WWF-UK Research centre: Freshwater

water

"There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people Ц and the environment Ц suffer badly." World Water Council, 2000

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Why protect our freshwater ecosystems?

Freshwater work in the WWF global network

WWF-UK's Contribution

Why protect our freshwater ecosystems?
Without water there would be no life on earth. Freshwater ecosystems clean and store the water that is essential for human livelihoods and for the survival of wildlife. These ecosystems are a vital component in the hydrological cycle.

But the world's freshwater ecosystems have been degraded more rapidly than any other ecosystems in the last quarter of a century, and more than 50 per cent of global wetlands have been destroyed in the last one hundred years. WWF's Freshwater Species Population Index (a measure of the health of freshwater ecosystems across the world) has declined by half since 1970.

Today more than one billion people lack access to safe water. If current consumption patterns continue nearly half the world's projected population will live in water-stressed river basins by 2025. Over the last 50 years, the frequency of severe flooding and the damage it causes have increased, in part due to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems.

Freshwater work in the WWF global network

The vision of WWF's Global Freshwater Programme is that freshwater habitats around the world are conserved and sustainably managed to benefit people and nature. The Programme has three themes:

Conserving river basins and ecoregions

To achieve conservation of freshwater biodiversity and habitats at the river basin scale by maintaining ecological processes and promoting sustainable management and governance, including establishing or improving laws, policies and practices associated with water use and infrastructure.

Sustainable use of water

To influence significantly the main drivers of unsustainable water use - particularly agriculture, and energy generation - that threaten biodiversity and water resources, and that pollute river basins and marine ecoregions.

Conserving freshwater habitats

To promote the protection and good management of representative freshwater habitats as a tool for conserving biodiversity.

What is the rest of the WWF Network doing about freshwater issues? Please visit the WWF International site to find out.

WWF-UK's Contribution
WWF-UK is actively contributing to the goals of the WWF Global Freshwater Programme using our expertise in policy work and experience gained through supporting partners, including other members of the WWF Network, in delivering freshwater projects and programmes around the world. Read a summary of these projects and programmes.

Conserving and restoring the ecological processes of rivers

WWF-UK, working in partnership with other members of the WWF Network, is encouraging governments in the United Kingdom, the European Union, Tanzania, China, Mexico, US and Brazil to put in place policies for more sustainable integrated management of rivers and their catchments. For example, WWF has been integrally involved in the establishment of the Yangtze River Forum in China.

We are also undertaking projects in these countries and regions to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction. For example, WWF has worked with communities to implement sustainable fisheries management in the Varzea area of the Brazilian Amazon, leading to a 60 per cent increase in local fish yields and improved income for local fishermen.

Changing policies and practices in business and agriculture

WWF-UK is working with the UK government, the UK financial sector and other private companies to encourage more sustainable business practices that reduce negative impacts on freshwater ecosystems.

For example, sugar production has significant impacts on the freshwater environment. WWF-UK works with major companies in the global sugar supply chain to improve the social and environmental impacts of sugar cane growing. Furthermore, the current EU sugar regime supports over-production of sugar beet in Europe (some 20 million tonnes of sugar are produced in the EU). WWF-UK has encouraged governments in the United Kingdom and the European Union to ensure EU sugar regimes under the Common Agricultural Policy support environmentally sustainable production, including sustainable irrigation, both in the EU and imported sugar from the world's poorest countries.

Read more about our agricultural work.

HSBC Climate Partnership

As part of the newly-created HSBC Climate Partnership, WWF is to receive US$35 million to help protect four of the world's major rivers from the impacts of climate change.

World's top ten rivers at risk: © WWF-Canon / Yifei ZHANG

World's top ten rivers at risk: © WWF-Canon / Yifei ZHANG

World's top 10 rivers at risk

The world's most important rivers are dying as a result of man-made problems, threatening humans and wildlife alike.

WWF lists the top 10 rivers around the world that are drying-out or dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams. The report concludes that poor planning and inadequate protection of natural areas mean we can no longer assume that water will flow forever.

Download the report World's top 10 rivers at risk as a PDF file.

Protecting and Restoring Freshwater in the UK

Download the report The UK Natural Rivers Programme as a PDF file.

Head of Freshwater Programmes

Dr David Tickner
Head of Freshwater Programmes

WWF-UK
Panda House
Weyside Park
Godalming
Surrey GU7 1XR
t: 01483 426444
f: 01483 426409
e: info@wwf.org.uk

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