Topic: 2025-Conserving Wetlands
Country: United States of America
Delegate Name: Ryan Wu
Committee: IUCN
School: Greenhills School
Wetlands are areas where soil is either highly saturated or covered by water, providing a critical environment to forty percent of the world’s species. On top of that, they sustain one billion people on our planet, making them essential for our global welfare. Despite this, wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem, due to various environmental interferences which have caused their degradation. Since 1970, thirty-five percent of wetlands have already been lost. The international community has taken multiple efforts to address this through several measures. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, adopted in 1971, is a global treaty that “promotes the conservation and wise use of wetlands”. The treaty currently designates over 1,500 wetlands as protected areas. The Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations also include the need to preserve wetlands, particularly under Goals 14 and 15: Life Under Water and On Land.
The United States of America has taken action to prevent wetland degradation. American Policy rests on the goal of “No Net Loss of wetlands”. To achieve this, The U.S. passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, providing the framework for regulating pollution. Specifically, Section 404 mitigates the discharge of dredged and fill material into wetlands. The U.S. has also used voluntary incentive-based methods to protect wetlands. The USDA has Wetland Reserve Easements, which funds wetland restoration on private land. The “Swampbuster” act states that landowners who convert wetlands cannot be eligible for USDA benefits. The NOAA has also developed policies specific to protecting and enhancing coastal wetlands, such as Coastal Zone Management Act and the Coastal Barriers Resources Act. The U.S. also has taken part in international agreements, such as the The North American Wetlands Conservation Act, creating a partnership with Mexico and Canada to manage migratory birds, waterfowl, as well as other species and the wetlands they live in. Additionally, The U.S. is a member of the Ramsar Convention.
The United States of America proposes that a voluntary international cooperation group be made to help protect wetlands by providing funding, support, and assistance through contributions from a member nation. These resources would go to support wetland conservation projects in countries throughout the world. The U.S. would also like to note that direct funding to various efforts should still be seen as a viable option as well. The U.S. supports countries forming mutual, regional partnerships when needed due to shared ecological responsibilities. This would help combat wetland degradation and preserve the integrity of their ecosystems as well. These regional partnerships should also include scientific study and data sharing, to better learn about and analyze wetlands. The U.S. recommends that there should also be an incentive based approach carried out by countries individually to award local communities for helping conservation efforts. These incentives should be decided by partaking nations independently. Finally, the U.S. urges all nations to allow for flexibility in the implementation of wetland maintenance regulations. This means letting countries decide what their own course of action should be and to prioritize domestic control on maintaining wetlands. Overall, the United States of America is looking forward to working with fellow delegates to find a solution that will help prevent the further loss of wetlands.
Works Cited:
— United Nations. “World Wetlands Day | United Nations.” United Nations, www.un.org/en/observances/world-wetlands-day.
— “Wetlands Protection and Restoration | US EPA.” US EPA, 9 Dec. 2024, www.epa.gov/wetlands
— Home Page | the Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on Wetlands. www.ramsar.org.
— “Summary of the Clean Water Act | US EPA.” US EPA, 12 June 2024, www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act.
— “Clean Water Laws, Regulations, and Executive Orders Related to Section 404 | US EPA.” US EPA, 1 July 2024, www.epa.gov/cwa-404/clean-water-laws-regulations-and-executive-orders-related-section-404.
— “North American Wetlands Conservation Act | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” FWS.gov, www.fws.gov/law/north-american-wetlands-conservation-act
— “How We Protect and Conserve Wetlands | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” FWS.gov, www.fws.gov/library/collections/how-we-protect-and-conserve-wetlands.
— “How We Protect and Conserve Wetlands | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” FWS.gov, www.fws.gov/library/collections/how-we-protect-and-conserve-wetlands.
