Projects

The Greater Mekong region holds irreplaceable riches ranging from rare wildlife in spectacular natural landscapes to communities with distinct cultural heritages. Cambodia, nestled between Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, offers lush forests, crucial wetlands, and a healthy stretch of the Mekong River—all of which play important roles in water provisions, food security, local livelihoods, and economic development. Furthermore, Cambodia hosts one of the last remaining populations of Irrawaddy dolphins.

Yet as the region continues to enjoy a booming economy, Cambodia and its neighbors are faced with the challenge of balancing legitimate needs for development while safeguarding their natural treasures that are increasingly under threat. Freshwater resources remain particularly at risk, as the impact of development decisions are rarely known.

The Natural Capital Project—a partnership among WWF, The Nature Conservancy, University of Minnesota and Stanford University—works to provide decision makers with reliable ways to assess the true value of the services that ecosystems provide.

Myanmar is brimming with opportunity. This Southeast Asia country is coming out of 50 years of isolation. Foreign investment is pouring in at a staggering pace and laws are being rewritten across the board. A key question for the country now is how to balance growth with conservation.

Illegal logging is more prevalent in Peru than in most countries around the world. The majority of the timber from Peru is harvested illegally. But the Peruvian government—with help from WWF and others—is turning this situation around. Together, they are transforming and modernizing Peru’s forest sector.

As one of the world’s thirstiest crops, sugarcane has a significant environmental impact—particularly when it comes to water use and quality—on many critical regions, from Southeast Asia’s Mekong River Delta to Central America’s Mesoamerican Reef. Yet it can be produced in environmentally, socially and economically sustainable ways.