A group of non-governmental organisations are calling for Aoteroa's natural wetlands to be doubled in size by 2050.
File image. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The Every Wetland Counts He Piupiuaki Ia Rohe Kōreporepo campaign was launched today on World Wetlands Day.
Only 10 percent, or 249,000 hectares, of Aotearoa's wetlands remain untouched.
Groups that have endorsed the call are the National Wetland Trust, Greenpeace, Fish and Game, Choose Clean Water, World Wildlife Fund NZ, Generation Zero, Whitewater NZ, Game Bird Habitat Trust, Public Health Association, OraTaiao Climate and Health Council.
Forest and Bird chief executive Kevin Hague said wetlands were climate "heroes".
"They can store large amounts of carbon, create a local cooling effect, and increase climate resilience by buffering communities from storm surges and floods," he said.
Hague pointed out that there were already countless iwi and community wetland restoration projects happening around the motu but more needed to be done to create a national, co-ordinated effort.
"We'd like to see high-level strategic thinking about how many hectares each region will aim to restore, and discussion around which wetland restorations will bring the greatest benefit."
He believed the 2050 goal was achievable.
"This is urgent. We're in a climate emergency, and while programmes like Jobs for Nature are valuable, they are not enough - wetland restoration for climate mitigation urgently needs resourcing and action," he said.
New laws protecting wetlands, such as the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater, which came into effect in 2020, needed to remain strong, Hague said.
The campaign is asking for an additional $100 million of government funding over four years to help kick start work.