Wetlands International
Wetlands International is a not-for-profit organization based in the Netherlands. We have a network of offices around the world that share the same goals.These offices around the globe include Africa, China, Europe, Indonesia, Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean, Malaysia, Russia and South Asia. Our vision is a world where wetlands are treasured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide.[1] Our organization is independent,and not-for-profit, gaining full support from government,non-government organization (NGO) memberships and corporate donors to help achieve our goals.[2]
Wetlands International's work ranges from research and community-based field projects to advocacy and engagement with governments, corporate and international policy fora and conventions. Wetlands International works through partnerships and is supported by contributions from an extensive specialist expert network and tens of thousands of volunteers.[2]
History
Founded in 1937 as the International Wildfowl Inquiry the organisation was focused on the protection of waterbirds as part of the British section.[1] Later, the name became International Waterfowl & Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB). The scope became wider; besides waterbirds, the organisation was also working on the protection of wetland areas.[1](IWRB) is "alarmed by progressive loss of marshes, bogs, and other wetlands through drainage."[3] International Wildlife Inquiry practices conservation of waterbirds and wetlands. The MAR project of 1964 began and has remained since 1995 where this work was continued by Wetlands International.[3] Later, organization with similar objectives emerged in Asia and the Americas: the Asian Wetland Bureau (AWB) (initiated as INTERWADER in 1983) and Wetlands for the Americas (WA) (initiated in 1989). In 1991, the three organisations started to work closely together.[2] In 1995, the working relation developed into the global organization Wetlands International.[2]
Wetlands International works in many thematic areas throughout the world, but is the leading scientific expert on peat lands and climate change, as well as wetlands and waterbird migration, based on extensive research as well as field projects.[1]
Key areas of work
Currently, Wetlands International has four strong areas of work, which are:
Peatlands
From the Chinese marshes to the turberas of Argentina and peat swamp forests of Central Kalimantan, Wetlands International has become the global expert in peat land restoration and conservation.[1] Wetlands International have been preserving these black acid areas known as peat lands because they're the most valuable areas on earth.[4] Reducing tons of Carbon Dioxide and preventing major flooding.[4]
Central Kalimantan's peatswamp forest
In the severely degraded peat lands of Central Kalimantan (Indonesia), drainage canals and logging have had disastrous impacts in an attempt to convert the unsuitable peat swamps into rice fields. By building 18 small dams and 150 blocks in small drainage canals where drainage of the area was stopped, preventing further oxidation of the peat soil.[5] The construction of these areas took out 50,000 plus hectares(ha) of peat lands.[5] Reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions of up to 2.5 million tons per year.[5] Moreover, the area was reforested with native tree species and community fire brigades to prevent the island's huge problem of peat fires.
China’s Ruoergai marshes
Runoff from the glaciers in the Himalayas towards China’s lowland is regulated and stored in the Ruoergai marshes. The Wetlands International China office worked to declare this peat land as a Ramsar site, giving the Chinese government the obligation to protect the area. Furthermore, because of the work with the local Chinese authorities in measuring the impact of different management options, peat mining and drainage are now no longer allowed in Ruoergai and the neighboring counties. This also leads to improved water supply to the Yellow River and Yangtze River.
Turberas of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
In Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the Wetlands International Latin America office has built awareness on sustainable use of the peat lands from the local to the national level, which have contributed to their protection.
Adapting to climate change
Many types of wetlands contribute greatly to our resilience to the various impacts of climate change. Based on years of research, Wetlands International works in the field and at the policy level to maintain and improve this important function of wetlands in adapting to climate change.Since 1900's more than 64% of wetlands have been lost and degraded.[6] Water being such a big demand along with other resources and climate change rising over the years,wetlands are becoming more and more under pressure.[6]
Coastal wetlands
Coastal wetlands such as mangrove forests and coral reefs reduce the impact of storms. Mangroves can even cope with sea-level rise and provide protection from impacts of waves. Therefore, we work in Southeast Asia to build 'Green Coasts' by community reforestation of mangroves.[7]
Himalayas
In the Himalaya Mountains the organisation works to restore wetlands to reduce the impacts of glacier melt and precipitation extremes on densely populated regions downstream India, China and Bangladesh.
Dry-land regions
In dry land regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, less rainfall and longer droughts increase the - already huge - importance of the Sahelian wetlands, and at the same time threaten over exploitation of these areas.Wetlands International works in Mali to improve the livelihoods and water provision of communities in the Inner Niger Delta in a changing climate.
Biodiversity and waterbirds
Wetlands International works globally to protect and restore the rich biodiversity of wetlands. Wetlands like marshes, lakes and coastal zones have on average the richest biodiversity of all ecosystems. Millions of waterbirds depend on them. Wetlands International is the key global organisation for waterbird monitoring and for promoting the protection of waterbirds and their key habitats. The organisation is also strongly involved in investigating and protecting specific ecosystems like peat lands and other species like fresh water fish.[3]
Monitoring Waterbirds: International Waterbird Census
Wetlands International has a long history of success in engaging local people in species conservation. Thousands of volunteers help to monitor millions of waterbirds annually all over the world. We have several groups of scientists working voluntarily in our specialist groups to analyse all the information of the people monitoring waterbirds. Local populations across major bird flyways in all countries assist in waterbird monitoring. This is a major global program, with waterbird counts organised in different regions of the world. All of them come regularly with publications showing the current state of the waterbird populations.[8]
Promoting the protecting of wetlands along the flyways of waterbirds
Wetlands International is promoting the establishment of ecological networks of well managed, protected wetlands, along the main flyway routes of migratory waterbirds. These wetlands provide stepping stones for migratory waterbirds; crucial for their survival. Our organisation supports international governmental agreements to create these networks.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 About Wetlands International, Wetlands International
- 1 2 3 4 History of Wetlands International
- 1 2 3 Waterbirds Around The World:A Global Overview of the Conservation. Edinburgh: Boere,Gerard C. 2007. pp. 54–55.
- 1 2 "Wetlands International". Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- 1 2 3 "central k peatland project". 12 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- 1 2 "wetlands". https://www.wetlands.org/wetlands/. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2017. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "why wetlands matter". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ↑ "waterbird count". wetlandsinternational. Retrieved 13 April 2017.