‘Freshwater Challenge’ launched by coalition of governments

The Freshwater Challenge, championed by the governments of Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Mexico, and Zambia, is the largest-ever initiative aimed at restoring degraded rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

As its contribution to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the project calls on all governments to commit to clear targets to restore healthy freshwater ecosystems, aiming to restore 300,000 kilometres of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030. 

The Freshwater Challenge has an inclusive, collaborative approach to implementation, where governments and their partners will co-create freshwater solutions with indigenous people, local communities, and other stakeholders.

Water-based ecosystems are critical to mitigating and adapting to climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sixth assessment report highlights the serious impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems, underlining the need to protect and restore them.

The Freshwater Challenge is supported by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, WWF, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International, and ABinBev.

• Learn more about the Freshwater Challenge here.