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Safeguarding Fresh Water
Yet, merely 3 percent of the water on Earth is fresh — and most of that is locked up in glaciers or deep underground. Imagine all of the world"s water — oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers — was represented by something the size of a standard globe; its fresh water would be just a marble-sized drop. Fresh water also harbors the greatest concentration of life on Earth — greater than either terrestrial or marine biomes. Though it covers less than a fraction of 1 percent of the Earth"s surface, fresh water provides habitat for more than 10 percent of known animals and about one-third of all known vertebrate species. And, more than 40 percent of all fish species are found in fresh water — even though it is, relatively speaking, a drop in the bucket
The health and abundance of these species is a crucial indicator of the health of freshwater ecosystems. These ecosystems, in turn, play an important role in moderating the location, distribution, and timing of freshwater flows, ensuring that we receive a multitude of benefits and services.
Americans consume 99 gallons of water daily. And one out of six gallons served by U.S. water utilities finds its way back to the ground, leaking out of pipes or otherwise wasted. We protect only 35 percent of the upland areas that secure delivery of freshwater services downstream.
An ever-worsening water crisis demands that we respond with combined water efficiency and ecosystem management solutions to maintain freshwater species and services. Failure is simply not an option — at the current rate, we will degrade the remaining 11 percent of ecosystems that provide us with fresh water services by 2050.
- drinking water
- water for bathing/sanitation
- water for food production
- hydroelectric power generation
- water purification and waste removal
- nutrient cycling
- transportation
- recreation
- flood control
- climate regulation
Conservation International (CI) strives to create a fundamental shift in how we manage our fresh water. Our freshwater strategy targets the protection and restoration of the sources, flows, and services related to freshwater ecosystems that support more than 500 million people and 126,000 freshwater-dependent species.
CI is taking up the challenge to transform the freshwater sector, building upon our quarter-century of conservation experience, the strength of our diverse network of partnerships, and our grounding in sound science and practice.
Our freshwater conservation program will deliver innovative, replicable solutions in watersheds vital to human interests. We will enhance freshwater security by:
- Increasing knowledge of improved water and land management practices.
- Incorporating the value of freshwater ecosystem function and services into development decisions.
- Strengthening markets for freshwater services.
- Promoting good governance and water resource management policies.
- Scaling up action for the conservation of natural freshwater systems, from headwater to estuary.