Over 700 experts from 28 nations gathered at the eighth INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, which took place from 20-25 July 2008, in Cuiabá, Brazil, to agree on measures to better manage and slow the decline of wetlands, which are among the planet’s most threatened ecosystems.

The event was hosted by the Cuiabá-based Pantanal Regional Environmental Programme, a joint effort of the UN University and Brazil’s Federal University of Mato Grasso. The Conference opened amidst increased concern that warming world temperatures are speeding the rates of decomposition of trapped organic material and evaporation, while threatening critical sources of wetlands recharge by melting glaciers and reducing precipitation. According to an article published in Science magazine, although wetlands cover 6% of Earth’s land surface, they store 10-20% of its terrestrial carbon. Scientists warn that further destruction of wetlands through human and climate change-related causes is likely to lead to the release of carbon from these sinks. At the end of the Conference, participants adopted the Cuiabá Declaration on Wetlands, which is directed to governments, as well as international and national organizations. It draws attention to the importance of wetlands for humans and biodiversity worldwide under the special consideration of global climate change scenarios.
Links to further information
Science daily, 27 July 2008
Conference website