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Listen to the River: Lessons from a global review of environmental flow success stories

  • 18/09/2017
  • WWF

With nearly half the world’s population affected by water scarcity and demand for freshwater continuing to soar, a WWF report released at the 20th International Riversymposium in Brisbane shows how governments can successfully protect and restore river flows – helping to ensure sufficient water for people and nature. Around a third of all river basins are already being heavily depleted and there is increasing pressure to pump even more water from the world’s rivers to meet the needs of a growing population and rapidly expanding towns and cities. Many rivers now run dry or barely flow, severely impacting local communities, national development and global biodiversity. Listen to the River: Lessons from a global review of environmental flow success stories looks at how governments across the globe have taken significant steps in the past decade towards ensuring healthier rivers. Galvanized by the landmark Brisbane Declaration on Environmental Flows that was crafted during the 2007 symposium, water management authorities from China to South Africa and Mexico have successfully implemented initiatives to safeguard flows or bring water and life back to overexploited rivers.