Progress on Water-Related Ecosystems
Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems will mitigate and strengthen resilience to climate change. For instance, wetlands trap carbon from the atmosphere and protect coastal areas from storm surges and inland areas from both floods and droughts by retaining water.
- 4 % of the world’s water basins is experiencing rapid changes in the area covered by permanent surface waters (SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1, 2022)
Available time series: 2000-2022
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 231
Proportion of world population covered by reporting in the last five years:98%
Proportion of world land area covered by reporting in the last five years: 99%
Learn more about the indicator here
Read the latest progress report here
SDG target 6.6 is: ‘By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.’
To track progress towards the target, indicator 6.6.1 tracks changes over time in water-related ecosystems such as lakes, rivers, wetlands and mangroves, with the help of earth observations.
Change in permanent surface water extent compared to baseline period 2000-2019, by country (data from ----) ©
In XX countries (and areas), representing XX% of global land area and XX% of global population, more than 10% of permanent lakes and rivers has been lost compared to the baseline period.
In XX countries (and areas), representing XX% of global land area and XX% of global population, more than 25% of permanent lakes and rivers has been lost compared to the baseline period.
Change in seasonal surface water extent compared to baseline period 2000-2019, by country (data from ----) ©
Increases in seasonal lakes and rivers can be a sign of floods. In XX countries (and areas), representing XX% of global land area and XX% of global population, seasonal lakes and rivers have increased by more than 100% compared to the baseline period.
Decreases in seasonal lakes and rivers can be a sign of droughts. In XX countries (and areas), representing XX% of global land area and XX% of global population, seasonal lakes and rivers have decreased by more than 10% compared to the baseline period.
Change in mangrove extent compared to 2000, by country (data from ----) ©
In XX countries (and areas), representing XX% of global land area and XX% of global population, more than 10% of mangroves has been lost since 2000.
Maximum and minimum river flow and change compared to baseline period 2000-2019, by region (data from XXXX)
Globally, the maximum river flow has increased with XX% and the minimum river flow has increased with XX%, compared to the baseline period.
Proportion of large lakes with high change in turbidity and trophic state compared to baseline period 2006-2020, by region (data from XXXX) ©
In the world there are XX large lakes that are monitored, of which XX% has a high increase in turbidity and XX% has a high increase in trophic state, compared to the baseline period. Turbidity and trophic state are signs of water pollution and overfertilization.
15.1.2 Proportion of important sites for biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type and region (data from 2021) ©
Country (or area), regional and world data for the latest year of reporting (data from 2022):
| Country (or area), region, world | Year | 6.6.1 Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface water extent > Permanent | Surface water extent > Seasonal | Inland vegetated wetland extent | Mangrove extent | ||
| Afghanistan | 2022 | 545.74 | 2086.86 | ||
| Albania | 2022 | 240.56 | 99.7 | ||
| Algeria | 2022 | 89.82 | 2050.79 | ||
| American Samoa | 2022 | 0.45 | 0.74 | ||
