Previous original research focused on wetland loss and finding out its drivers across different regional units of the world. A few reports also tried to account world's condition on wetland loss. A couple of review articles articulated the causes of wetland loss and services. The present study intended to explore the linkage between wetland loss rate and processes concerning socio-ecological well-being parameters to highlight alternative ways to adopt wetland conservation policies. A total of 132 pieces of Scopus index literature were taken analysing loss rate and drivers of loss from 22 sample countries where publication frequency is relatively high. Meta-analysis was done to explain the publication trend and spatial change in publication polarity. Results distinctly revealed that the rate of wetland loss varies from 0.06% to 4.81% annually, with substantially low in developed countries (DC) than in developing (DeV) and least developed countries (LDC). Six drivers, such as agricultural land expansion, the built-up area, the conversion to grassland area, construction of the dam, climate change and tourism, were the primary drivers. But all these are not equally active across the DC, DeV and LDC. Climate change, tourism development in DC, agriculture and built-up expansions in the Dev and LDC appeared as the major causes behind wetland loss. Socio-ecological well-being parameters like human development, environmental performance, social progression, and economic status were found to be significantly negatively (-0.48 to -0.57), and the poverty rate was positively (0.27) associated with the rates of wetland loss. Drivers also varied with respect to the socio-ecological conditions. These findings are not merely added knowledge to the state-of-arts but are also helpful in re-directing global policies toward wetland conservation.
Keywords: Drivers; Meta-analysis; Socio-ecological perspectives and relations in between; Wetland loss.
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