Connected Rivers of Resilience Stories

With water risks and water-related impacts of climate change worsening across the globe, securing a water-positive future for species and communities around the world has never been more important. This is why countries have united under the Freshwater Challenge. Here’s what you need to know to understand this global initiative.

Nowhere is the world’s biodiversity crisis more acute than in freshwater ecosystems. Around 35% of wetlands have been lost in the past 50 years and only 1/3 of the world’s large rivers are still free flowing. WWF and partners recently released an update of the Living Planet Index (LPI) for Freshwater Migratory Fishes, which shows an 81% decline in migratory freshwater fish populations on average over the last 5 decades. This dramatic drop sounds an alarm for conservation efforts to protect these crucial species and preserve freshwater ecosystems. It is not just about protecting nature; it is essential for human survival too.

Amidst growing concerns about the conservation of freshwater resources, the Mekong Forgotten Fishes Report sheds light on innovative approaches to preserve and invest in the health of this vital waterway.

We know human activities interrupt air and land migrations, and people have also created obstacles that block or affect freshwater species migrations, as well as the flows of sediments, nutrients, and water within rivers around the world. The good news is that we have solutions to maintain or restore river connectivity.

Did you know that the drinking water for almost 50% of the people in the United States comes from underground? The term "freshwater" often conjures images of flowing streams or large, cool lakes, but in reality, almost all freshwater in the world (that isn't frozen and locked away in ice caps and glaciers) is groundwater.

In Cambodia, WWF sets its sights on keeping the lower Mekong River flowing free

By engaging with decision-makers and key players around the world, WWF works to keep dams from impeding free-flowing rivers while amplifying opportunities for sustainable energy-producing alternatives