Inland water ecosystems – such as lakes, rivers and streams, marshes and peatlands – are among the most threatened on the planet. The world needs to prioritise reversing the curve of inland water biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and that means using the range of available tools in smart, deliberate, and creative ways. In October 2024, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas published its first inland waters technical report, focused on how protected and conserved areas can support inland water ecosystem and biodiversity.
Join us as we explore key messages and findings from the report and provide case studies from around the world to illustrate what inland water area-based protections can look like in practice.