Our projects

Wetlands International is the only global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. We are deeply concerned about the loss and deterioration of wetlands such as lakes.

A list of case studies

  • Towards vibrant wetlands in the Mahanadi delta and Kosi-Gandak floodplains, Indian

    The Mahanadi delta and Kosi-Gandak floodplains in India are not only home to dolphins and turtles, they are also home to more than 21 million people.  In these densely populated areas, we restore wetlands and improve water management to reduce the risk of disasters. We help vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change and improve […]

  • Saving the Wular Lake, Kashmir while fighting flood and drought risks downstream

    Wular Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. Rapid degradation of Wular Lake has had an enormous impact on community health and livelihoods. We are helping these communities by developing an integrated management plan for restoration of the lake and its catchment. Wular Lake, is one of the largest freshwater lakes in […]

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  • Strengthening coastal resilience for communities in Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia

    The province of Nusa Tenggara Timur in Indonesia is dry and covered by mountains and volcanoes. It is known for its extreme weather conditions. Here we help to reduce the impacts of frequent disasters on vulnerable communities. As part of an integrated risk reduction approach we improve water management, promote sustainable livelihoods, restore coastal eocsystems […]

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  • Bringing back Uganda’s Rwambu Wetland

    In the not so distant past, the people of Rwambu, Uganda were up against a quickly shrinking water table, largely created by agricultural expansion and bad management of the wetland. Water no longer sufficiently saturated the ground and erosion occurred all over. As a result, water supply, both for drinking and household needs, was in very […]

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  • Towards sustainable palm oil

    Approximately 90% of world palm oil production takes place in Indonesia and Malaysia. Of these plantations around 20% is grown on peat soils, which used to be covered by peat swamp forests. The drainage of these carbon-rich organic soils for plantations leads to massive CO2 emissions, soil subsidence, and ecological and social problems. We aim […]

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  • Wetlands and biofuels

    Biofuels are liquid transportation fuels produced from crops as alternatives to petroleum-based gasoline and diesel. Biofuels demand and production is exploding globally, driven by government directives and the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable or unsustainable? Biofuels have an important role to play in our transition from fossil to renewable energy sources. Produced sustainably, […]

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  • Soy and wetlands

    Soy is one of the most important agricultural commodities in the world, used mainly for animal feed fulfilling the meat demands in the world (70%), for biodiesel and for various food products. Soy bean cultivation is increasing at an alarming rate in South America. This has, in the last 15 years, led to monocultures at […]

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  • Greening the pulp and paper industry

    The pulp and paper industry is booming in Southeast Asia. The pulp wood plantations, primarily Acacia crassicarpa, are often grown on carbon rich and biodiversity dense peatlands, in particular in Indonesia. This causes high carbon emissions and loss of tropical forest and wetlands. Our aim Wetlands International raises attention for the adverse consequences of the […]

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  • Restoring the abundance of Senegal’s Ndiael Special Reserve for people and nature

    The Ndiael Reserve in Senegal is an oasis of desert wetlands that is internationally recognised for its outstanding nature. Like the birds and the fish here, human living patterns of fishing and subsistence agriculture have been a part of these wetlands for generations. To address the growing competition for land and water that is threatening […]

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  • Kenya’s Tana Delta: maintaining biodiversity for people and ecosystems

    The Tana River Delta in Kenya is one of the largest and most significant coastal delta ecosystems in Eastern Africa. In order to protect the outstanding diversity of nature here in the face of a changing climate and economy, we support local pastoral, agricultural and fishing communities to manage their wetlands and maintain water resources […]

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  • The Parana Delta in Argentina: maintaining wetlands and traditional livelihoods

    The diverse wetlands of the Parana Delta lie in the La Plata Basin in Argentina. They are under great pressure from the extraction of natural resources, infrastructure development, large-scale livestock farming and agriculture. We are working with strategic partners to influence policy processes and develop sustainable solutions together. The Paraná Delta is the final portion […]

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  • Reducing the impacts of oil sands mining

    Canada’s oil sands (also called tar sands) are one of the largest oil deposits on earth. Mining destroys the peat marshes covering these deposits, and alters the water flows within a much wider area. Oil sands oil is controversial due to these impacts and the fact that higher greenhouse gas emissions are produced from this […]

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