Assessing the extent to which African wetland inventories can report to the global targets on biodiversity, including goal A of the global biodiversity framework

Abstract

Wetlands face global threats with estimates suggesting a loss ranging from 21% to 85% of their original extent. Africa’s wetlands, covering about 4.4% of the continent, provide crucial services to millions of people and harbour significant biodiversity. This study assesses African countries’ readiness for the Kunming−Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) through wetland inventories. It examines the progress made under the Aichi Targets for 2020, revealing 39% of reporting African countries indicating being on track for Aichi Target 11. Subsequently, the study explores wetland inventorying trends from national reports made to the Ramsar Convention from COP07 (1999) to COP14 (2022), showcasing increased membership and progress in African countries. Notable patterns emerge, revealing challenges in maintaining accurate inventories. Despite varying responses, 67% of African countries reported having a comprehensive wetland inventory at one point in the past 23 years. However, the wetland inventories are out of date, and critical information is not easily accessible, hampering accurate reporting on the current state of wetlands, and hindering informed decision-making for conservation and protection initiatives. Global datasets have contributed to reporting on wetland ecosystems; however, biodiversity-focused wetland typology systems like the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of wetland ecosystems.