Natural disasters, droughts and heavy rainfalls, make Guatemalan communities vulnerable to their natural environment. In five departments in Guatemala we work with communities to reduce […]

Downstream communities in the Ewaso Nyiro River of northeastern Kenya are extremely vulnerable to droughts and floods. We are helping communities reduce their vulnerability and […]

What do you do when mangroves fail to naturally recolonise abandoned rice fields in one of the most precious mangrove deltas of the world? Pieter […]

Rural communities and those on the outskirts of urban areas around the world typically have a close relationship with wetlands. They are important to local economies and help meet day to day food, water and sanitation needs. They also support community resilience in the face of a changing environment.

Floodplains are nature’s flood storage areas, evolving to make space when a river is periodically in a flood state. Society has evolved alongside floodplains using their fertile soils and flat land. As a result, vast stretches of floodplains are heavily modified and have lost their natural functions.

Wetlands in upland and mountainous areas have an important role in regulating river flows and enhancing the quantity and quality of water downstream. They face an array of threats, including the rapid melting of glaciers due to climate change, overgrazing of livestock, water diversions for agriculture and hydropower, and increased pollution.

Wetlands such as rivers, streams, swamps, lakes, and estuaries play a critical role in supplying and regulating the quantity and quality of water. Water risks to society, including scarcity, droughts and floods, are increasing around the world. Conserving and restoring wetlands is a cost-effective investment strategy to increase water security.

Wetlands International welcomes the co-chairs’ zero draft, dated 20 October. As an organisation with experience in wetland conservation, restoration and sustainable use for the benefit […]