Considering that 23% of the world’s population and 60% of all megacities are located in lowland areas within 100 kilometres of the sea, coastal and delta wetlands are under increasing pressure. Various unique coastal wetlands in Europe have been lost or severely damaged, such as the Southwest Delta in the Netherlands which faces water quality problems, barriers for fish migration and the disappearance of inter tidal areas due to infrastructure developments.
To prevent further decline of some of the most important wetland gems and their unique biodiversity we work with communities, government agencies and the private sector to monitor threats and develop practical on-the-ground conservation solutions. We do so by mapping the status and trends of these wetlands with satellite imagery. We develop and implement management plans for selected sites, and define action plans to address threats resulting from developments on-site, as well as those that emerge elsewhere along the coast or upstream. We focus our work on sites that are of high importance for migratory waterbirds, as nursery grounds for fish, or in more general terms on areas that have a particularly unique wilderness value.