Wetlands support extraordinary biodiversity including numerous species with significant welfare needs, making wetland conservation a major welfare priority.
Wetland habitats support communities of animals with diverse welfare needs — from migrating waterfowl that depend on wetlands for critical refueling to resident otters that require clean water and fish, to water voles that depend on dense bankside vegetation for shelter from predators. Loss and degradation of wetlands creates welfare harms across this entire community by forcing animals to travel further, reducing food availability, and increasing exposure to predation and human disturbance. Wetland restoration projects that rapidly restore habitat complexity and connectivity provide welfare benefits across many species simultaneously, making them among the most cost-effective investments in wildlife welfare available.