Wetland Loss Variation Risk Map (2010-2020)
This layer measures how quickly wetlands have been lost in each country over the decade 2010–2020.
Source: WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter (global wetland-loss data) Year: 2010-2020 Category: Transition risks · Ecosystem use Coverage: Global (217 countries) Format: Boundary polygons (countries) Used in risk analysis: Yes — gates Ecosystem use
What it shows
This layer measures how quickly wetlands have been lost in each country over the decade 2010–2020. Wetlands are among the most valuable and most threatened ecosystems, supporting water regulation, biodiversity and carbon storage. The map highlights where wetland loss is accelerating most rapidly, which signals heightened biodiversity and water-related risk.
How it is built
For each country, the layer compares wetland loss in 2020 with wetland loss in 2010 and expresses the difference as a percentage of the wetland area present in 2010. In plain terms, it captures the change in the rate of wetland loss relative to the stock of wetland a country started with. The underlying figures come from global wetland-loss datasets covering 217 countries. Countries are then sorted into five risk categories, from very low to very high.
How to read it
The layer uses a five-class scale: very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Higher classes indicate countries where wetland loss is accelerating most relative to remaining wetland area; lower classes indicate stable or comparatively low loss. As a country-level layer, a site is assessed by the national class it falls within.
Class thresholds
The underlying quantity is a physical flux: the variation in wetland loss over 2010–2020, expressed as a percentage of the wetland area present in 2010 (VAR_PCT, %), computed as [(Wetland Loss 2020 − Wetland Loss 2010) / Wetland Area 2010] × 100 and observed in the data over a range of about 0–35%. Each country's value places it in one of five risk classes (the symbolised field is the categorical RISK_LABEL):
| Class | Wetland-loss variation |
|---|---|
| Very low risk | lowest |
| Low risk | ↓ |
| Medium risk | ↓ |
| High risk | ↓ |
| Very high risk | highest |
A site is flagged on the Ecosystem use dimension when its country falls in the High or Very high class (RISK_LABEL of "High risk" or "Very high risk").
How these thresholds were set. This is a Darwin in-house classification: countries are sorted by their wetland-loss variation (%) and grouped into five risk classes. The exact numeric break values on the percentage are computed in Darwin's processing and are not reproduced in the layer configuration, and they do not derive from WWF or any other published standard.
Source
Global wetland-loss datasets (2010 and 2020), aggregated to national level. (Specific source attribution not provided.)
Comparison with the WWF Risk Filter Suite
This layer contributes to BRF S13_1 Land/Freshwater/Sea Use Change and partially to WRF B15_2 Freshwater Habitat Degradation. It captures a wetland-specific dimension of habitat change; WWF's corresponding indicators are broader composites, so this serves as a focused, partial contribution rather than a one-to-one equivalent.
Risk analysis
A site is flagged on a dimension by combining a proximity trigger (this layer) with an activity trigger (the entity's ENCORE pressure/service). Proximity only → Potentially material; proximity and the matching ENCORE pressure/service is material → Very material; neither → Not material.
| Dimension | ENCORE service / pressure | Proximity trigger (this layer) | Activity trigger (entity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem use | Area of freshwater use | Layer value above 3 | “Area of freshwater use” pressure ≥ 4 |
Legend
Symbolised field: Wetland Loss Risk Level
| Class | Label | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very low risk | #2ecc71 |
| 2 | Low risk | #90ee90 |
| 3 | Medium risk | #f39c12 |
| 4 | High risk | #e67e22 |
| 5 | Very high risk | #e74c3c |
Generated from darwin/layers/layer-wetland-loss-variation-risk-map-2010-2020.toml and risk_indicator_pairs.toml (develop).