‍Re. Canadian Wetlands Roundtable Input on Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy

Canada is home to a quarter of the world’s remaining wetlands. These valuable ecosystems store enormous amounts of carbon and support 40% of the earth’s biodiversity1. Wetlands also serve as key nature-based solutions by mitigating flood damage, protecting water quality and regulating air and water temperatures, all while providing critical habitat for wildlife.

When we think about tackling the issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, we see wetlands as a primary component of the solution. Unfortunately, Canada has already lost 70 per cent of its wetlands in settled areas2 due to land use change and continues to lose more at an alarming rate. There is a critical need to reduce wetland loss and restore wetlands wherever possible.

‍More investment is required to find solutions and build support for wetland conservation.

Since 2015, the Canadian Wetlands Roundtable (CWR) has been dedicated to putting wetlands on Canada’s national agenda in a way that fosters collaborative and sustainable land and resource use, while drawing attention to the unique role that these “super ecosystems” play in mitigating climate change and halting and reversing biodiversity loss.

The CWR is a multi-sector partnership of industry, conservation organizations and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) formed to promote conservation and improve the sustainable management of Canada’s wetlands for the health, safety and well-being of people and biodiversity. The CWR believes there is strength in partnership and collaboration across sectors, including agriculture, oil and gas, forestry, mining, horticultural peat extraction, government and civil society.

The CWR is currently working to deliver projects that serve the objectives of the Government of Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF). These projects are looking across sectors to develop frameworks, standards and tools to position wetlands as nature-based solutions in Canada. However, the CWR believes additional biodiversity focused investments are needed to secure Canada’s position as a global leader in the responsible management, restoration and conservation of wetlands.

Many CWR members attended COP15 in Montreal last December, which was the largest and most successful biodiversity conference in history, thanks to Canada’s leadership. This important event clearly called for transformational change to meet the goals and targets set forth in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

‍Canada must continue to build on its international leadership momentum, take concrete actions and secure additional investments that align with the level of ambition and associated outcomes in Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

‍The CWR emphasizes that Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy should prioritize the conservation, restoration and responsible management of Canada’s wetlands as key sustainable solutions for meeting the goals and targets in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The preservation of wetlands and associated habitat is of utmost importance for maintaining healthy watersheds, mitigating the impacts of climate change and providing vital habitat for biodiversity. Responsible wetland management, planning and decision-making is critical to Canada’s future, and indeed the future of our entire planet. People have long understood the importance of wetlands for wildlife and people, and in the past several decades, wetlands have also been recognized for their critical role in flood prevention and climate adaptation. Together, these ecosystem services make wetlands a premier nature-based solution. With our abundance of wetlands and associated habitats across the country, Canada has a unique opportunity to leverage the benefits of wetlands for people and for biodiversity.

The CWR encourages the Government of Canada to consider the following areas of focus when building out Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy:

• Identify knowledge and data gaps for improved wetland conservation, restoration and management as well as establish baselines with respect to monitoring and measurement
• Establish a comprehensive inventory of Canada’s wetlands
• Motivate industry, governments and the public to conserve, restore and manage wetlands
• Encourage the adoption of beneficial management practices that enable the conservation, restoration and responsible management of wetlands across sectors
• Develop pragmatic regulations and policy that support conservation, restoration and management of wetlands across municipal, provincial, territorial and federal governments
• Develop a program that supports local action-oriented wetland conservation initiatives
• Increase investments in programs that support biodiversity outcomes, e.g., Habitat Stewardship Program and Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk
• Define and promote the environmental, social and economic value of wetlands to decision makers
• Meaningfully incentivize landowners to conserve and restore wetlands, while at the same time supporting agricultural productivity
• Pragmatically measure, monitor and report on progress in wetland conservation and their ability to maintain ecosystem services

As wetlands are well-documented biodiversity hotspots, implementing these concrete actions will put Canada on a path forward that will tangibly contribute to meeting the international goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

On behalf of the Canadian Wetlands Roundtable, we thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the development of Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy. We are always available for further discussions on this issue and will continue our work to help drive conservation, restoration and management of Canada’s wetlands to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

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