Revive Our Wetlands

Wetlands are important

Wetlands are a powerful ally in tackling climate change by capturing blue carbon, protecting our coasts from wild weather events, and cleaning our water.

They’re also vital to tackling the decline in biodiversity as well. Unfortunately, only 5% of Australia’s Wetlands remain – it’s time to invest in nature-based solutions to these challenges.

 

Blue and teal carbon systems

Coastal wetlands act as blue carbon systems, and freshwater wetlands as teal carbon systems, which are both critically important in regulating greenhouse gases and capture carbon.

Together, we will restore and protect wetlands across Australia to tackle climate change under our Revive campaign.

 

What is blue carbon?

Freshwater and coastal wetlands sequester 34-50% more carbon than terrestrial forest ecosystems and are referred to as blue and teal carbon.

Research conducted by ECU found Australia is home to around 10 per cent of the world’s blue and teal carbon wetlands and their carbon sequestration absorbs the same annual emissions as 4 million cars each year.

Australia is home to 66 Ramsar listed wetlands of significance across the country, covering more than 8.3 million hectares. 

As the driest inhabited continent on the planet, water is vital, yet we have already lost more than 50% of our wetlands. Why are they so critical? As well as being vital in tackling climate change, wetlands reduce the impacts of floods, offer significant ecosystem services and improve water quality, as well as being home for a wide variety of native animals, fish and plants. Many which are unique to the wetland environment. 

 

Nature-based solutions are projects which protect or redevelop natural ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands and wetlands to tackle societal challenges such as climate change.

Globally, inland and coastal wetlands are being lost twice as fast as tropical rainforests despite covering a fraction of the area.

Wetlands are important as habitats and nurseries for fish and other marine life, helping prevent coastal erosion and improving water clarity.

Wetlands have immense cultural significance to Indigenous communities and there is opportunity to both restore and maintain their significance as well as tell their stories through community education.

The Revive our Wetlands Initiative will protect and restore wetlands of significance through targeted conservation interventions, including Citizen Science events, Aboriginal connection to Country events and Habitat restoration activities.

Locations include:

• Bibra, Thompsons and Forrestdale Lakes (WA)
• Whicker Road Wetlands/Barker Inlet (SA)
• Lower Barwon (VIC)
• Derwent Estuary (TAS)
• Rockdale Wetlands (NSW)
• Moreton Bay (QLD)
• Wapentake (QLD)
• Saint Lawrence (QLD)

 

World Wetlands Day

The theme for World Wetlands Day 2022 was ‘Wetlands Action for People and Nature’ for which we hosted events around the country to celebrate our unsung environmental heroes.

Check out what happened at our World Wetlands Day launch events here:

 

Our Partnership

We’ve partnered with Chevron Australia to explore nature-based solutions by restoring and protecting wetlands across Australia to tackle climate change.​

 

Supported by