Between fire and ice: How wetlands can quietly shape our climate future

Wetlands in an era of melting ice

Across Western Canada, studies show glaciers are melting faster than projected, shifting hydrological patterns and sending water cascading into valley bottoms. As these glaciers recede, many watersheds will face new extremes: too much water in spring, not enough in summer. Wetlands moderate both.

Intact wetlands store enormous volumes of water across landscapes, reducing flood peaks and sustaining streamflows long after snow and ice have disappeared. Functioning like natural sponges, they absorb meltwater, replenish groundwater and release moisture slowly over time.

For salmon-bearing rivers and agricultural regions, this slow release is life support. But when wetlands are drained, filled or degraded, the sponge collapses. Meltwater rushes downstream unchecked, increasing erosion, flooding and sedimentation before disappearing into the ocean. Later in the season, water vanishes when it’s needed most.

When the forest burns, wetlands hold their ground(water)

Fire scientists have uncovered something remarkable: wetlands are among the most reliable fire refuges left on the landscape.

A 2025 study from British Columbia analyzing more than two decades of wildfire patterns found that wetlands and heterogeneous wet landscapes consistently act as fire refugia, meaning they are places where vegetation can survive even during high-intensity fire. These areas become sanctuaries sheltering birds, amphibians, mammals and plant communities that help re-seed burned forests.

Why? Because wetlands slow fire spread, retain moisture even in extreme heat and break up the continuous fuel fire depends on. This protective effect is so strong that the study suggests wetlands can anchor long-term ecosystem recovery, acting as pockets of resilience that help forests return.

That has enormous implications for the forested parts of Canada, where back-to-back record-breaking wildfire seasons have pushed communities and ecosystems to the brink. Wetlands now represent strategic climate infrastructure.

Conserve now or pay later

Across Canada, we are losing wetlands at a time when we need them most. From coastal B.C. to the Prairie potholes to the boreal shield, wetlands are shrinking under pressures like urban expansion, agricultural conversion, resource development and altered hydrology.

As wetlands disappear, Canada becomes more prone to floods and droughts, more vulnerable to fires, and less resilient for wildlife and communities. These losses come with staggering financial costs. Every flood cleanup, fire recovery effort or damaged road, farm, house or community facility needing repairs reminds us: Every hectare of wetland we conserve or restore today could mean a disaster we won’t have to pay for tomorrow.

Investing in wetlands is one of the smartest, most cost-effective climate strategies Canada has available.

We are still in the window of choice

The story of climate change can feel overwhelming, but wetlands offer a rare and powerful message: We still have time to make decisions that shape the future.

Safeguarding and restoring wetlands is one of the most budget-friendly, scalable and hopeful actions we can take. These ecosystems sit at the crossroads of fire and ice, acting as both shield and sanctuary in a world that is changing fast.

If we choose to invest in them now, through better policy, community action and bold restoration efforts, we build a province capable of withstanding the climate extremes that lie ahead.

Wetlands are not passive landscapes, they are allies. And they are asking us to act.