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Protecting Water and Wetlands

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The Palgrave Handbook of Global Sustainability

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Abstract

Wetlands are, inescapably, important places. The focus of this chapter is to examine wetlands and their protection in the context of a global desire to stem wetland loss and promote gain, especially critical in light of overarching biodiversity conservation and sustainability agendum. It is estimated that wetlands cover over 12.1 million km of the surface of the globe and, as one measure of their value, they are estimated to contribute $US47 trillion annually to the global economy. Wetland ecosystems play a key role in supporting dynamic, productive biological diversity. Wetlands are valuable places for showcasing human culture, for the provision of resources and ecosystem functions, and for global biogeochemical and water cycles. As key global ecosystems wetlands are vital in efforts to sustain all life. In the Anthropocene, wetlands play a crucial role in mitigating and adjusting to changing climatic conditions. In this context, this chapter explores how wetlands are protected and provides some explanation of the complexities associated with safeguarding these valuable places.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Josephine Gillespie

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  1. Josephine Gillespie
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Correspondence to Josephine Gillespie .

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Gillespie, J. (2022). Protecting Water and Wetlands. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Sustainability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38948-2_123-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38948-2_123-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-38948-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-38948-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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