"Although almost three quarters of planet Earth is covered in water, the majority of this is salty and therefore undrinkable. I've discovered that just 2.5 per cent of your planet's water is fresh and much of this is locked up as ice. But it is this tiny proportion of freshwater that enables all the people, animals and plants that live here to survive – incredible!"

"I've visited two of the largest freshwater areas on your planet – the Amazon River in South America and Lake Baikal in Russia. The Amazon River carries more water than any other river in the world and can be seen from space. Lake Baikal is the biggest lake on Earth; it contains about one fifth of the Earth's freshwater and is as deep as five Eiffel towers!"

"Freshwater provides a home to over 12 per cent of your planet's animals including 40 per cent of world's fish species – wow! But it is not just fish that live in these wetlands, other animals like otters, platypus and even some types of dolphins can be found here too. The Amazon River for instance is home to the boto river dolphin, which can stun its prey with a burst of sound!"

"Not only are wetlands, such as rivers and lakes, essential for the animals, people and plants that live in or around them, these areas also act like giant sponges, absorbing rainfall and releasing it slowly back to the environment over time. Wetlands also help clean the water, control floods and are essential sources of food for many people worldwide."

"The problem is that the Earth's tiny supply of freshwater is under threat. Rivers and streams are polluted when chemicals used on farms and in factories leak into the environment and some wetlands have disappeared altogether to make way for new settlements. Plus water itself is not being used in a responsible way, which has caused water shortages in some areas."

"Poor use of freshwater has already caused up to a 50 per cent reduction in the number of freshwater plants and animals on Earth and one third of the world's population are already experiencing water shortages. My computer tells me that unless everyone starts using water in a more responsible way, there will be more problems like this in the future."

"The good news is that my friends at WWF have said there are solutions to these problems. There is enough fresh water for people, plants and animals, so long as it is used in a way that is well managed and if the world's remaining wetlands are protected."

"WWF is working with partners around the world, from local communities to large companies, to help them find ways of using water efficiently. WWF is also helping to restore and protect some of the planet's most threatened wetlands like the Yangtze River in China and the Great Ruaha River in Tanzania."