articleNature ConservationFeb 25, 2026GOLD OA

European riverine and coastal wetlands under pressure: biodiversity and climate change

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research · Université Rennes 2

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Abstract

Although European coastal and riverine wetlands occupy a small share of the European land area, these ecosystems host remarkable biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services fundamental for human well-being, including clean water, recreation, food provision and climate regulation. Synthesising current knowledge across biogeographic regions, this review shows that only 12% of EU riverine and coastal wetland habitat types are in favourable condition, while the majority continue to deteriorate, mirrored by substantial declines in many wetland-dependent species. Climate-related impacts vary strongly across Europe and interact with existing human pressures such as land-use change, hydromorphological…

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