Wetlands International

Description

Wetlands International is a global organisation that works to safeguard and restore wetlands for people and nature.

It is a locally-led network of country, regional and global offices, with 18 offices worldwide and staff delivering conservation work in over 100 countries. It combines field conservation, scientific research and policy advocacy, drawing on traditional and local knowledge as well as its own expert network and volunteers. It is an official International Organization Partner of the Convention on Wetlands and sits on its Scientific and Technical Review Panel.

Its work covers peatlands, coastal wetlands such as mangroves, dryland wetlands in regions like the Sahel, and biodiversity linked to waterbirds. It coordinates the International Waterbird Census, a long-running citizen science survey covering many countries. It partners with governments, companies, investors and civil society organisations to develop and scale up solutions such as sustainable peatland use, coastal protection and community savings schemes.

The organisation traces its roots to 1937, when it began as the International Wildfowl Inquiry focused on protecting waterbirds. It later became the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, before merging with Asian and American counterparts to form Wetlands International, headquartered in the Netherlands, in 1996.