Safeguarding the world's wetlands

Recognising the social, economic and environmental importance of wetlands

All life on Earth depends on water. Wetlands are vital, natural, living entities that must be preserved for the common good - the good of the human race and the good of the huge variety of animals and plants that survive in these unique habitats.

Protecting, restoring and managing representative networks of freshwater habitats is urgently required to conserve freshwater biodiversity and ensure supplies of water, food, materials and services for communities.

WWF's global solutions

Throughout the world, WWF funds, implements, and operates hundreds of projects that rise to the enormous worldwide challenge of wetland conservation and spearheads some of the most advanced river and floodplain restoration projects.

Central to its work is the theory of sustainable use, and the need to maintain hydrological processes - no freshwater area can survive without adequate water supply.

Governments must factor in the value of wetlands

WWF believes that governments must recognise the economic, social and environmental value of wetlands and include the sustainable management of these ecosystems in their national agenda.

WWF works with governments to persuade them to make major commitments on conservation and protection of key freshwater habitats.

By 2010, WWF wants 250 million ha of representative wetlands to be protected and sustainably managed.

The Ramsar Convention

Governments should also list their most valuable wetland sites under the Ramsar Convention, the only international treaty on wetland protection.

For example, the recent designation by the government of Mali of the Inner Niger Delta (the 3rd-largest wetland in the world) as a Ramsar site represents a major commitment to prevent overexploitation of freshwater resources in the area and promote sustainable management of these wetlands.