Shawn Graham: Funding nature an investment in our well-being

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February 2nd is World Wetland’s Day and this year’s theme is “wetlands and well-being.” It is also Groundhog Day and much like the film Bill Murray famously starred in, we are anticipating that recent history will repeat itself. Unlike the mystified weatherman played by Murray, we have an understanding of what is happening and why. We know the science behind our greatest environmental challenges and have proven solutions to help mitigate them, we just need to prioritize the investments.

Extreme weather events across Canada and globally have given us a glimpse of what we need to prepare for and why we need to invest in climate resilience and adaptation. The impacts of extreme temperatures, floods, droughts, and wildfires are not just devastating to wildlife and their habitat, they can also adversely affect food and water security, the economy, and our health.

Too often a siloed approach is taken to solving our largest challenges. The 2024 Global Risk Report recently issued by the World Economic Forum forecasts the top four greatest risks to humanity in the coming decade to be extreme weather events, critical change to Earth systems, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, and natural resource shortages. The report goes on to document the interconnectivity of these environmental issues to chronic health conditions, infectious disease, involuntary migration, infrastructure disruptions, economic downturn and more.

While the issues are interconnected, so too can be the solutions. Wetlands are a nature-based solution that provides wildlife habitat, mitigates the impacts of climate change, supports food and water security, improves water quality, and promotes human health and wellbeing. The business case for wetland conservation and restoration is clear. Unfortunately, we have already lost an estimated 70 per cent of our wetlands in the developed parts of Canada and these critical ecosystems continue to be lost and degraded daily.

Wetlands remain one of our greatest and most under-valued assets. Much like our health, it is easy to ignore the services natural spaces like wetlands provide while they are functioning as expected. It is even easier to ignore these when they are out of sight and out of mind.

Approximately 80 per cent of Canadians live in urban areas. A recent poll commissioned by Ducks Unlimited Canada showed at least 90 per cent of Canadians find spending time in nature improves their mood, reduces their stress, and supports physical exercise. While this is encouraging and reflects the findings of a growing body of research on the topic, 43 per cent of the respondents claimed to be getting less than one hour per week in nature or none at all. While lack of time was the most common reason cited, transportation and access limitations were listed amongst the barriers.

Ducks Unlimited Canada believes we protect what we value. This is one of the reasons we have partnered with the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to designate community wetland sites across the region as Treasured Wetlands, and celebrate them as natural spaces to visit and enjoy. We are calling on Canadians to prioritize spending a minimum of two hours per week in nature for our own well-being and for our future. We are calling on our community partners to invest in green spaces, natural infrastructure and support Indigenous led conservation. We are calling on policy makers to strengthen land-use policies to conserve our wetlands and restore what has been lost. Together, we are unlimited in what we can achieve.

Shawn Graham is secretary of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s board of directors. The former premier of New Brunswick is a lifelong conservationist and has been volunteering with the organization for nearly 30 years