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Meet a scientist protecting 'overlooked' ecosystems
‘It’s easy to take water for granted’: How one self-professed pessimist keeps fighting for the future of freshwater ecosystems.
October 7, 2024
To save the axolotl, Mexico looks to the past
A Mexico City lake and its canals are the only place on Earth where the axolotl lives. But over the years, it has been drained, polluted and crowded with predatory invasive species — severely endangering the salamander. A new effort aims to change that.
December 6, 2023
After nearly 50 years, water back on the global agenda
This week, the United Nations holds its first global freshwater conference in nearly 50 years. In the years since, the global population has doubled — yet the challenges facing the health of, and access to, freshwater resources have been largely overshadowed by the climate and biodiversity crises.
March 22, 2023
It’s 2023 — is this the year fresh water has its moment?
From roaring rivers to seasonal springs, freshwater is essential to life on Earth. Yet these ecosystems — and the species within them — tend to be overlooked, receiving only a fraction of the attention and funding dedicated to nature conservation.
January 17, 2023
News spotlight: New satellite offers view into nearly all of Earth’s waters
In case you missed it: As climate change drives sea level rise, and more extreme droughts and floods, understanding the world’s water patterns is increasingly important. Luckily, scientists are coming up with new ways to adapt. The latest: satellites.
January 3, 2023
News spotlight: Cities turn to nature to revive their rivers
In case you missed it: Around the world, rivers have been treated like repositories of trash and toxic runoff — some so heavily polluted that they caught on fire. Now, cities from Australia to Europe to North America are turning to nature to restore their waterways.
December 12, 2022
Notes from the field: Protecting an African oasis
Three countries — Angola, Botswana and Namibia — share the precious freshwater resources of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin, an oasis in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.
November 17, 2022
In China, engineered wetlands remove waste from fresh water
In China, “engineered wetlands” are helping villages decontaminate their water by moving it through traditional infrastructure — such as shallow septic tanks — and into natural ecosystems such as marshes, plants and soil that absorb pollutants.
August 24, 2022
News spotlight: Warming waters spawn salmon famine
In case you missed it: Millions of salmon commute up Alaska’s Yukon River every fall in search of safe places to spawn. But as waters begin to warm, their populations have slumped to all-time lows.
August 22, 2022
Meet a scientist: the freshwater defender
Growing up in Kenya on the edge of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, Leonard Akwany always felt most at home in nature. Long days fishing and birding with friends forged a special connection to the lake, eventually leading to a career focused on protecting it.
February 10, 2022
Expert: Ending the global water crisis ‘starts in your back yard’
Conservation News spoke to a Conservation International freshwater scientist about the key differences between the climate crisis and the water crisis — and why we must tap into different solutions for each.
January 29, 2021
New science: Saving freshwater species, lessons from China and more
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts.
November 12, 2020
For billions without clean water, ‘wash your hands’ is complicated
Conservation News spoke with Conservation International’s Colleen Sorto about how when it comes to water and human health, where your water comes from can be just as important as how you use it.
June 17, 2020
New science: saving life on land, record-breaking rays, freshwater action plan
Here’s a roundup of recent science published by Conservation International experts.
April 16, 2020
For Caribbean island nations, nature is first line of climate defense
In the Caribbean Islands, nations are turning to nature to mount an effective defense against extreme weather impacts.
October 13, 2017
What on Earth is ‘natural capital’?
This concept could literally revolutionize the way nature is protected.
July 13, 2016
5 things you might not know about mountains and climate change
The health of the world’s mountains is not set in stone.
March 15, 2016