Bending the Curve of Global Freshwater Biodiversity Loss: An Emergency Recovery Plan

TLDR

Freshwater ecosystems, though limited in area, harbor a third of vertebrate species but are declining rapidly, with wetlands disappearing three times faster than forests and vertebrate populations falling more than twice as steeply as terrestrial or marine ones. The authors propose an Emergency Recovery Plan to reverse freshwater biodiversity loss. The plan prioritizes accelerating environmental flows, improving water quality, protecting and restoring critical habitats, managing resource exploitation, preventing invasive species, restoring river connectivity, and adjusting CBD and SDG targets and indicators with national and international actors.

Abstract

Despite their limited spatial extent, freshwater ecosystems host remarkable biodiversity, including one-third of all vertebrate species. This biodiversity is declining dramatically: Globally, wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forests, and freshwater vertebrate populations have fallen more than twice as steeply as terrestrial or marine populations. Threats to freshwater biodiversity are well documented but coordinated action to reverse the decline is lacking. We present an Emergency Recovery Plan to bend the curve of freshwater biodiversity loss. Priority actions include accelerating implementation of environmental flows; improving water quality; protecting and restoring critical habitats; managing the exploitation of freshwater ecosystem resources, especially species and riverine aggregates; preventing and controlling nonnative species invasions; and safeguarding and restoring river connectivity. We recommend adjustments to targets and indicators for the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals and roles for national and international state and nonstate actors.