Freshwater Stories

Mongolia protects millions of acres of freshwater ecosystem
Twenty-one percent of the country's territory is now protected, including a vital free flowing river
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Crossing Paths
WWF Magazine: Winter 2020As seasonal waters ebb and flow, the movements of elephants and other wildlife follow. -
Flow Lines
WWF Magazine: Winter 2020Keeping water flowing for people and wildlife in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area will take action at every level. Here's what WWF is doing for it. -
Critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins and the world’s most productive freshwater fishery saved from destructive dam
March 30, 2020In a significant step forward for nature and communities that depend on the mighty Mekong River, the Cambodian government has abandoned plans to build the Sambor hydropower dam and has put a 10-year moratorium on any new dams on the Mekong mainstem.
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Working together to build climate change resilience and protect vital water in Guatemala
In Guatemala, thousands of people call the Teculutan and Pasabien watersheds home. Under the cover of iconic cloud forests, rivers flow down from the mountainous region called the Sierra de Las Minas; providing fresh water for nature and these communities, for drinking, hygiene and sanitation, agriculture, as well as for business operations and so much more.
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With access to fresh water, a school garden grows
February 04, 2020In 2009, principal and teacher Marcia Novakc da Silva decided to join forces to start a community rainwater project, led by the organization Incra and supported by WWF. The work is one of several projects for the recovery of the springs and water supply in region.
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Finding a delicate balance in the Pantanal
WWF Magazine: Spring 2020The sprawling Pantanal supports a wealth of wildlife, plants, and people. As pressures intensify in this ecosystem, multinational cooperation and a holistic strategy are key to a better way forward. -
People of the Pantanal
WWF Magazine: Spring 2020Development within the Pantanal must be managed sustainably. Today, community members across the region are working to conserve this essential landscape and their own way of life. -
Mighty Mangroves
Mangroves are a vibrant part of coastal wetlands on five continents. Explore some of the most diverse coastal forests around the world.
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A new water treatment plant transforms life for a community in the Pantanal
January 30, 2020Before the water treatment facility was built on Margarita Island, the 350 residents of the tiny Paraguayan community drank straight from the Paraguay River. Pollutants, dumped by fishermen, tourists and cargo ships, as well as farms and factories located along the river, made kids sick, and stained their clothes with mud.
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Saving the Pantanal
WWF Magazine: Spring 2020In addition to being an environmental jewel, the Pantanal is also a tremendous resource for people. Collaboration is central to keeping the water flowing in the world's largest tropical wetland. -
For a ranger in the Pantanal, everything is connected
November 05, 2019A day in the life of Carolina Alvarez, as she protects the Pantanal for wildlife and people, includes cleaning trails and monitoring wildlife like anacondas, jaguars, and caiman using camera traps.
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Meet a group of catfish new to scientists
WWF Magazine: Winter 2019In February, a group of researchers led by Field Museum scientist Lesley de Souza found six new catfish species—all with some pretty funky-looking snouts. -
A dam threatens wildlife life in the Lower Mekong Delta
WWF Magazine: Winter 2019WWF is advocating that energy investors replace plans for hydropower dams in Cambodia with large-scale solar farms, which are more environmentally friendly and quicker to build. -
Big win: Zambia halts mega dam on a crucial free-flowing river
June 26, 2019In a major boost for communities and wildlife in the Luangwa river valley, the Zambian government halted plans to construct a mega hydropower dam across the river, safeguarding the diverse benefits it provides to people and nature.
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Lower Mura Valley becomes the gateway to the “Amazon of Europe”
More than 32,000 acres of the Mura River and its crucial floodplains in Austria were declared a “biosphere reserve”—a major step toward conserving one of the richest natural areas in Europe.
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Just one-third of the world's longest rivers remain free-flowing
May 09, 2019Only a little more than one-third of the world’s 246 longest rivers remain free-flowing, drastically reducing the diverse benefits that healthy rivers provide to people and nature everywhere, according to a new study by WWF and partners.
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Tracing the Paraguay River through the world's largest tropical wetland
WWF Magazine: Summer 2019In March, WWF-Brazil led a group of 25 journalists, researchers, and celebrities on a five-day adventure that involved boating, driving, walking along the Paraguay Rivera and through the Pantanal. -
Plans for mega dams put Argentina’s Santa Cruz River—its wildlife, local livelihoods, and Perito Moreno Glacier—at risk
November 01, 2018A pair of mega dams in construction on the Santa Cruz river’s banks could flood more than 135 square miles of the surrounding region--an area almost twice as big as Buenos Aires--and transform Argentina’s last free-flowing glacial river into a series of brackish pools.
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An 83% decline of freshwater animals underscores the need to keep rivers connected and flowing
October 30, 2018This year’s Living Planet Report shows that populations of animals—including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians—plummeted by 60% between 1970 and 2014. But those living in freshwater are experiencing a far more drastic decline: 83% since 1970.
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5 amazing animals that live in the Pantanal—and need our help
Nestled in the heart of South America, the Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland. Discover just a few of the native species that live in this incredible place.
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Combating day zero through community action
WWF Magazine: Fall 2018 -
An important win for the world's largest tropical wetland
March 22, 2018Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay signed an unprecedented declaration that calls for sustainable development of the Pantanal, a 42-million-acre wetland that touches each country. The decision follows years of collaboration among the governments that are securing a prosperous future for one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on the planet.
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Dams planned along the Mura River would devastate the “Amazon of Europe”
February 05, 2018The Mura river—a relatively connected stretch of water that serves as one of the last refuges for wildlife and rare fish like otters and the Danube salmon—is at significant risk of dam development.
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5 interesting facts about the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland
At more than 42 million acres, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland— and one of the most pristine—in the world.