Wetlands support extraordinary biodiversity and provide critical habitat for millions of animals. Wetland loss causes massive welfare impacts through habitat destruction and population decline.
Wetland conservation welfare operates primarily at the population level - protecting habitats that millions of animals depend on for food, shelter, and reproduction. The welfare case for wetland protection is straightforward: wetland destruction forces animals into suboptimal habitats, increases competition, reduces food availability, and ultimately causes population declines through welfare failure at the individual level. Wetland restoration provides some of the best conservation-welfare returns available, with restored habitats recolonizing rapidly and supporting diverse communities that benefit from quality food resources and shelter. Supporting wetland conservation is one of the most effective landscape-level welfare interventions available.