Climate regulation and wetlands: Overview

Abstract

One of the most important ecosystem services which links wetlands to human well-being is the regulation of climate. Through the storage and sequestration of carbon, wetlands play a significant role in global carbon cycles. However, wetlands can also act as a source and a sink for greenhouse gases and they can influence local and regional temperature, precipitation and other weather patterns. Increasingly, as a result of their important role in climate regulation, wetland management and restoration activities are being integrated into local, national and international programmes which aim to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.