In 2020, fires consumed nearly 30% of the biome, directly killing 17 million wild vertebrates and emitting more carbon than Belgium that same year. In 2024, despite early warnings and past tragedies, the Pantanal burned again \u2014 this time during record-breaking temperatures and amid extreme drought \u2014 with more than 5,000 fires registered in the first five months of the year alone. The frequency, scale and intensity of these fires are no longer anomalies. They are symptoms of a system in collapse.<\/p>\n
Wetlands like the Pantanal are not passive landscapes; they are active regulators of Earth\u2019s climate. As carbon sinks, they store more carbon per hectare than forests. They buffer against floods, recharge aquifers and provide refuge during heat waves. Freshwater wetlands, which include floodplains, marshes, swamps and peatlands, occupy just 6% of Earth\u2019s land surface, yet they store the majority of the planet\u2019s soil carbon. Peatlands alone, which make up about half of all wetlands, store an estimated 450 billion to 650 billion metric tons, equivalent to 31 to 45 times global annual greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n
Unlike other ecosystems, these wetlands can store carbon for millennia, buried in waterlogged soils where decomposition is minimal. Yet these carbon vaults are being systematically destroyed.<\/p>\n Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, with 35% lost between 1970 and 2015. When drained or burned, they release enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. Degraded peatlands, which cover just 0.4% of global land area, contribute around 4% of annual human-made greenhouse gas emissions, and wildfires in degraded peatlands can double those emissions. If current trends continue, wetland degradation could consume up to 41% of the emissions budget required to keep global heating below 2\u00b0 Celsius (3.6\u00b0 Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n Yet, the role of wetlands in climate stability remains deeply undervalued. While forests have rightly captured the imagination of climate policy and philanthropy, wetlands \u2014 especially tropical ones \u2014 remain overlooked, underfunded and unprotected.<\/p>\n As Brazil prepares to host the annual United Nations climate summit, the Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Bel\u00e9m, it is important to highlight that wetland-specific solutions are still absent from most countries\u2019 emissions reduction pledges (or Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs) the agreement requires. Freshwater ecosystems also rarely feature in high-level negotiations, including in the \u201cBlue Zone,\u201d the official U.N.-managed area at climate COPs where government representatives, negotiators and accredited observers gather to make decisions and commitments.<\/p>\n The fact is that wetlands store a disproportionately large amount of Earth\u2019s terrestrial carbon, holding an estimated 30-35% of the global total, despite covering just 6-9% of the land surface. Alongside this irreplaceable function, approximately 40% of all terrestrial plant and animal species rely on wetlands for their survival.<\/p>\n Yet, there is still no clear international framework or financing mechanism that centers wetlands in climate mitigation and adaptation. No official events at Blue Zones. There is no thematic day at climate COPs to honor them. Nor is there real urgency to protect these ecosystems before they cross irreversible thresholds.<\/p>\n We failed Gaia, but there is still time to protect what remains of her home, to restore what has been damaged, and to come together around a shared vision for wetlands that honors life, rather than mourning loss.<\/p>\n We must recognize the unique, irreplaceable role that wetlands play in our global environmental security. We must place them at the heart of the climate agenda, recognizing their vital role in cooling a fevered planet. In doing so, we not only defend these precious ecosystems; we have a critical chance to redefine the future and honor Gaia\u2019s death.<\/p>\n