In 2023, for the first time, the economic value of water ecosystems was estimated at $58 trillion, equivalent to 60% of the world’s GDP by the WWF. Their director, Dr Kirsten Schuijt, states: “Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands are essential for water and food security, adapting to climate change and sustaining biodiversity”. Since 1970, the world has lost one-third of its remaining wetlands, while freshwater wildlife populations have,…