Rethinking freshwater ecosystem protection and management

Freshwater biodiversity is at risk: populations of freshwater species have declined by 84%, one third of all freshwater species are threatened with extinction, and 87% of wetlands lost globally since 1700, including 35% in the past 50 years. Protected areas, and other mechanisms of area-based protection, are key instruments in global biodiversity conservation. Target 3 of the new Global Biodiversity Framework will require 30% of land and sea areas to be conserved through area-based protection. This session will set out the evidence of ecological and societal benefits from area based protection for freshwater biodiversity to date. Based upon this evidence, expert panels will be asked to re-think area-based protection for freshwater biodiversity in terms of scope, design and management for increased conservation benefit . This session will be hosted by WWF, the IUCN/WCPA Task force and Conservation International, with contributions from both academic and practitioner organisations.