The state of biodiversity has been in the news again these past few weeks, with high-profile reports like the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 (by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity) and Living Planet Report 2020 (by the Zoological Society of London and World Wildlife Fund) generating depressing headlines. Among Earth’s fragile natural systems, [...]
Freshwater habitats are not just rivers, and conserving freshwater species can be done hand-in-hand with local fisheries, says Merlin Veron, Research Analyst at Synchronicity Earth and its Freshwater partner Shoal. As you carefully step across the forest floor, it erupts with life, thousands of insects crashing between the dry leaves [...]
Jeremy Wade is a TV presenter, angler and author, best known for the series River Monsters and, more recently, Mighty Rivers. With a background as a biologist, Jeremy has visited many of the world’s most iconic rivers and lakes, seen and fished for some of their most extraordinary species and witnessed the changes happening [...]
An Interview with Mike Baltzer (Executive Director of Shoal) Mike Baltzer joined Shoal as its Executive Director (hosted by Synchronicity Earth) on October 1. Prior to starting this role, he was with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for 18 years. For the last nine years, he was the head of their global tiger programme [...]
Sinking sharks and freshwater pandas When people think about Earth’s larger animals they usually think of the tiger burning bright in Asia’s forests, or great herds of wildebeest sweeping across the African savannah. The amazing cinematography of shows like the BBC’s Blue Planet has even brought the larger species of the world’s oceans [...]
As water carves its way towards oceans and collects in natural basins it creates a mosaic of unique habitats which nurture an abundance of life. Freshwater forms some of the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. These ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and ‘theatres of evolution’ supporting more than 126,000 species [...]
It had been eight years since local activists working to protect the world's rivers last convened, so the International River Gathering hosted by CEE BankWatch and International Rivers in Tbilisi in the last week of March served as an opportunity for many to reconnect, to share their struggles and to learn from the experiences [...]
The Sepik River basin in Papua New Guinea is an area of outstanding biological and cultural diversity, but a new mining venture now threatens the local population and their environment. The Sepik River meanders through the tropical forests of New Guinea, flowing north from its source in the Victor Emanuel Mountains and briefly [...]
By Rudo Sanyanga A blog by Rudo Sanyanga from International Rivers. A native of Zimbabwe, Rudo holds a PhD in Aquatic Systems Ecology from Stockholm University. She is the Africa Program Director of International Rivers and is based in Pretoria. This article was first published by Business Day. THE world's water experts convene in [...]