Fourth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

The Fourth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from the 19th to the 23rd of May 2013. Under the headline “Resilient People – Resilient Planet”, delegates will discuss progress to date and future needs for disaster risk reduction efforts. Wetlands International will highlight the role of ecosystems in mitigating the impact of natural hazards and extreme weather events.

World Migratory Bird Day

World Migratory Bird Day will be celebrated around the world on 11-12 May 2013 in order to raise awareness and interest in migratory birds and their conservation. These events offer opportunities for local awareness-raising to celebrate the beauty of birds and the wonder of their migrations. Activities to mark the occasion include bird-watching events, educational programmes, lectures and art exhibitions. 

UN Climate Summit in Doha (26 Nov – 7 Dec 2012)

Read up on our work at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference held in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. You can download the Side Event presentations, flyers and programmes. 

Waterbird Population Estimates Database

The Waterbird Population Estimates (WPE) online database provides current and historic estimates, trends and 1% thresholds for over 800 waterbird species and 2300 biogeographic populations worldwide. This project has been developed by Wetlands International with the support of Environment Canada and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Visit the Waterbird Population Estimates Database

Bringing wetland information into decision making of the oil & gas sector

Activities by the oil and gas sector can often threaten wetlands, such as in the Arctic or oil sands of Alberta, Canada. Shell and Wetlands International have developed a software tool called WPIAT (the Wetlands Pre-Impact Assessment Tool), which can help improve the understanding of how development affects wetlands, including its impact on biodiversity and people who depend on wetlands for food and work.

Global initiative on peatlands and climate change mitigation

Peatlands store vast amounts of carbon and are therefore critical ecosystems for climate regulation. However, when drained and degraded, peat soils release enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

In order to address the rapid destruction of this key ecosystem, Wetlands International and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have launched the global “Organic soils and peatlands climate change mitigation initiative” in May 2012. The Initiative is an informal network of organisations and people committed to reducing emissions from peatlands and safeguarding the other vital ecosystem services peatlands provide.

Ramsar Conference, Bucharest

The Ramsar Conference (6 - 13 July 2012 in Bucharest, Romania) offered an opportunity to strengthen and extend the reach of the Convention to achieve improved wetland conservation and management. We attended the conference with a team of experts from our global network and engaged Contracting Parties and partners to achieve these objectives. 

Mangrove restoration

Wetlands International aims to reverse the rapid loss of mangrove forests along working towards the achievement of sustainable uses of mangroves. On this page you can find an overview of the current and past mangrove restoration activities of Wetlands International in different parts of the world, which provides you with our best practices and lessons learned.

World Water Forum 6

The 6th World Water Forum runs from 12 - 17 March in Marseille, France. This meeting brings organisations in the water sector together every three years and aims to identify, understand and seek solutions to some of the most urgent water issues, from the local to the global scale. Our aim is to get the importance of wetlands for water provision higher on the agenda’s of decision makers. We are also raising awareness of key water issues such as integrating wetlands into river basin management, the future of the Niger River in Mali, and the emerging issue of watergrabbing.

Mangrove-based coastal defense strategies

Wetlands International is committed to reducing the knowledge gaps on mangrove functions and values. Our aim is to maximise the utilisation of ecosystem-based solutions for coastal defense.