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World Wetland Network

To help engage more NGOs with the Convention on Wetlands and recognise its efforts, a group including WWT set up the World Wetland Network (WWN).

Since 2010, WWT has provided core support for WWN.

The challenge

Local NGOs and community groups safeguard and restore wetlands but can feel disconnected from the Convention on Wetlands. For some this means their national authorities are hard to reach; others wish their insights could inform the Convention on Wetlands’ reporting or Resolutions.

In 2010 WWT offered to chair a newly formed network, the World Wetland Network (WWN). In 2015 WWT became one of the six big NGOs recognised as Independent Organisation Partners to the Convention, while continuing to respect and support the different needs of smaller civil society groups.

What we are doing

WWN works to engage and support NGOs during the three-yearly Convention on Wetlands COP, including a Pre-COP online workshop, opening and closing statements of civil society groups, and supporting the coordinated influencing of draft resolutions.

WWN ran three rounds of a bold/disruptive initiative at COP, awarding the Blue, Green, and Grey Wetland Globes. Based on insights from local wetland communities, we recognised both outstanding and poor wetlands. This approach supported active civil society groups and exposed management failures, drawing a mixed response from national governments, some of whom faced criticism

WWT hosts the World Wetlands Survey, which is a collaboration between WWN and the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS). The survey invites people everywhere to share their perspective on a wetland they know well: how it has changed in size and health, and why. The SWS team analyses the submissions, and WWT creates a summary with WWN. This survey has run in advance of every Wetlands COP since 2017. In 2025 it became an always-open survey with a dedicated website and, funding permitting, mobile app.

WWT also provides the network’s Secretary, website, and some communications materials.

Summary of findings of the 2024 World Wetlands Survey

  1. People play a big role in the fate of wetlands, for better or worse. More often than not, cultural values and traditions help protect and care for wetlands.
  2. Being designated as a Wetland of International Importance or Ramsar Site, is having a more positive impact than in previous years of our study.
  3. Almost half of the world’s wetlands are getting worse, while fewer than one in three are showing signs of recovery.
  4. There’s good news – some wetlands are on the mend, especially across Europe.
  5. Wetlands in Latin America and the Caribbean are growing more than anywhere else, bucking the global trend.
  6. A quarter of our responses came from people working in government and 28% from NGOs, showing how powerful civil society can be, in helping put the Convention on Wetlands into action.

Read the latest World’s Wetlands Survey

Key acheievements

  • Raised awareness of Civil Society achievements in delivering wetland conservation, particularly within the Ramsar Convention.
  • Supported local citizen science groups to deliver campaigns and tangible wetland conservation outputs.
  • Initiating the Wetland Globe Awards.
  • Bringing wetland NGOs to Ramsar COPs and coordinating their input.
  • Maintaining global and regional WWN committee activities.
  • Carried out global citizen science survey (2017, 2020 and 2024) with WWT and the Society of Wetland Scientists.