| Andorra | 2022 | 0.52 | 0.29 | ||
| Angola | 2022 | 590.27 | 4584.59 | ||
| Anguilla | 2022 | 1.38 | 1.29 | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda | 2022 | 2.63 | 5.1 | ||
| Argentina | 2022 | 25228.6 | 28440.44 | ||
| Armenia | 2022 | 1318.03 | 38.15 | ||
| Aruba | 2022 | 0.46 | 2.93 | ||
| Australia | 2022 | 4467.46 | 50627.04 | ||
| Australia and New Zealand | 2022 | 7761.31 | 51211.35 | ||
| Austria | 2022 | 554.32 | 99.5 | ||
| Azerbaijan | 2022 | 78372.19 | 813.06 | ||
| Bahamas | 2022 | 1117.52 | 2031.23 | ||
| Bahrain | 2022 | 3.54 | 11.63 | ||
| Bangladesh | 2022 | 1633.2 | 16395.85 | ||
| Barbados | 2022 | 0.03 | 0.6 | ||
| Belgium | 2022 | 119.49 | 50.49 | ||
| Belize | 2022 | 303.01 | 283.06 | ||
| Benin | 2022 | 278.71 | 214.22 | ||
| Bermuda | 2022 | 1.15 | 0.46 | ||
| Bhutan | 2022 | 75.03 | 64.56 | ||
| Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | 2022 | 9381.9 | 16810.59 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2022 | 98.96 | 90.54 | ||
| Botswana | 2022 | 229.17 | 4690.82 | ||
| Brazil | 2022 | 61477.08 | 43922.09 | ||
| British Virgin Islands | 2022 | 4.64 | 3.92 | ||
| Brunei Darussalam | 2022 | 19.25 | 23.93 | ||
| Bulgaria | 2022 | 415.52 | 143.52 | ||
| Burkina Faso | 2022 | 113.85 | 539.13 | ||
| Burundi | 2022 | 1943.97 | 26.36 | ||
| Cabo Verde | 2022 | 6.74 | 28.03 | ||
| Cambodia | 2022 | 3364.59 | 11703.66 | ||
| Cameroon | 2022 | 784.86 | 1243.03 | ||
| Canada | 2022 | 916376.96 | 99000.95 | ||
| Cayman Islands | 2022 | 3.66 | 6.21 | ||
| Central African Republic | 2022 | 445.78 | 447.76 | ||
| Central and Southern Asia | 2022 | 334282.22 | 176774.98 | ||
| Chad | 2022 | 1648.75 | 3536.26 | ||
| Chile | 2022 | 11250.89 | 1864.08 | ||
| China | 2022 | 101750.7 | 81085.72 | ||
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 2022 | 18.12 | 20.88 | ||
| China, Macao Special Administrative Region | 2022 | 1.35 | 1.72 | ||
| Christmas Island | 2022 | 0.01 | 0.4 | ||
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Colombia | 2022 | 7157.32 | 7788.34 | ||
| Comoros | 2022 | 2.09 | 5.13 | ||
| Congo | 2022 | 1616.54 | 1070.68 | ||
| Cook Islands | 2022 | 0.16 | 0.23 | ||
| Costa Rica | 2022 | 44.87 | 130.72 | ||
| Croatia | 2022 | 222.42 | 200.19 | ||
| Cuba | 2022 | 1247.85 | 1301.8 | ||
| Curaçao | 2022 | 2.99 | 6.87 | ||
| Cyprus | 2022 | 7.97 | 16.88 | ||
| Czechia | 2022 | 358.69 | 123.4 | ||
| Côte d'Ivoire | 2022 | 169.33 | 495.61 | ||
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 2022 | 523.46 | 844.47 | ||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2022 | 35992.57 | 5374.98 | ||
| Denmark | 2022 | 433.28 | 104.25 | ||
| Djibouti | 2022 | 131.14 | 349.1 | ||
| Dominica | 2022 | 0.01 | 0.56 | ||
| Dominican Republic | 2022 | 387.09 | 124.35 | ||
| Eastern and South-Eastern Asia | 2022 | 142443.08 | 151679.36 | ||
| Ecuador | 2022 | 1746.43 | 1576.67 | ||
| Egypt | 2022 | 1966.72 | 2239.76 | ||
| El Salvador | 2022 | 161.36 | 60.39 | ||
| Equatorial Guinea | 2022 | 19.46 | 29.02 | ||
| Eritrea | 2022 | 66.83 | 290.44 | ||
| Estonia | 2022 | 2017.71 | 141.54 | ||
| Eswatini | 2022 | 7.44 | 13.08 | ||
| Ethiopia | 2022 | 6551.11 | 2286.81 | ||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | 2022 | 135.22 | 46.29 | ||
| Faroe Islands | 2022 | 10.57 | 6.73 | ||
| Fiji | 2022 | 9.86 | 31.85 | ||
| Finland | 2022 | 22408.11 | 2123 | ||
| France | 2022 | 2535.62 | 1140.78 | ||
| French Guiana | 2022 | 53.97 | 97.49 | ||
| French Polynesia | 2022 | 98.79 | 18.48 | ||
| Gabon | 2022 | 1582.02 | 646.97 | ||
| Gambia | 2022 | 102.76 | 155.07 | ||
| Georgia | 2022 | 231.19 | 153.22 | ||
| Germany | 2022 | 3382.61 | 706.19 | ||
| Ghana | 2022 | 220.84 | 621.82 | ||
