Wetlands influence climate, water and biodiversity across much of the tropics and subtropics, yet many remain poorly mapped. Their extent, condition and seasonal behaviour are often difficult to track, leaving countries with limited information as they plan for climate adaptation and mitigation. As governments prepare new commitments ahead of COP30, access to reliable spatial data has become increasingly important. First developed and published by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the Global Wetlands datasets are now available on the UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL), giving researchers, planners and policymakers a clearer view of where these ecosystems are found and how they function. 

The UN Biodiversity Lab — a free, open-source spatial data platform created by several UN agencies, including the Secretariat of the UN Biodiversity Convention, UNDP and UNEP — has now made the datasets accessible to users worldwide. Through the platform, anyone can visualize and download wetland information at national and subnational scales. Fondzeyuf Folah, a data officer at UNEP-WCMC, announced the release on 8 November 2025, noting that the UNBL aims to support country-led planning, monitoring and reporting for both people and the planet. He added that the datasets will also be added to the Spatio Temporal Asset Catalog (STAC), making them even more discoverable. 

“The UNBL facilitates access to spatial datasets that can assist stakeholders in country-led efforts for planning, monitoring, and reporting to take action for people and planet,” Folah wrote.

A milestone and contribution to global open science

 The Global Wetlands work began through the Sustainable Wetland Adaptation and Mitigation Program (SWAMP), which set out to map tropical peatlands and understand their distribution and condition. Years of fieldwork, modelling, mapping and database development resulted in a highly cited scientific article in a respected journal and a widely used interactive map database.

“These resources are widely used, especially when visitors aim to locate degraded wetlands for restoration and intact wetlands for conservation in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation,” said Daniel Murdiyarso, CIFOR-ICRAF principal scientist. He noted that wetlands — including peatlands and mangroves — are among the world’s largest natural stores of carbon. 

Wetlands are nature’s secret weapon against climate change, providing clean water, abundant food, natural flood barriers, and powerful carbon storage. Despite covering just six percent of the Earth, their services are valued at more than 7.5 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). Wetlands also support livelihoods in farming, fishing, and tourism. Yet each year, we lose 0.52 percent of these vital ecosystems, making global efforts on climate and biodiversity even more difficult. 

“The fact that UNBL is interested in bringing the database ionto their platform signifies the importance of having such information to explore co-benefits, especially biodiversity conservation and enrichment beyond carbon,” Murdiyarso added. He also emphasized that “countries obliged to meet their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets will benefit from the spatially explicit database to identify where degraded wetlands are and what kind of intervention are needed, including efforts for rewetting or revegetating the area.” 

For CIFOR ICRAF’s Data and Information Services team, the publication marks an important step in advancing open science. “It marks a major milestone in advancing open, science-based data for global sustainability,” said Sufiet Erlita, the team’s senior manager. “Being hosted on a UN-endorsed platform reflects international recognition of the CIFOR-ICRAF’s data quality, transparency, and policy relevance,” she added with a glimpse of pride. “It demonstrates how the organization’s spatial research and geospatial innovation are trusted to inform evidence-based decision-making on biodiversity, climate, and land use worldwide.”  

She underlined that the recognition also reflects CIFOR-ICRAF’s commitment to open data principles, ensuring that high-quality spatial information is freely accessible and interoperable for governments, researchers, and practitioners worldwide. The publication of the wetlands dataset strengthens global data sharing and open science, she added, and reinforces CIFOR-ICRAF’s visibility among partners working on similar themes. 

Wetlands worldwide are under threat 

Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests. A new report by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, the Global Wetland Outlook 2025: Valuing, conserving, restoring and financing wetlands (GWO 2025), estimates that at least 411 million hectares of the world’s wetlands have been lost since 1970. The report also warns that without urgent action, another fifth of the world’s remaining wetlands could disappear by 2050, leading to an estimated USD39 trillion in lost benefits that support people, economies, and nature.   

For example, in Indonesia, peatlands are often drained and cleared for agriculture, especially oil palm cultivation. However, when these peat soils dry, they release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.  

In the Amazon, nutrient-rich floodplain wetlands attract agribusiness expansion, with companies seeking land for soy and rice farming. 

Across the Congo Basin, vast peatlands — many still unmapped — are increasingly threatened by logging, mining and other industrial activity. Similar pressures are emerging in many regions. 

“Wetlands are often seen as empty or useless land, mostly because they are difficult places to walk, study, or even visit,” said CIFOR-ICRF scientist Arimatea de Carvalho Ximenes.“Their harsh and hidden environments mean that most people still do not understand how important they are. Wetlands protect communities from floods, clean our water, and are breeding grounds for fish, crabs, and many other species that support food and local economies.” 

He noted that wetlands have historically been poorly mapped, leaving them out of land-use plans and national policy discussions. “Because they are so hard to access, wetlands have been poorly mapped and rarely included in policy decisions. The Global Wetlands Map datasets help change that,” he added. “By combining the Global Wetlands Map with other information, such as deforestation or land-use change, decision makers can finally see where these valuable ecosystems are located, and where action is most needed.” 

“With this knowledge, we have a much stronger base to protect what remains, restore what has been damaged, and plan for a future where nature and people thrive together.” 

The importance of wetlands datasets  

Sigit Deni Sasmito, senior researcher at TropWATER at James Cook University, Australia, also mentioned the importance of the datasets. “They allow researchers, planners, and wetland managers to assess current wetland extent, monitor changes, and establish reliable baselines for management and restoration,” he said. “The datasets have already been used in Indonesia and other tropical countries to support peatland restoration planning, mangrove conservation, and national-scale land-use assessments.” 

Scientists widely agree that protecting wetlands is one of the most effective natural strategies for climate mitigation. If stored carbon from peatlands and mangroves were released, it would significantly accelerate global warming. 

To direct conservation and restoration efforts, decision-makers need to know which wetlands to prioritize. The Global Wetlands — together with the interactive map — datasets, featured with a visual interactive map, can help governments and organizations prioritize conservation and restoration investments. They also support integrating wetland information into biodiversity and climate planning tools, such as National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), strengthening reporting on global biodiversity targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).