The writing of this report was initiated by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, with financial support from the governments of Norway, Switzerland and Finland, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The report answers the following questions by presenting opinions based on a variety of experiences from around the world:

• Benefits and risks of loss: what roles do wetlands play in providing water and ensuring wider ecosystem services; what are their values?
• Measuring to manage: how can we improve what we measure to ensure better governance of our natural capital?
• Integrating water and wetland values into decision-making: what needs to be done to improve the consideration of the values and benefits of water and wetlands in policy developments and practical decision-making processes?
• transforming our approach to water and wetlands: what are the recommendations for transforming regional, national and international approaches to the management of water, wetlands and their ecosystem services
• Wetlands approach, Ramsar Convention, natural capital governance