Mangrove restoration

Wetlands International aims to reverse the rapid loss of mangrove forests along working towards the achievement of sustainable uses of mangroves. On this page you can find an overview of the current and past mangrove restoration activities of Wetlands International in different parts of the world, which provides you with our best practices and lesssons learned.

Conserving the marshes of Southern Iraq

The Al Hawizeh Marshes are the only Ramsar Site in Iraq, but the marshes have increasingly dried out. This region is the scene of new oil and gas development. Under our collaborative partnership, we are assisting Shell to make sure that these developments have minimal negative impact on the biodiversity of the marshes and the ecosystem services they provide. Working with Shell, contractor Mott MacDonald and local partner Nature Iraq, this is seen as an opportunity to contribute to the restoration of the marshes.

World Water Forum 6

The 6th World Water Forum runs from 12 - 17 March in Marseille, France. This meeting brings organisations in the water sector together every three years and aims to identify, understand and seek solutions to some of the most urgent water issues, from the local to the global scale. Our aim is to get the importance of wetlands for water provision higher on the agenda’s of decision makers. We are also raising awareness of key water issues such as integrating wetlands into river basin management, the future of the Niger River in Mali, and the emerging issue of watergrabbing.

Mangrove-based coastal defense strategies

Wetlands International is committed to reducing the knowledge gaps on mangrove functions and values. Our aim is to maximise the utilisation of ecosystem-based solutions for coastal defense.

Restoring peatlands in Russia

Many peatlands in Russia were drained for agriculture, forestry and peat mining in the past and then left abandoned. Now they are subject to wind and water erosion, major fires and cause large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. Given the significant economic, environmental and social impacts of these degraded peatlands, Wetlands International has recently initiated the restoration project of Russia's degraded peatlands.

RESTORE - Restoring Europe's Rivers

Wetlands International encourages the restoration of European rivers towards a more natural state to deliver increased environmental quality, flood risk reduction, and social and economic benefits.

In the partnership RESTORE we share knowledge to policymakers, river basin organisation and practitioners and promote best practice on river restoration in Europe.

Reducing the impacts of oil sand 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 than from this form of extraction than from conventional sources of oil.  Wetlands International is exploring activities with Shell to limit impacts and enable restoration once mining has ended. 

Arctic wetlands: reducing the impact of the oil and gas sector

The nature in the Arctic region is fragile, recovery is slow. The impact of just a new road in the permafrost marshes may impact a much wider area, for decades.  Wetlands International aims to minimise the impacts of the oil and gas sector on the onshore and coastal Arctic wetlands by working with Shell on guidelines.

Sustainable shrimp production

Wetlands International works with businesses and the Government of Indonesia to introduce certification of sustainable shrimp farms. This work with the private sector supports the 'silvofishery concept' that combines the replanting of mangroves near and inside shrimp and fish ponds. This is a sustainable alternative for the rigid clearing of coastal mangrove forests for aquaculture.

UNFCCC Climate Meeting in Durban (28 Nov - 12 Dec 2011)

Wetlands International participated at the 2011 climate summit in Durban, South Africa. The overall steps taken by the 194 governments are dangerously minimal. Regarding wetlands, we are content that wetland-carbon is finally recognised in different decisions. This may have a great impact for saving carbon rich wetlands (see final press release).