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Landscape Analysis of Durable Freshwater Protection Capacity-Building Efforts

Mark Schneider, Gayini land manager, Standing in the wetlands at Gayini during sunset. Photo by Annette Ruzicka, The Nature Conservancy.

About this Project

Published in 2022

River managers and advocates responsible for freshwater protection and restoration worldwide now can have access to a first-of-its-kind landscape analysis cataloguing global freshwater protection capacity-building resources. This new database and a set of six case studies offers an organization looking to protect a river’s environmental or humanitarian values an opportunity to learn about a variety of approaches that might be successful on their own river, lake, wetland, floodplain or groundwater stores.

The River Management Society (RMS) developed these resources in 2022 for the Durable Rivers Protection Coalition (DRPC) with funding from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and tremendous support and input from DRPC members. Resources catalogued in this new database represent the first compendium of DRPC resources and offer bases for future Durable Rivers Protection Academy curriculum, guides, workshops and trainings. 

DRPC members and TNC partners submitted 137 examples of freshwater protection resources and programs in 41 countries and regions. These include documents, publications, databases, and asynchronous and in-person learning opportunities. Examples of protection mechanisms in the database address approaches for environmental flows, aquatic connectivity, water quality, biodiversity, habitat, policy and legal strategies, support for Indigenous People and local communities, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy campaigns, human rights-based initiatives, and financial strategies.

Case Studies & Database

As part of this project, RMS and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) produced six case studies which highlight stories of successful freshwater protection projects that may serve as guides in long-term strategic planning efforts for similar projects. See the set of six case studies below. The database will continue to improve and evolve. To to request access to the database, please contact Tara Moberg at The Nature Conservancy ([email protected]).

Acknowledgements

This report was prepared for The Nature Conservancy and Durable Rivers Protection Coalition by RMS’ Risa Shimoda, Angie Fuhrmann, Bekah Price, and by Natalie Shahbol and Korice Moir of the World Wildlife Fund, with support from colleagues at The Nature Conservancy: Stan Kang, Allison Aldous and project leader Amy Newsock.  

Durable Rivers Protection Coalition contributors included Irma Popovic, Monti Aguirre, Shannon Farley, Tamara Preininger Horvat, Matija Penezic, Sergio Salinas-Rodríguez, Philip Tabas, Jonathan Higgins, Carl McGuinness, and Ian Harrison, as well as colleagues Colleen McNally-Murphy, Kevin Colburn, and Peter Skinner.

About the Durable Rivers Protection Coalition

  • Mission: The Durable River Protection Coalition aims to advance permanent protections on rivers around the world by providing a platform for sharing and disseminating examples, approaches, tools, and opportunities for support from interdisciplinary experts in science, law, policy, and on-the ground implementation.
  • Coalition Co-Chairs: Amy Newsock ([email protected]) and Denielle Perry ([email protected])