The progress we’ve made together…

Our ocean contains an estimated 300 million tonnes of plastic. It kills marine life, smothers our beaches and even makes its way into the food we eat. But the world is finally waking up to this enormous problem. 

So far, more than 30 cities, from Thailand to Tunisia, have committed to take action to stop plastic pollution – and we’re aiming to get 1,000 plastic-smart cities to join the movement by 2030. This is vitally important as about 60% of plastic in the ocean comes from urban areas. 

The growing global movement for change is leading to progress in other ways too. Over 65 governments have pledged their support for a global treaty to prevent plastic pollution, after more than 2 million people around the world signed our petition.

With consumers calling for action, businesses are getting onboard too. More than 500 organizations, including companies responsible for more than 20% of all plastic packaging, have signed the WWF-backed New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to eliminate plastic waste. And through our ReSource: Plastic initiative, we’re helping them turn ambition into action. 

The challenge we still face… 

Despite these encouraging signs, a truck load of plastic is still being dumped into the ocean every single minute.

By the end of the decade, we’re likely to be producing 40% more plastic than we do today. And without urgent action, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. 

One of the most urgent issues right now is the need to tackle the threat of lost or discarded plastic fishing gear. So-called “ghost gear” is the deadliest type of plastic debris, trapping and entangling marine mammals, turtles, seabirds and sharks, as well as important fish stocks.

And there are other critical environmental issues linked to our use of plastic – from the way plastic production currently accounts for around 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions to the air pollution caused by burning plastic waste. 

These are challenging problems but we are confident that the co-ordinated actions of businesses, cities and governments, together with hundreds of millions of people making changes in their own lifestyles, can lead to no plastic in nature by 2030. 

Together, we can change this.

The progress we’ve made together…

As in many countries, water shortages are a real threat in Mexico. As human populations grow and climate change increases droughts and disrupts rainfall patterns, water resources are coming under ever greater stress.

So in 2018, with our support, the country took a revolutionary step. The president signed a decree creating “water reserves” in nearly 300 river basins across the country. 

That means that an agreed proportion of the water in these river basins is set aside for nature as well as to provide drinking water and the other essential needs of local people. In total, the reserves cover 55% of Mexico’s surface water, and should guarantee freshwater supplies for 45 million people for the next half-century.

We played a key role in working out how much water needs to flow through each one to sustain nature and meet the needs of local people. That will allow water to be managed wisely and fairly, now and in the future. 

The reserves will also help to safeguard Mexico’s remaining free-flowing rivers, like the Usumacinta, the largest and most biodiverse river in Central America. A water reserve now protects 93% of the Usumacinta’s water, nourishing communities, forests and local wildlife like the iconic jaguar. 

The challenge we still face… 

Rivers provide drinking water for 2 billion people globally, and are vital for the food and livelihoods of hundreds of millions by providing water for irrigation, sustaining freshwater fisheries, and transporting nutrients to some of the world’s most important agricultural regions and sediment to keep densely populated deltas above the rising seas.

But our rivers are in trouble. Hydropower dams disrupt their natural flow and block the movement of migratory species. Farming, factories and cities take more water than rivers can spare, and pollute what remains. Only a third of rivers over 1,000km long remain free-flowing, and some run dry before they even reach the sea. 

It’s hardly surprising therefore that populations of freshwater mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians have fallen by a staggering 84% since 1970. 

Around the world, many more people must urgently recognize the true value of rivers and the threats they face. We desperately need their support for our ongoing efforts alongside governments, businesses, communities and scientists.

We’re working to improve the way rivers and other freshwater environments are managed. We’re challenging destructive developments like poorly sited hydropower dams, and demonstrating sustainable alternatives. And we’re helping to bring rivers back to health by removing dams and other artificial structures, restoring wetlands and floodplains, and protecting threatened species like river dolphins and sturgeon.

The progress we’ve made together…

In the heart of the Colombian Amazon, Serranía del Chiribiquete National Park is one of the most pristine areas of tropical rainforest on the planet. 

