Freshwater Programme

The freshwater programme addresses an urgent but largely unrecognised conservation crisis. 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 their survival. Since 1970 the abundance of freshwater species has declined by 81%, and one third of freshwater species are now assessed to be at risk of extinction.

Despite these harrowing headlines, the plight of freshwater species continues to be overlooked. Broadly speaking – public awareness is low, funding meagre, and action insufficient. The freshwater programme seeks to address this by raising support for freshwater species conservation, grassroots community efforts to conserve river systems, and connecting these struggles in priority watersheds to build a more powerful and coherent message for freshwater ecosystem protection. It is a huge task, but one which an organisation dedicated to tackling overlooked and underfunded conservation challenges cannot neglect.

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Piraputanga (Brycon hilarii),  Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil © Michel Roggo                                                

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 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.

See also:

The Congo River: ‘The river that swallows all rivers’

The Lower Mekong: An Ecological Treasure

If you support a Programme with a donation, all your funding goes to that Programme. We do not deduct management charges. To find out more about this Programme, contact us.