Vanishing wetlands Africa’s broken ecosystems are a ticking climate time bomb

In early March, I joined a friend for what was supposed to be a casual survey of wetlands around Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

We didn’t expect to witness ecological collapse in real time. What we saw were earthmovers and heavy trucks dumping soil into a thriving wetland a space earmarked for an industrial park.

The wetland was vanishing before our eyes. Now, a new landmark study published in Nature Communications confirms our worst fears: Africa’s wetlands are breaking apart, shrinking in size and capacity, and in many cases, disappearing altogether.

“Wetlands are being carved into smaller and smaller pieces,” the study notes, “especially in countries with dense populations and rapid urban expansion.”

Africa holds approximately 948,000 square kilometers of wetlands, covering nearly 10% of all global wetlands. These ecosystems purify water, buffer communities against floods, support food production, and store billions of tonnes of carbon acting as silent shields against climate disaster.

Yet the study finds countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Guinea, Liberia, and Algeria are experiencing alarming rates of wetland fragmentation. Using a new tool the Wetland Fragmentation and Population Index (WFPI) researchers found that areas with larger human populations had drastically more fragmented wetlands.

GRAPHIC: Carbon Stored in Africa’s Wetlands

This chart shows the percentage of carbon storage across African wetlands. Despite occupying only 22% of the wetland area, peatlands store 41% of the continent’s carbon highlighting their critical role in climate regulation.

Lagos and Rivers State, Nigeria – 209 wetland fragments within 10 km² and a human population exceeding 130,000.

Kenya’s Yala and Kingwal wetlands are already in a deteriorated state, while Uganda’s Nakivubo Wetland has been completely overtaken by human activity. South Africa’s Ga-Mampa swamp no longer exists it was converted into farmland.

Wetlands act like natural carbon banks. Nowhere is this more true than in Africa’s peatlands, which cover 22% of the continent’s wetlands yet store 41% of all carbon roughly 54 billion tonnes.

“If destroyed, these wetlands could release up to 260 million tonnes of carbon per year,” warns the report equal to 2.4% of annual global emissions.

When wetlands vanish, they don’t just release carbon. They also lose their ability to clean water, regulate temperature, and protect biodiversity. That is why their disappearance has far-reaching consequences for human health, agriculture, and climate resilience.

The main causes of wetland destruction, according to the study, are:
Expansion of farmland into wetland zones Rapid urbanization and real estate development Pollution from factories and sewage Water diversion for dams and irrigation

In rare cases, such as the Congo Basin, fragmentation is caused by natural river paths and geological features. But human impact remains the dominant threat continent-wide.

A separate analysis of 10 climate models shows that Tanzania’s average temperature could rise by up to 5°C by 2100 under high-emission scenarios. This would push average daily temperatures beyond 31°C, with profound implications for health, food security, and livelihoods.

Land Use & Disease Outbreaks Land-use changes deforestation, mining, and settlement expansion have increased outbreaks of Ebola, Lassa fever, and monkeypox. A “One Health” approach is recommended to manage the rising risk of zoonotic diseases.

Kenya’s Prehistoric Forests New fossil records in the Koru region of Western Kenya show lush tropical forests once supported early apes and rich biodiversity. Volcanic ash preserved the landscape, offering rare insight into African paleoecology.

The Science Behind Maasai Jumping A biomechanical study finds Maasai men from Kenya and Tanzania have longer tendons and shorter muscles, allowing them to jump with more efficiency and less energy. Despite similar jump heights, their technique is biomechanically superior.

Wetlands are not just puddles or idle swamps they are life systems. When they’re gone, entire ecosystems collapse, and communities lose essential buffers against floods, disease, and hunger. We must act now.

“If you see someone destroying a wetland,” I say, “tell them it’s not just an environmental loss. It’s a threat to your children’s future.”

Jesse Chenge
2025 ICPAC Climate Action Laureate | Award-Winning Environment, Climate & Health Journalist | Cameraman | Photographer | Director | Climate Storyteller | Public Interest Advocate