It’s home to almost 3,000 species of animals and plants, including threatened wildlife like lowland tapirs, giant otters, giant anteaters, woolly monkeys, river dolphins and jaguars. Its unique location – where the Amazon meets the neighbouring ecoregions of the Andes, Orinoco and Guyanas – means many of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on Earth. 

Chiribiquete is also vitally important to local indigenous communities, some of whom remain uncontacted or live in voluntary isolation. The park’s archaeological treasures include ancient rock art – 50 murals made up of more than 70,000 ancient paintings, some over 20,000 years old, can be found across the region’s many tepuis, table-top rock formations that rise out of the dense forest.

In 2018, after years of campaigning by WWF and others, the Colombian government increased the size of the national park by more than half. At 4.3 million hectares – the size of Denmark – it’s now the largest area of protected rainforest in the world. Chiribiquete has also been recognized as a World Heritage site, helping to safeguard its natural and cultural riches for future generations.

We’re now working with communities, government and other partners to make sure the national park is properly looked after. And, together, we’re working to create a network of well-managed and well-funded protected areas right across Colombia.

The challenge we still face… 

Every year, an area of forest more than twice the size of Chiribiquete National Park is destroyed. Although many governments, businesses and others have committed to end deforestation, 10 million hectares of forest are still being lost each year – that’s an area the size of a football pitch every second. 

Agriculture is the single biggest driver, particularly the production of beef, palm oil and soya, with mining, poorly managed logging, road building and other development also destroying forest habitats.

Deforestation threatens the survival of countless species and the millions of people who live in and around forests. It also has global impacts, intensifying climate change and increasing the risk of pandemics like Covid-19 by increasing human contact with wildlife and the diseases they carry. 

Governments, communities, businesses and many others, including WWF, all have a part to play in turning things around. We need to help people better understand the many vital services forests provide to all of us, no matter where we live, from clean water to healthy soils. We need to halt deforestation, better protect and sustainably manage the forests that remain and restore forest landscapes. 

Together, we can change this.

The progress we’ve made together…

Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, growing up to 14m long. Swimming with these gentle giants is the experience of a lifetime, and tourists are prepared to pay good money for the privilege.

The small town of Donsol in the Philippines is one of the best places in the world to see and swim with whale sharks, attracting thousands of tourists every year. Shark tourism here supports more than 300 jobs and improves people’s incomes as tourists spend their money with local shops and businesses.

We’ve been supporting community efforts in Donsol for over two decades to make sure that tourism benefits both people and wildlife. We’ve helped develop codes of conduct so tourists don’t disturb the whale sharks, and made sure that some of the revenue raised goes back into marine conservation projects. Visiting tourists are also an important part of our citizen science efforts – equipped with rented underwater cameras, they help us keep track of local whale shark populations.

We’ve also supported economic development plans that will enable local people to make the most of the opportunities tourism brings. And we’re working with them to prevent illegal and unsustainable fishing and other threats to the whale sharks’ habitat.

Our experience in Donsol shows that when coastal communities benefit directly from the wildlife on their doorstep, they have a strong incentive to conserve it.

The challenge we still face…

As we’ve seen in Donsol, healthy marine wildlife is good for coastal communities. But in far too many places, both are struggling.

Falling fish stocks as a result of overfishing threaten people’s livelihoods and food security – yet with few other economic opportunities available to them, many people have little option other than to chase after dwindling fish populations.

Coastal communities are also on the frontline of climate change. Many are already suffering the consequences of rising sea levels and increasingly frequent and ferocious storms and other extreme weather. Warming seas are killing coral reefs, threatening the fishing and diving industries they support.

On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit coastal communities that depend on ecotourism particularly hard. With travel restrictions preventing tourists from visiting, many people have seen their incomes dry up. 

Supporting coastal communities to look after and benefit from their marine resources has never been more important. Around the world, we’re working with communities to help them rebuild fish stocks, conserve and restore vital ecosystems like coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows, tackle plastic pollution, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Together, we can change this.