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<p>Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services in Africa, yet their extent and fragmentation remain poorly understood. Here we classify African wetlands at 10 m resolution, using seasonal composite imagery and a random forest algorithm. We estimate a total wetland area of 947,750 km² (10% of global wetlands), comprising 46% marshes, 25% swamps, 22% peatlands, 5% seasonal wetlands, and 2% mangroves. Wetland fragmentation is strongly associated with high population densities in countries such as Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Egypt, Algeria, and Kenya. African wetlands store an estimated 54 ± 11 Gt of carbon, surpassing Europe’s 12–31 Gt. If drained, they could release 260 MtC yr<sup>−</sup>¹, nearly ten times the carbon sequestration of pristine wetlands (27 MtC yr<sup>−</sup>¹). These findings provide a crucial foundation for sustainable wetland management and policy development.</p>

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Wetland fragmentation associated with large populations across Africa

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月31日

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  • Sani Idris Garba,
  • Susanna K. Ebmeier,
  • Jean-François Bastin,
  • Danilo Mollicone,
  • Joseph Holden

摘要

Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services in Africa, yet their extent and fragmentation remain poorly understood. Here we classify African wetlands at 10 m resolution, using seasonal composite imagery and a random forest algorithm. We estimate a total wetland area of 947,750 km² (10% of global wetlands), comprising 46% marshes, 25% swamps, 22% peatlands, 5% seasonal wetlands, and 2% mangroves. Wetland fragmentation is strongly associated with high population densities in countries such as Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Egypt, Algeria, and Kenya. African wetlands store an estimated 54 ± 11 Gt of carbon, surpassing Europe’s 12–31 Gt. If drained, they could release 260 MtC yr−¹, nearly ten times the carbon sequestration of pristine wetlands (27 MtC yr−¹). These findings provide a crucial foundation for sustainable wetland management and policy development.