Why 100,000 hectares?

We want to see a bigger, better, more connected network of wetlands in the UK.

We chose 100,000 hectares of wetlands because it was recommended to the government by its own advisers as a large enough area to make a real difference to deliver the goals of the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

100,000 hectares sounds like a lot, and it is – it’s an area three times the size of the Isle of Wight.

But it’s a credible figure, and achievable, with your help. By demonstrating your support, we can urge the UK government to prioritise and invest in more wetlands – which is a vital step to achieving our goal.

Every wetland counts

Wetland loss in the UK has been devastating. Over a quarter of the UK was thought to be covered in wetlands in pre-Roman times, yet 90% of freshwater wetlands have been lost or destroyed in England alone in the past 400 years.

Historically wetlands were interwoven in our culture, livelihoods and folklore, with many place names and customs derived from wetland habitats or species. Now, WWT protect some of the remnants, a fraction of what they once were. Creating 100,000 hectares of new wetlands could help us rediscover our lost connection, as well as restoring our declining nature, rebalancing our climate and protecting us against extreme weather.

...bring about a Blue Recovery

We urge the UK government to get behind WWT’s Wetlands Can! campaign by providing the information, plans and funding needed to create 100K ha of wetlands to build a ‘Blue Recovery’ from the current climate, nature and wellbeing crises.