When it comes to nature and climate, it might seem like COP30 in Belem is only interested in rainforests and oceans. But look a little deeper and you’ll see growing acknowledgement of the central role of healthy wetlands in climate action.

And central to this has been the growing momentum and public support for the country-led Freshwater Challenge – the world’s largest freshwater protection and restoration initiative in history. Designed to support countries to achieve their freshwater targets and so help deliver on their climate, nature and development goals, the Challenge already has 54 Country Members – including Brazil – and the EU and has featured in numerous high level sessions and side events at COP30.

These events – including a Ministerial Roundtable on From Rio to Belem, the ‘Waters of Change’ Ministerial and a High Level Event for Non-State Actors of the Global Climate Agenda – highlighted the importance of healthy rivers, floodplains, lakes, peatlands and other freshwater wetlands to climate mitigation and adaptation.

And how countries are already driving progress through the Challenge.

At the Water Ministerial, the Freshwater Challenge was showcased by a number of speakers, including Brazil’s Minister of Regional Development and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, speaking as the Presidency of the Convention on Wetlands as well as Gabon, which has been a champion of the Challenge since its launch in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Challenge was granted a full intervention in the Non-State Actors event hosted by the High Level Climate Champions. Coenraad Krijger, CEO of Wetlands International, spoke on behalf of all the Core Partners (Conservation International, Ramsar Secretariat, IUCN, TNC, UNCCD, UNEP, WWF and Wetlands International) and Supporting Partners (Birdlife, FAO, IWMI and WWT).

Here is Coenraad’s full speech – a compelling call for countries to prioritise wetlands and for the potential of the Freshwater Challenge to drive progress towards national and global goals on climate as well as people and nature.

But healthy wetlands are also central to tackling the other great challenges of our era: enhancing water and food security, reversing nature loss, and driving sustainable development.  

I am speaking here today on behalf of all the Core and Supporting Partners of the country-led Freshwater Challenge – the largest freshwater protection and restoration initiative in history. The Core partners are: Conservation International, IUCN, Ramsar Secretariat, TNC, UNCCD, UNEP, WWF, WI. 

And speaking of largest: I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Government of Brazil for hosting this critically important COP in such an inspiring wetland location – within the world’s largest river system. But Brazil is also home to many other iconic freshwater wetlands, including the world’s largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal. 

Both these wetland ecosystems – the Amazon and Pantanal – have suffered devastating droughts recently, impacting people and nature. This reminds us of the vulnerability of wetlands to the worsening climate crisis. And the urgent need to scale up investment in protecting and restoring wetlands as the foundations of societies and economies that are resilient. 

This is the heart of the Freshwater Challenge – a voluntary, global initiative with ambitious protection and restoration goals for the world’s rivers, lakes and other freshwater wetlands. It is designed to help countries scale up impact and deliver on their commitments under the Paris Agreement and other global conventions. 

I am proud to say that momentum is really building behind the Freshwater Challenge. There are now 54 Country Members – with Bangladesh, Madagascar, Namibia, and South Africa joining recently – along with the European Union. All these Members understand that restoring their degraded rivers and other freshwater wetlands and protecting intact freshwater ecosystems can help them achieve their climate targets. 

These countries understand that accelerating investment in nature-based solutions for their freshwater ecosystems provides real returns for people and climate. They chose to lead on water and wetland action. 

The multi-billion dollar question, of course, is how to secure this investment. This is key to the Freshwater Challenge. Along with supporting Country Members with advice on best practices for restoration and how to incorporate wetlands into NDCs and NAPs and other national strategies. The Challenge has been set up to accelerate action and support in leveraging the funding needed. 

The Challenge has been granted a financial support of US$5 million from the GEF, with pilot projects in Brazil, Cambodia and Tanzania due to start in 2026. It has also launched a Business Supporter Programme to build partnerships with the private sector as private finance will be essential to turbocharging progress. This innovative programme already boasts 4 multinational companies with others in the pipeline. 

It is still early days but support for the Freshwater Challenge is growing rapidly. COP30 in Brazil – one of the early champions of the Challenge – is a key stepping stone to accelerated action. Members who joined at a Ministerial event in COP28 committed to announcing their national freshwater restoration and protection targets here in Belem. Many have already agreed to ambitious targets and we are expecting more to be announced over the course of COP. 

But the Freshwater Challenge goes beyond climate solutions. As rivers connect communities and land and sea, the restoration of degraded rivers and other freshwater wetlands, connects water action across the Rio conventions and the Convention on Wetlands. 

I had the privilege to attend the Convention on Wetlands COP15 in July in Zimbabwe. Parties adopted a decision that prioritizes freshwater wetlands restoration and encourages more parties to engage with the FWC. And they called for wetlands to be prioritised at COP30.  

I am very glad to stand here and acknowledge how the COP30 Presidency has heard that call and responded, ensuring that the focus on nature at this critically important conference also includes wetlands as solutions for climate resilience and water security. 

On behalf of the Core and Supporting partners of the Freshwater Challenge, we are ready to rise to the challenge of helping the Member Countries accelerate action for their rivers, lakes, peatlands and other freshwater wetlands. Through our work at global and regional level, and nationally through our programmes and offices. And we are committed to playing our part in making this COP a success, for action, to secure a brighter future for wetlands and for people, nature and climate.