Posted on May, 20 2025

WWF piloted its first Collective Action project on Water Stewardship in Taihu Basin, China back in 2011, and since then has established elaborate Collective Action initiatives in ecologically diverse river basins such as Buyuk  Menderes (Turkiye), Noyyal-Bhavani (India), Indus (Pakistan) and Mekong Delta (Vietnam) with the overarching goal to reduce the impacts of the textile sector on these river basins, ensure healthy river flows, and restore freshwater habitats and biodiversity.

Our on-ground teams are working closely with corporate partners, local and national government offices, financial institutions as well as civil society organizations to drive action at the basin level and explore opportunities to sustainably manage freshwater resources, which would benefit all - businesses, people and nature. 

This report gives an overview of the activities of WWF’s Collective Action Programmes in 2024. Furthermore, the report includes snippets of key achievements from past years to give readers an understanding of how our programs have evolved through the years.

Our hope is that this report will help establish a better understanding of how WWF’s Collective Action programs are making an impact in the river basins where we are operating.

2024 turned out to be the hottest year on record. Not only that, it also became the first year with an average temperature more than 1.5 C above the preindustrial levels (since 1850)1 , which resulted in higher land and sea surface temperatures and increased ocean heat. These climatic changes have disrupted the Earth’s water cycle, causing violent floods in some parts of the world and severe droughts in others.

We also witnessed a series of devastating floods and droughts in different parts of the world. In  June 2024, for example, southern Brazil faced extensive damage due to powerful and extended flooding. In October, the Valencia region in Spain received a year’s worth of rain in a span of few hours, leading to extreme flooding and widespread destruction which claimed lives of over 200 people.In South Asia, monsoon season caused intense flooding in countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan.

The challenges caused by political unrest and protests to the textile sector in Bangladesh were further compounded by the monsoon flooding, causing a 50%2  decline in garment production, as factories struggled to meet purchase order deadlines due to disruption in cotton supplies.

On the other hand, drought plagued other parts of the world such as Panama Canal and Amazon river basin. One of the most tragic biodiversity loss incidents in the past year was the death of over 150 pink river dolphins in Lake Tefe, Brazil which baffled conservationists and scientists globally. Moreover, droughts in southern Africa severely affected crop production with the implication of exposing over 30 million people to food shortages. These scenarios demonstrate how water risks are materializing into reality and causing disruptions to supply chains and businesses.

In addition to depleting water levels, deteriorating water quality and water-related disasters, the loss of freshwater biodiversity and disturbance of freshwater ecosystems are major threats to the health of freshwater bodies (and the services they provide).

According to WWF’s Living Planet Report published in 2024, the freshwater biodiversity declined by a whopping 85% between 1970 and 2020. There is an urgent need to invest in protecting and restoring and sustainably managing rivers, lakes and wetlands to reverse nature loss, adapt to climate change and drive sustainable development. We also need to accelerate collective action to build more resilient river basins which, in turn, will lead to resilient societies and economies. This  report showcases some of the work WWF and partners are doing to drive collective action and deliver change.

The year 2024 has showed us a glimpse of what the future would look like if we don’t make better, more  sustainable choices.