Our Actions

Water for all in the Ichkeul Basin, Tunisia

By setting up a dialogue between the different demanders of water, we built a consensus that assured the access to water of all (farmers, dams, etc.) as well as preserves the wetlands and biodiversity of the Ichkeul Basin in Tunisia on the long term. This work was done with our local partner INAT, the Institut National Agronomique.

Improving the water quality of the Sebou River, Morocco

The Sebou River in Morocco suffers from serious pollution problems. To successfully push for control of urban pollution, we developed a monitoring & evaluation system for surface water quality.

Preserving mangroves in Guinea Bissau

Wetlands International worked in West African Guinea Bissau to restore traditional rice field (or bolanha) in mangrove areas. We enabled the building of dikes and channels to restore the hydrology for rice farming. This contributes strongly to mangrove conservation, as no new mangrove areas need to be cleared for conversion into rice fields.

Saving West Africa's mangroves: regional policy & local practices

In the six countries of Mauritania, Cabo Verde, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Chonakry and Sierra Leone we worked with governments and local communities on two strategies: 1. Bind all governments to conservation policies and action, and 2. Introduce sustainable production techniques that diminish the cutting of mangroves.

Palm oil production on peat

The demand for vegetable oil derived from oil palm is rapidly expanding. Approximately 90% of world production takes place in Indonesia and Malaysia. Unfortunately, around 20% of palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia are on peat soils, which until recently were covered by peat swamp forests. The drainage of these carbon-rich organic soils for plantations is causing massive greenhouse gas emissions.

Wetlands and Biofuels

Biofuels are liquid transportation fuels produced from crops as alternatives to petroleum-based gasoline and diesel. Biofuels demand and production is exploding globally, driven by government directives and the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Coast - the Tsunami Response

Through Green Coast we restored thousands of hectares of coast that were damaged by the Tsunami. Green Coast adopted a unique approach: restoration & management of coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, sand dunes and coral reefs through a community-led approach. This improved the biodiversity and economic well-being of hundreds of coastal communities in five countries: India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

UNFCCC Climate Talks in Bonn (June 2011)

New sessions have been held in Bonn, Germany on June 6-17of the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), continuing work from agreements made in Cancun, Mexico in 2010. Through active participation in the meeting and two side events we promoted the conservation and restoration of tropical and temperate peatlands for the critical role they play in regulating the climate.  Furthermore, at the subsequent Adaptation Fund Board meeting on June 19 the importance of Strategic Impact Assessments in board funded projects was highlighted.

Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction & World Reconstruction Conference

At the Third Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (Geneva, May 8-13) and its  World Reconstruction Conference (WRC, May 10-13) Wetlands International highlighted the role of ecosystems like wetlands to reduce the impact of extreme weather events such as extreme rainfall or extreme droughts. 

UNFCCC Climate Talks, Bonn (Aug 2010)