| Gibraltar | 2022 | 0.04 | 0.06 | ||
| Greece | 2022 | 678.58 | 259.83 | ||
| Greenland | 2022 | 17315.94 | 1313.46 | ||
| Grenada | 2022 | 0.34 | 1.03 | ||
| Guadeloupe | 2022 | 0.42 | 2.19 | ||
| Guam | 2022 | 0.62 | 0.75 | ||
| Guatemala | 2022 | 1070.86 | 340.15 | ||
| Guernsey | 2022 | 0.97 | 0.85 | ||
| Guinea | 2022 | 67.83 | 747.37 | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | 2022 | 51.55 | 357.66 | ||
| Guyana | 2022 | 419.19 | 896.71 | ||
| Haiti | 2022 | 166.27 | 79.25 | ||
| Heard Island and McDonald Islands | 2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Holy See | 2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Honduras | 2022 | 478.48 | 556.42 | ||
| Hungary | 2022 | 1140.91 | 285.86 | ||
| Iceland | 2022 | 1661.94 | 244.67 | ||
| India | 2022 | 8260.28 | 62015.23 | ||
| Indonesia | 2022 | 8730.55 | 12278.19 | ||
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 2022 | 59506.34 | 12384.79 | ||
| Iraq | 2022 | 1963.15 | 6227.4 | ||
| Ireland | 2022 | 897.73 | 165.73 | ||
| Isle of Man | 2022 | 0.72 | 1.04 | ||
| Israel | 2022 | 451.4 | 52.28 | ||
| Italy | 2022 | 1949.36 | 838.36 | ||
| Jamaica | 2022 | 10.96 | 19.23 | ||
| Japan | 2022 | 1589.11 | 1091 | ||
| Jersey | 2022 | 0.55 | 0.48 | ||
| Jordan | 2022 | 435.81 | 111.65 | ||
| Kazakhstan | 2022 | 155466.99 | 50253.53 | ||
| Kenya | 2022 | 7913.86 | 777.48 | ||
| Kiribati | 2022 | 0.94 | 2.07 | ||
| Kuwait | 2022 | 26.16 | 179.7 | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | 2022 | 6977.32 | 387.61 | ||
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | 2022 | 1074.28 | 970.53 | ||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2022 | 156314.54 | 137852.65 | ||
| Latvia | 2022 | 790.47 | 341.71 | ||
| Lebanon | 2022 | 2.21 | 8.43 | ||
| Lesotho | 2022 | 7.2 | 42.34 | ||
| Liberia | 2022 | 21.6 | 108.06 | ||
| Libya | 2022 | 43.45 | 542.64 | ||
| Liechtenstein | 2022 | 0.77 | 0.24 | ||
| Lithuania | 2022 | 860.7 | 290.01 | ||
| Luxembourg | 2022 | 2.81 | 1.84 | ||
| Madagascar | 2022 | 1816.3 | 4408.53 | ||
| Malawi | 2022 | 23500.4 | 651.45 | ||
| Malaysia | 2022 | 714.64 | 1137.31 | ||
| Mali | 2022 | 1006.16 | 7892.46 | ||
| Malta | 2022 | 0.2 | 0.84 | ||
| Marshall Islands | 2022 | 0.54 | 1.51 | ||
| Martinique | 2022 | 0.79 | 1.65 | ||
| Mauritania | 2022 | 71.92 | 1365.66 | ||
| Mauritius | 2022 | 13.6 | 6.14 | ||
| Mayotte | 2022 | 1.41 | 1.23 | ||
| Mexico | 2022 | 5729.74 | 11140.45 | ||
| Micronesia (Federated States of) | 2022 | 2.18 | 2.12 | ||
| Monaco | 2022 | 0.08 | 0.05 | ||
| Mongolia | 2022 | 13861.4 | 3087.58 | ||
| Montenegro | 2022 | 18.81 | 75.98 | ||
| Montserrat | 2022 | 0.01 | 0.55 | ||
| Morocco | 2022 | 135.94 | 288.63 | ||
| Mozambique | 2022 | 8223.1 | 3030.7 | ||
| Myanmar | 2022 | 3049.53 | 10797.43 | ||
| Namibia | 2022 | 287.35 | 4601.62 | ||
| Nauru | 2022 | 0.04 | 0.19 | ||
| Nepal | 2022 | 203.37 | 608.9 | ||
| New Caledonia | 2022 | 32.85 | 64.63 | ||
| New Zealand | 2022 | 3293.84 | 583.91 | ||
| Nicaragua | 2022 | 9326.12 | 750.3 | ||
| Niger | 2022 | 302.83 | 1337.92 | ||
| Nigeria | 2022 | 1663.91 | 5592.76 | ||
| Niue | 2022 | 0.11 | 0.01 | ||
| Norfolk Island | 2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
| North Macedonia | 2022 | 456.12 | 16.91 | ||
| Northern Africa and Western Asia | 2022 | 94245.52 | 21395.71 | ||
| Northern Mariana Islands | 2022 | 2.02 | 3.57 | ||
| Norway | 2022 | 12156.67 | 1329.07 | ||
| Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) | 2022 | 2865.05 | 2242.58 | ||
| Oman | 2022 | 36.37 | 327.04 | ||
| Pakistan | 2022 | 2660.34 | 15286.49 | ||
| Palau | 2022 | 0.65 | 0.48 | ||
| Panama | 2022 | 44.76 | 212.24 | ||
