To reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, conservation and restoration of wetlands play a key role. This report outlines the contribution of wetlands to global methane output; differences between natural versus anthropogenic methane emissions; wetlands management and restoration in the context of the ecosystem services they provide for the benefit of nature, climate, and people.
Wetlands International acknowledges the importance of acting on methane to reduce the potential of global warming. The anaerobic soil conditions that are an inherent feature of wetlands enable the highly effective long-term sequestration and storage of soil carbon, but can also lead to the release of methane, as part of their natural function. Through the restoration of wetlands, there may be a transient warming effect of methane emissions before they return to their natural function and no longer contribute to anthropogenically induced global warming. In the long term, the capacity of wetlands to sequester and store carbon has a strong net cooling effect on the atmosphere.