New Atlas Helps Save Africa's Vital Wetlands

A powerful new digital tool is giving Africa's threatened wetlands the attention they desperately deserve.

Wetlands International just launched the Wetland Atlas, an interactive map that shows governments and funders exactly which wetlands need protection or restoration most. The platform focuses on the Sahel and Horn of Africa, where these precious ecosystems are vanishing at an alarming rate.

The numbers tell a striking story. Since 1970, more than a third of the world's wetlands have disappeared, vanishing three times faster than forests. But in the Sahel, wetlands punch way above their weight: they cover less than 10% of the region but are home to 75% of the population and drive 85% of the economy.

The atlas tackles what experts call "wetland blindness." Too often, decision-makers see rivers as just water pipes, lakes as storage tanks to drain, and marshes as wastelands to pave over. This tunnel vision ignores the reality that healthy wetlands provide food security, reduce flooding, hold cultural significance, and fight climate change.

"By making these dimensions visible, the Wetland Atlas helps position wetland conservation as an investment opportunity rather than just a cost," said Michael Nelemans, the atlas coordinator.

The platform combines scattered information on the biological, economic, and policy aspects of wetlands into one accessible place. Unlike other maps that only show where wetlands exist, this tool reveals their climate benefits, how many people depend on them, and whether they're currently protected.

The Ripple Effect

Take Mali's Inner Niger Delta, West Africa's largest floodplain. The atlas highlights this "blue lifeline" where seasonal floods transform the Sahel into an oasis. The delta feeds millions with fish and rice while providing habitat for hippos, manatees, and migratory birds. The platform also flags threats facing the delta, including upstream dams and climate change.

The team started with these African regions because they remain underrepresented in accessible data despite having extremely vulnerable wetlands. Wetlands International has a strong presence there, allowing researchers to validate information and work directly with local users.

The atlas will expand to other regions as more quality data becomes available, turning invisible ecosystems into investment priorities worldwide.