| Papua New Guinea | 2022 | 2482.08 | 2066.46 | ||
| Paraguay | 2022 | 1335.99 | 2254.43 | ||
| Peru | 2022 | 11807.62 | 6773.76 | ||
| Philippines | 2022 | 2413.23 | 2017.98 | ||
| Pitcairn | 2022 | 0 | 0.1 | ||
| Poland | 2022 | 3109.1 | 882.1 | ||
| Portugal | 2022 | 187.41 | 198.05 | ||
| Puerto Rico | 2022 | 25.83 | 34.82 | ||
| Qatar | 2022 | 16.03 | 66.78 | ||
| Republic of Korea | 2022 | 464.72 | 663.32 | ||
| Republic of Moldova | 2022 | 236.1 | 122.48 | ||
| Romania | 2022 | 1679.24 | 851.03 | ||
| Russian Federation | 2022 | 425203.6 | 176161.97 | ||
| Rwanda | 2022 | 1517.05 | 59.21 | ||
| Saint Helena | 2022 | 0.2 | 0.4 | ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2022 | 0.21 | 0.71 | ||
| Saint Lucia | 2022 | 0.21 | 1.51 | ||
| Saint Martin (French Part) | 2022 | 5.49 | 1.09 | ||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 2022 | 4.78 | 1.32 | ||
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2022 | 0.24 | 1.07 | ||
| Samoa | 2022 | 2.59 | 2.34 | ||
| San Marino | 2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Sao Tome and Principe | 2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Saudi Arabia | 2022 | 153.33 | 928.93 | ||
| Senegal | 2022 | 533.83 | 2048.8 | ||
| Serbia | 2022 | 417.67 | 186.54 | ||
| Seychelles | 2022 | 1.31 | 3.82 | ||
| Sierra Leone | 2022 | 77.22 | 381.51 | ||
| Singapore | 2022 | 9.94 | 16.68 | ||
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 2022 | 3.56 | 1 | ||
| Slovakia | 2022 | 105.52 | 55.08 | ||
| Slovenia | 2022 | 41.79 | 36.35 | ||
| Solomon Islands | 2022 | 127.2 | 25.1 | ||
| Somalia | 2022 | 94.3 | 710.1 | ||
| South Africa | 2022 | 1362.51 | 1913.01 | ||
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 2022 | 64.62 | 15.43 | ||
| South Sudan | 2022 | 556.79 | 1817.93 | ||
| Spain | 2022 | 594.42 | 1020.05 | ||
| Sri Lanka | 2022 | 572.71 | 1063.67 | ||
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 2022 | 140659.28 | 77320.48 | ||
| Sudan | 2022 | 1268.15 | 1959.73 | ||
| Suriname | 2022 | 167.55 | 344.69 | ||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands | 2022 | 200.2 | 13.46 | ||
| Switzerland | 2022 | 1292.35 | 52.22 | ||
| Syrian Arab Republic | 2022 | 350.36 | 595.29 | ||
| Tajikistan | 2022 | 1169.58 | 640.45 | ||
| Thailand | 2022 | 2232.88 | 8462.18 | ||
| Timor-Leste | 2022 | 3.56 | 61.99 | ||
| Togo | 2022 | 10.55 | 78.96 | ||
| Tokelau | 2022 | 59.07 | 0.06 | ||
| Tonga | 2022 | 16.64 | 4.08 | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2022 | 6.65 | 13.64 | ||
| Tunisia | 2022 | 86.73 | 1019.34 | ||
| Turkmenistan | 2022 | 88527.06 | 6817.62 | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 2022 | 17.47 | 28.38 | ||
| Tuvalu | 2022 | 0.1 | 0.11 | ||
| Türkiye | 2022 | 7172.15 | 3164.17 | ||
| Uganda | 2022 | 7921.12 | 654.89 | ||
| Ukraine | 2022 | 3927.45 | 2266.88 | ||
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 2022 | 1823.55 | 432.49 | ||
| United Republic of Tanzania | 2022 | 21613.33 | 4511.32 | ||
| United States Virgin Islands | 2022 | 1.45 | 3.69 | ||
| United States of America | 2022 | 252790.79 | 76485.51 | ||
| Uruguay | 2022 | 878.87 | 1124.03 | ||
| Uzbekistan | 2022 | 8683.77 | 8768.52 | ||
| Vanuatu | 2022 | 27.51 | 16.96 | ||
| Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 2022 | 5041.78 | 8748.96 | ||
| Viet Nam | 2022 | 2621.76 | 17414.79 | ||
| Wallis and Futuna Islands | 2022 | 0.64 | 0.74 | ||
| Western Sahara | 2022 | 14.07 | 134.75 | ||
| World | 2022 | 2585526.57 | 990821.44 | ||
| Yemen | 2022 | 65.01 | 303.75 | ||
| Zambia | 2022 | 9106.48 | 7043.74 | ||
| Zimbabwe | 2022 | 406.29 | 519.95 | ||
| Åland Islands | 2022 | 25.98 | 10.73 | ||