The system will aim to be able to serve the needs of different policy frameworks e.g., SDG indicator 6.6.1 on changes in freshwater ecosystems, the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
To ensure the inventory will be widely applicable the IUCN global ecosystem typology (GET) hierarchical classification system will be used to build a classification crosswalk scheme that can translate between different classification schemes and adopt them into a common language.
The exact number of classes that can be mapped confidently with satellite data is still to be fully explored but the following IUCN GET biomes and related ecosystem functional groups will be analysed: Palustrine wetlands (e.g. marshes, bogs, fens as well as flooded and peat forest), rivers and streams, lakes, artificial wetlands (e.g., reservoirs and rice paddies) as well as brackish tidal systems (e.g. intertidal forests and shrublands and salt marshes).

Yes, the core data are derived from the Sentinel and Landsat data streams, which are free and open to the public, and all wetland products and information in the Global Wetland Watch will also be freely and openly accessible.

The implementation of the system will consist of four distinct phases over 36 months: 1. Stakeholder engagement and requirements consolidation; 2. AI development; 3. Validation data acquisition; 4. Implementation and roll-out. In Phase 4, capacity building workshops will be held with countries, and we will develop an online dissemination portal. The portal will go live end of 2025.

The main input data for the wetland classification is satellite imagery from the Sentinel and Landsat satellite missions. In particular, the global and systematic observation scenarios of these missions, and the possibility to develop combined multi-sensor solutions, offer an unprecedented opportunity to fully exploit the capacity offered by optical and radar satellites to improve wetland monitoring on a global scale.

AI technology is perfectly positioned to automate the analysis and interpretation of satellite images to detect and delineate wetlands on a global level. The method will significantly improve the inventory of existing known wetlands and map previously unknown wetlands. It is estimated that we can map the global distribution of wetlands using this new method with an accuracy of over 80-90%. Thousands of new wetlands will be mapped. The accuracy of the inventories will allow for globally tracking changes in wetlands over time – a feat which has not yet been possible.

Five countries will initially be involved in the activity to ensure the data and wetlands products are fit for purpose. These countries will provide knowledge and wetlands training data for the Global Wetland Watch system. This will help ensure that statistically robust information on changes to different types of wetlands can be globally and consistently produced by the end of 2025. Furthermore, once the system is live in 2025, it is expected that national stakeholder focal points around the world can upload wetland training data that will go into the validation efforts. This approach of continuous retraining and correcting the system using national stakeholder input will contribute to continuously and gradually improve the model and ensure high performance on a global level.

This is not planned within the next two years, but it is something we are seeking funding to develop over time.

The Global Wetland Watch is a stand-alone system able to provide near-real time wetlands data and analyses that are currently absent from important policy discourse and decision making. The system will directly contribute to national and international action under three global environmental priorities, namely climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development.

A consistent wetland monitoring mechanism is required to meet the growing demand for ecosystem services provided by wetlands and the objectives set out in SDG 6. The service to be developed within this activity will become a Rosetta Stone for continued efforts to conserve and restore wetland ecosystems, providing local, regional and national decision makers and authorities with a critical tool to efficiently address water-related issues, taking full advantage of much needed data on wetland extent.