WWF is calling on all governments to recognize that protecting wetlands should not only be limited to developed countries - and in fact is a win win proposition for both the environment and the economy.