Freshwater
Freshwater Programme: Conserving freshwater fish and ecosystems
The freshwater programme addresses an urgent but largely unrecognised conservation crisis in freshwater ecosystems. As industrial water use has risen, and human development pressures intensified, freshwater habitats have been pushed further and further away from the natural conditions in which species evolved. This has had dramatic implications for the survival of freshwater fish and other species. According to the Living Planet Report, between 1970 and 2012, from a sample of 3,324 populations of 881 species across the globe, the abundance of freshwater species has declined by 81%, and one third of these are now assessed to be endangered species at risk of extinction.
Our Partners sustaining freshwater ecosystems
IUCN Freshwater Plants Specialist Group (FPSG)
The IUCN Freshwater Plants Specialist Group (FPSG) is part of the Species Survival Commission, which pools the knowledge of more than 10,000 volunteer experts from around the world. The FPSG
Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)
The Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) is a global coalition of more than 200 organisations dedicated to advancing the forest, land and natural resource rights of Indigenous Peoples, loca
Yayasan Bumi Sawerigading (YBS)
Yayasan Bumi Sawerigading (YBS) is a non-profit organisation located in Sulawesi, Indonesia. It works towards a model of development for the island which is centred on community empowerment
Shoal
Shoal is an exciting new initiative aimed at engaging a wide range of organisations to grow and develop interest and funding for freshwater species conservation, particularly fish. This is
FESO: Femmes Solidaires
Femmes Solidaires (FESO), is a coalition of 24 women’s groups from across the DRC advocating for equal energy access and the democratic participation of women in Congolese society. FESO ha
Mabuwaya Foundation
The Mabuwaya Foundation promotes effective conservation of endemic and threatened species in the Philippines, involving local communities and building their capacity to protect their local s
Living River Association
Living River Association is a grassroots NGO working towards community-based conservation of the Mekong River and its tributaries. The Mekong has the largest inland fishery in the world, sup
IUCN Freshwater Conservation Sub-Committee
The IUCN Species Survival Commission is the largest network of conservationists in the world. It brings together experts in species and ecosystem conservation from across the globe and has m
International Rivers
International Rivers are at the forefront of the effort to conserve the world’s river systems. Rivers are a hotspot for biodiversity, they contain just 0.0006% of Earth’s water yet are h
International Rivers Africa Programme
International Rivers’ Africa Programme works across the continent to protect river systems and advance the rights of local communities affected by infrastructure development. Africa is a d
IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit
The Freshwater Biodiversity Unit of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is working to inform and promote the conservation of freshwater species through providingSHOAL: Conserving freshwater fish
Shoal is an exciting new initiative aimed at engaging a wide range of organisations to grow and develop interest and funding for freshwater species conservation, particularly freshwater fish. This is a group of species in urgent need of more attention and action. Effective conservation of freshwater fish can maintain and improve the functioning of whole freshwater ecosystems – reaping benefits for other species, habitats and people.
Shoal seeks to engage a diverse community from across the profit and non-profit sectors to be part of this innovative new partnership that will change the face of freshwater fish conservation. Shoal is designed to be a true partnership from the outset, including and going beyond funding. This partnership will identify and support exemplary freshwater fish conservation projects, as well as enabling the exchange of skills and knowledge and the building of capacity and awareness. It will nurture mutual respect, collaborative projects and joint funding to enable conservation action in the most critical places for freshwater fish and their habitats. Synchronicity Earth is the initial host organisation for Shoal.
