Freshwater Stories

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.

In 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.

The 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.

Development 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.

Mangroves are a vibrant part of coastal wetlands on five continents. Explore some of the most diverse coastal forests around the world.

Before 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.

In 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.

A 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.

In 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.

WWF 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.

In 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.

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.

Only 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.

In 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.

A 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.

This 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.

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.

Brazil, 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.

The 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.

At more than 42 million acres, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland— and one of the most pristine—in the world.

WWF offices in Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia coordinated a tri-national effort to tag and study river dolphins, applying satellite GPS technology to the task for the first time.

A new WWF survey says there are now an estimated 1,816 Indus river in Pakistan—50% more than the 1,200 dolphins estimated after an initial census in 2001 when the species appeared to be on the brink of extinction.

As 2017 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to highlight some of our biggest conservation successes of the year. And we couldn’t have done it without your support.