Further Perspectives on Shifting the Paradigm to Restore the Human-Wetland Relationship through a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands

Humans have had a close association with wetlands for millennia. There is ample evidence to demonstrate that human well-being is closely linked with the condition of wetlands, whether that is described through measures of wetland health or wetland integrity, or by agreements to maintain their ecological character (Gardner and Davidson 2007; Pritchard 2018), or more anthropocentrically, through the provision of ecosystem services. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment included an exploration of the consequences of wetland change for human well-being and recommended a conceptual shift in decision and policy making to ensure the long-term future of the ecosystem services provided and supported by wetlands.