The drainage of natural wetlands has been useful for farming, forestry and peat extraction, but has also had a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions, flood control, nutrient loss and biodiversity. In a global study, an international research team led by Stanford University has reconstructed where and when wetlands were converted between the years 1700 and 2020, and why this was done. The University of Göttingen was involved in the study, for instance, regarding information on agricultural projects to convert wetlands as well as about drainage in irrigated agriculture. The results were published in the journal Nature. ...
