What's WWF doing about this growing loss of biodiversity?
Our Goal, Our Promise
By 2050, the integrity of the most outstanding natural places on earth is conserved, contributing to a more secure and sustainable future for all.
Rio Negro Forest Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil.
"How can WWF promise that?"
WWF is unique in that its operates:
Through our conservation programmes, we are combining traditional conservation with work to address the main drivers of biodiversity loss, including, for example, business practices and consumer choices. In parallel, we’re working to reduce our ecological footprint – the amount of land and natural resources needed to supply our food, water, fibre, and timber, and to absorb our CO2 emissions.
WWF, with its key partners (and that includes you!), can conserve most of life on Earth by conserving the most exceptional ecosystems and habitats – places that are particularly rich in biodiversity, places with unique animals and plants, places like no other.
- at the local level: in the fields, forests, streams, estuaries and seas with development and conservation workers, local community members, indigenous peoples, farmers, fishers, landowners and consumers
- at the international level: working with and seeking support from governments, policy makers, business and industry leaders, bankers, donors and more
Through our conservation programmes, we are combining traditional conservation with work to address the main drivers of biodiversity loss, including, for example, business practices and consumer choices. In parallel, we’re working to reduce our ecological footprint – the amount of land and natural resources needed to supply our food, water, fibre, and timber, and to absorb our CO2 emissions.
WWF, with its key partners (and that includes you!), can conserve most of life on Earth by conserving the most exceptional ecosystems and habitats – places that are particularly rich in biodiversity, places with unique animals and plants, places like no other.
The world’s largest expanse of tropical rainforest – home to at least 10% of the world’s known species and more than 30 million people – forms the focus of of WWF’s ambitious Amazon initiative. We have invested more than US$30 million in conservation in the region since 2001 and with our partners' help created more than 20 million hectares of protected areas since 2002.
"Where will WWF do this?"
WWF will focus its resources on the conservation of 35 priority places - some of the world’s truly most outstanding natural wonders. The priorities include:
-
- The most species rich rainforests on Earth
(western arc of the Amazon, Choco-Darien)
- The richest places on Earth for rare, endemic and unique plants
(New Caledonia-Fiji-Vanuatu, Fynbos, Southwest Australia; Madagascar)
- The richest large river systems for freshwater fish
(Amazon/Orinoco, Congo, Mekong, Yangtze)
- The highest levels of endemism in the world for crayfish, mussels, and temperate water fish and the oldest river in the world
(Southeast Rivers and Streams in the US)
- The richest dry formations in the world
(Namib-Karoo-Kaokoveld, Chihuahuan Desert and springs)
- The most diverse flooded grasslands and savannas
(Zambesian)
- The most diverse tropical savannas, grasslands, and woodlands
(Cerrado-Pantanal, Miombo)
- The world’s most diverse coral reefs
(Coral Triangle; Great Barrier Reef-New Caledonia-Fiji, East Africa Marine)
- The most productive seas and sites of enormous aggregations of marine life, including seabirds
(Arctic, Southern Oceans, West African marine)
- The world’s tallest grasslands filled with the highest densities of tigers and rhinos
(Terai-Duar savannas of Eastern Himalayas).
Kafue Flats with Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis), Southern Province, Zambia.
Aerial view of the Danube Delta. The delta is one of the world’s most valuable wetland areas, home to 300 species of birds and 45 freshwater fish species.
NILU-scientists monitor numerous atmospheric gases from the Zeppelin Observatory on the arctic island of Spitsbergen.
Mountain fynbos endemic vegetation of the Cape floral kingdom Cape Peninsula National Park, Western Cape, Republic of South Africa.
Conservation efforts are also needed for threatened species whose survival cannot be guaranteed by conserving their habitat alone. WWF is focusing efforts on species that are of special importance either for their ecosystem or for people.
