04/02/2026
Happy !
🌱 Wetlands cover only 6% of the worlds' land surface, yet 40% of all plants and animals depend on them.
They are biodiversity hotspots, and they act as powerful carbon sinks helping to fight climate change.
⚠️ But they're also the ecosystems with the highest rates of decline, loss, and degradation.
That’s why the EU Habitat Directive protects 28 wetland habitat types, such as peatlands and wet forests, listing them as priority habitats for restoration actions.
The EU Nature Restoration Regulation focuses on restoring wetlands by:
🦆 increasing biodiversity
💧 securing the things nature does for free, like cleaning our water and air and protecting us from floods
🌡️ limiting global warming to 1.5°C
🌽 preventing natural disasters and reducing risks to food security
🆕 With the LIFE programme's biggest project so far – LIFE HumedalES – the EU will restore more than 26,000 hectares of wetlands across Spain.