The precipitous loss of wetlands and freshwater biodiversity over the last decades has been widely reported – and alongside this, many organisations, including Wetlands International, […]

The prehistoric looking Shoebill has, for a bird, exceptionally large feet: the middle toe reaches 17 to 18,5 cm. These feet assist the bird to […]

As part of our campaign to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Waterbird Census, we asked our partners to share their favourite images of […]

To mark the 50th count of the International Waterbird Census (IWC), Wetlands International has launched a year-long campaign “Let’s make it count” in partnership with […]

This joint NGO position paper argues that while a lot remains to be done in Europe to halt biodiversity loss and restore damaged ecosystems, the […]

Why are wetlands so important for waterbirds and people? In order to ensure the survival of millions of waterbirds migrating between Europe and Africa every […]

Wetlands occur where water meets land. They include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, and even coral reefs. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, and from high altitudes to dry regions. Read more...

European wetlands are home to a rich abundance of animal and plant life. From rivers filled with fish, mussels and snails, wetlands where freshwater turtles are found, to the Arctic, where migratory birds breed and marine mammals gather in summer and for migration, and from coastal wetlands teeming with playful dolphins, to drylands in areas close to Europe, where wetlands provide a seasonal lifeline for species of all kinds.

From the wild rivers of the Balkan Peninsula to the vast Arctic tundra, from mountain streams with giant salamanders to peat swamps filled with dazzling dragonflies, from waterholes to estuaries full of salmon, sea trout and waterbirds, wetlands provide some of the world’s greatest nature spectacles.