It is often thought that nature conservation frustrates the fight against poverty, and vice versa – that it is not possible to conserve nature and combat poverty at the same time. Wetlands International’s livelihoods projects try to prove the opposite: not only can nature conservation and development efforts reinforce each other – they actually need each other in order to succeed.

For nature conservation to have a long-term effect, poverty must be reduced. And to reduce poverty in the longer term the resources on which people depend need to be managed in a sustainable manner. This is particularly the case in wetland areas, where vast numbers of people depend on the water, food and flood control provided by wetlands and where nature and poverty are very closely connected.

What we do

Without appropriate awareness, training and economic incentives for local communities, incentives for short-term unsustainable practices remain high. In all her projects Wetlands International integrates poverty with wetland conservation and management. In addition to numerous local efforts in this regard, Wetlands International is currently coordinating three such major initiatives: