Wetlands and Agriculture: A Global Blueprint for Food Security and Ecosystem Health

The Ramsar Technical Report 13 warns that unsustainable farming is a major driver of wetland loss, undermining food security, biodiversity, and climate resilience. It calls for integrating wetland conservation into agricultural planning through sustainable practices, strong governance, and global cooperation.

The Ramsar Technical Report 13 – Agriculture and Wetlands, prepared by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, offers an in-depth exploration of one of the most pressing environmental and agricultural dilemmas of our time: how to harmonise food production with the conservation of wetlands. Drawing on a broad base of scientific research, policy analysis, and 18 diverse case studies from across the globe, the report illustrates the intricate and often fragile relationship between these ecosystems and human livelihoods. Wetlands are portrayed as critical life-support systems for agriculture, regulating water quality and quantity, maintaining soil fertility, enabling pollination, sequestering carbon, and buffering communities against floods and droughts. Yet, agriculture, especially when practiced unsustainably, remains one of the primary drivers of wetland loss through drainage, land conversion, over-abstraction of water, chemical runoff, and habitat destruction. This degradation undermines the very services that agriculture depends on, creating a feedback loop of declining biodiversity, water scarcity, and increased climate vulnerability.

From Early Resolutions to Global Frameworks

The report traces the evolution of global policy on wetlands and agriculture from early Ramsar resolutions on sustainable rice production and integrated river basin management to contemporary frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s land restoration targets, and the UNFCCC’s endorsement of nature-based solutions. These frameworks converge on the view that wetlands must be integrated into broader land and water governance, not treated as isolated habitats. A detailed explanation of the Ramsar classification system identifies 42 wetland types, ranging from inland freshwater marshes and peatlands to coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as human-made wetlands like rice paddies and reservoirs. The report carefully outlines the ecological functions of these systems: from groundwater recharge and flood attenuation to nutrient cycling, sediment trapping, and microclimate regulation. Their loss disrupts these processes, leading to erosion, nutrient overload in waterways, and destabilisation of agricultural landscapes.

Understanding Farming Systems and Their Impacts

The analysis moves into a classification of farming systems and how they interact with wetlands. Rainfed agriculture, irrigated cropping, extensive and intensive livestock systems, and aquaculture each have different dependencies on wetland functions and different potential to cause harm. The report distinguishes between direct drivers of degradation, such as drainage, water diversion, excessive fertiliser use, vegetation clearance, and species removal, and indirect drivers embedded in socio-economic and political contexts, including poorly designed subsidies, market demands, technological shifts, weak governance, and changing dietary habits. To address these pressures, the report sets out five guiding sustainability principles: improve resource-use efficiency, protect and restore wetlands, support equitable rural livelihoods, enhance resilience to shocks, and strengthen governance through cross-sector collaboration and participatory processes.

Case Studies from Every Continent

These principles are vividly illustrated through 18 case studies. In Sri Lanka, urban paddy fields have been restored to simultaneously provide food and act as flood mitigation infrastructure. In Thailand, organic rice farmers integrate the conservation of the endangered Sarus crane into their production systems, combining biodiversity protection with access to premium markets. Canada’s Prairie Pothole Region demonstrates how wetland restoration supports wildlife, enhances water quality, and sequesters carbon, while also stabilising surrounding farmland. Other examples include mangrove regeneration in Asia, floodwater retention schemes in Europe, canal rehabilitation in African irrigation districts, and policy-led wetland protection in Latin America. Each case blends technical measures, such as precision irrigation, water storage ponds, or reforestation, with enabling factors like financial incentives, community engagement, and targeted capacity building.

Charting a Path Forward for Food and Water Security

From its synthesis of these examples, the report distils key lessons. Strong institutional coordination between environment, agriculture, and water authorities is essential to prevent fragmented or conflicting policies. Legal recognition and protection of wetlands provide a firm foundation for conservation, while tailored technical and financial assistance make sustainable practices viable for farmers. National policies should be harmonised with international commitments, and a “food systems” approach should extend action beyond farm boundaries to include market mechanisms like eco-labelling, certification schemes, and subsidy reforms that reward wetland-friendly products. The report also points to innovative financing mechanisms, payments for ecosystem services, green bonds, and blended finance that can attract large-scale investment in sustainable agriculture.

Ultimately, Ramsar Technical Report 13 reframes wetland protection not as an obstacle to agricultural development but as a prerequisite for its long-term survival. Integrating wetlands into agricultural planning at every level can secure productive farmlands while maintaining the ecological integrity of landscapes and waterscapes. This approach aligns with the Ramsar Convention’s “wise use” philosophy and advances numerous Sustainable Development Goals, from zero hunger and clean water to climate action and biodiversity conservation. The report’s overarching message is clear: the health of wetlands and the resilience of agriculture are inseparable, and any attempt to sustain one without the other is doomed to fail. Protecting wetlands is both an urgent environmental necessity and a sound socio-economic investment, one that will decide the future stability of food systems, water security, and human well-being.