Study finds one in four freshwater species faces extinction risk

A new study reveals that 25% of freshwater species are at risk of extinction. It highlights the significant loss of biodiversity in rivers, lakes, and wetlands, which have been largely overlooked compared to land and ocean species. Between 1970 and 2015, 35% of wetlands disappeared, with 65% of remaining habitats facing serious threats. Additionally, 37% of rivers longer than 1,000 km are no longer free-flowing. Freshwater ecosystems, which cover less than 1% of the Earth's surface, support over 10% of all known species, including a third of vertebrates and half of fish species.