Freshwater Stories

Though the world faces two existential crises—a rapidly warming planet and declining biodiversity—and continues to battle a global pandemic, conservation still made major strides toward protecting wildlife, wild places, and people in 2022.

Water overuse, infrastructure, changes in the amount of rainfall, increased temperatures, and the climate crisis are decreasing the amount of water that has historically flowed consistently in the Rio Grande.

Groundwater is the most abundant and accessible source of freshwater available to humans. Today, groundwater supports 40% of irrigated crop production, drinking water for more than a quarter of the world’s population, and helps maintain nearly half of all freshwater ecosystems.

Swimways, the aquatic version of ‘Flyways,’ is a new take on an existing conservation mechanism to increase the value of protecting continuous stretches of free-flowing rivers as a migratory pathway necessary for many aquatic animals.

Sturgeon and paddlefish—freshwater fish that have existed for hundreds of millions of years—now face extinction due mainly to the illegal trade in wild-caught caviar and meat. The world’s first comprehensive assessment of the species in over 13 years, released today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), confirmed that all 26 remaining species are now threatened with extinction.

Insurance companies act as risk managers, insurers, and investors, and provide support for the development of hydropower projects in all three of these roles. Their support will be critical in combating harmful hydropower projects—and helping to tackle the nature crisis.

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 a major boost to the conservation of the endangered Indus river dolphin, WWF experts in collaboration with the Sindh Wildlife Department safely tagged three dolphins in Pakistan with satellite transmitters in January 2022.

Electronic pingers attached to fishing nets create noises that deter dolphins and save them from becoming bycatch.

Toilets play an essential role in both the health of people and the environment, but billions of people worldwide do not have access to these critical facilities. Functioning toilets serve to improve the health and cleanliness of rivers and waterways—and the life that depends on them.

Last October, specialists released 700 Russian sturgeon into the Danube River in Isaccea, Romania. The restocking project is part of a Danube-wide effort to revive wild sturgeon in the region.

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

Freshwater fish are vital for communities, economies, and ecoystems. But they are under increasing threat and need our help now more than ever.

Rivers are more than water; they’re the lifeblood of ecosystems. So when a river’s natural flow is impeded by a dam, biodiversity suffers.

As seasonal waters ebb and flow, the movements of elephants and other wildlife follow.

Keeping 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.

Twenty-one percent of the country's territory is now protected, including a vital free flowing river

In 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.

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.