Wetland Monitoring Tool
Wetland Monitoring Tool (WMT) is an innovative, free-to-use remote sensing and GIS-based platform designed to monitor, map, and analyze seasonal changes in wetland ecosystems across Southeast Asia.
WMT is a cloud-based platform that uses satellite data and generates seasonal composites and applies vegetation and water indices to track surface water extent, vegetation, and wetland changes over time. The tool offers a user-friendly interface for visualizing trends and identifying areas experiencing significant seasonal or long-term change—supporting community stakeholders, scientists, and policymakers in sustainable wetland management, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation planning.
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FAQ's
Why the tool matters
Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in Asia, providing critical services such as water storage, flood regulation, carbon sequestration, and habitat for biodiversity. However, rapid land use change, infrastructure development, and climate variability are accelerating wetland degradation—threatening livelihoods, water security, and ecosystem resilience.
The Wetland Monitoring Tool (WMT) offers a practical, science-based solution to track and analyses seasonal and long-term changes in wetland areas using remote sensing data. By integrating vegetation, water indices, and land use information, the tool helps identify wetland loss, land use change, max surface water extent of wetland systems. This will support government agencies, researchers, and local communities in prioritizing restoration efforts, planning sustainable interventions, and enhancing climate resilience in vulnerable wetland ecosystems.
How it can be used by stakeholders and policy-makers
WMT is a valuable resource for stakeholders involved in wetland conservation, water resource planning, and land-use management. It provides yearly updated and long-term information on wetland extent, vegetation, and hydrological change, enabling users to assess the impacts of land-use activities, infrastructure development, and climate variability on wetland ecosystems.
Government agencies such as State Wetland Authorities, Environment Departments, and Water Resource Departments can use the tool for rapid assessment of wetland degradation, prioritize areas for restoration, and monitor compliance with conservation policies. The historical dataset helps identify trends and hotspot areas where intervention is urgently needed.
Additionally, WMT can support planners and decision-makers in integrating wetland ecosystem services into development planning, ensuring the protection of critical habitats and the sustainability of agriculture, fisheries, and local livelihoods. The tool’s outputs can be further enhanced by incorporating demographic, infrastructure, and land tenure data to support inclusive, evidence-based policy decisions.
How the tool works
The Wetland Monitoring Tool (WMT) harnesses cloud-based remote sensing technologies and open-source satellite imagery to monitor and map seasonal and long-term changes in wetland ecosystems. The tool uses satellite data from Landsat and Sentinel-2 to generate dry and wet season composites and applies vegetation and water indices—such as NDWI, NDVI, and MNDWI—to detect open water, wetland vegetation, and seasonal fluctuations in surface water extent.
WMT includes a threshold-based classification system that enables users to differentiate between permanent and seasonal wetlands, track vegetation dynamics, and identify areas undergoing degradation or land-use change. The tool integrates these spatial datasets into a user-friendly interface, allowing stakeholders to visualize changes over time, compare trends between seasons, and export data for further analysis.
By combining consistent satellite data with ecological indicators, WMT delivers reliable and actionable information that supports timely decision-making for wetland conservation, restoration planning, and sustainable landscape management.
Learn About Wetlands
Wetlands are transitional ecosystems between land and water—such as marshes, swamps, peatlands, floodplains, and lakeshores—that play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, storing water, and regulating climate. They act as natural sponges, absorbing excess rainfall, reducing flood risk, recharging groundwater, and filtering pollutants from water.
Wetlands are also home to a diverse range of species and provide essential resources for millions of people, including food, water, and livelihoods. However, they are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems—drained, degraded, or lost due to land-use change, urbanization, and climate impacts.
Monitoring wetlands is essential to understanding how they are changing over time and what actions are needed to protect them.
Visit www.ramsar.org to learn more about wetland and get more information on wetland of internation importance.
Main funding sources
Wetland Monitoring Tool is developed under the funding from SEI Tools and Method Fund and Support from Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA) Phase-2: Rivers, Rights, and Resilience (T2:3R)