The financial and societal advantages arising from the world’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, and aquifers has been estimated at virtually $58 trillion — round 60 p.c of worldwide GDP — by a significant new report from WWF, which underscores the “irreplaceable” function these sources play in supporting meals safety and human well being.
The brand new analysis gives what the conservation group describes as the primary ever estimate of the financial worth related to water and freshwater ecosystems, warning that that these sources are below extreme risk from air pollution and unsustainable ranges of water use in lots of areas.
The report places the direct financial advantages, comparable to water consumption for households, irrigated agriculture and business necessities, at a minimal of $7.5 trillion a yr worldwide.
On prime of that, the report estimates the “unseen” advantages of water and freshwater programs — comparable to water purification, enhancing soil well being, storing carbon, and defending communities from excessive floods and droughts — are as much as seven occasions increased, totaling round $50 trillion yearly.
Rivers alone help a 3rd of worldwide meals manufacturing whereas additionally offering sediments that maintain mangroves.
However WWF warned these freshwater ecosystems are in a “downward spiral” that poses an ever-growing threat to the $58 trillion of annual financial worth they supply, placing communities and industries at rising threat from excessive flooding, droughts, meals shortages, wildfires and air pollution.
Since 1970, the world has misplaced a 3rd of its remaining wetlands, whereas freshwater wildlife populations have on common plummeted by 83 p.c, contributing to rising numbers of individuals all over the world going through water shortages and meals insecurity, the report states.
More and more, rivers and lakes have dried up, air pollution has elevated and meals sources comparable to freshwater fisheries on which communities rely for sustenance and incomes have dwindled, the report warns. Rivers alone help a 3rd of worldwide meals manufacturing whereas additionally offering sediments that maintain mangroves and assist shield deltas from rising sea ranges, it factors out.
One instance highlighted within the report is the Danube basin in Europe, which alongside its tributaries has misplaced 80 p.c of its floodplains. These floodplains are important for flood and drought threat mitigation, groundwater, and water filtration, but as we speak simply 16 p.c of the basin’s rivers are in a pure or near-natural state, the report warns.
Irene Lucius, regional conservation director for Central and Jap Europe at WWF, mentioned pressing motion was wanted to reverse the worsening state of worldwide freshwater sources, as she referred to as for the widespread adoption of extra sustainable meals manufacturing and industrial practices, in addition to decrease impression diets.
“Threats to river programs are threats to meals safety,” she mentioned. “Solely by defending and restoring rivers and their lively and former floodplains, protecting water within the panorama with pure water retention measures can we hope to keep up the productiveness of agricultural programs into the longer term.
“To try this, we should help nature-positive meals manufacturing; keep free-flowing rivers; apply sustainable land use practices higher adapting to pure situations and facilitating pure water retention; and undertake diets that cut back demand for merchandise that pressure freshwater sources.”
Threats to river programs are threats to meals safety.
The report factors specifically to the harm being brought about to rivers and floodplains by unsustainable agricultural practices, comparable to over extraction of water for crop irrigation that reduces its availability for different makes use of — comparable to pure flows that help fisheries — and exacerbates water shortages.
It additionally highlights how intensive agriculture usually takes place on former floodplains, which has decreased the purification, flood and drought threat capacities of the river ecosystems, whereas extreme fertilizer use has led to extra polluted water programs, affecting floor and groundwaters whereas additionally harming wildlife and habitats.
Lucius urged meals and agriculture companies to “drive optimistic change” by embracing extra sustainable water and farming practices, along with taking steps to chop meals waste, undertake science-based local weather and nature objectives, and spend money on reforestation and forest conservation.
“Our present meals manufacturing practices usually are not solely harming the freshwater ecosystems, however are additionally recognized as the first contributors to biodiversity loss and local weather change,” she mentioned. “They’re inflicting land erosion and lowering the capability of landscapes to take care of water shortage and droughts. But the meals business can drive a optimistic change by embracing main sustainability practices.”
River air pollution and the tensions between agriculture, improvement, and water high quality have generated loads of headlines within the UK over the previous yr, because the dire state of the nation’s rivers has been pushed up the agenda. However this week’s report from WWF gives a well timed reminder that that is a part of a worldwide disaster. If a problem that may solely be overcome if the financial worth supplied by rivers and freshwater ecosystems is correctly acknowledged, and policymakers, companies and customers all take steps to urgently promote extra sustainable and environment friendly agricultural practices.
