Events

Join the next IUCN Save Our Species webinar on safeguarding freshwater species

By IUCN Save Our Species on 21 Nov, 2025.

Freshwater ecosystems are among the most biodiverse yet most threatened on the planet, with nearly a quarter of freshwater species at risk of extinction. To highlight emerging solutions and strengthen collective action, IUCN Save Our Species invites you to join our upcoming webinar bringing together grantees, scientists and global partners.

Freshwater ecosystems—our rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands—are some of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Yet they are also among the most threatened. Despite covering a tiny fraction of the planet’s surface, they support an extraordinary variety of life. Today, however, freshwater species are declining at alarming rates due to habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, overexploitation, and the intensifying effects of climate change.

A recent global assessment of freshwater animals on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ revealed that 24% of the world’s freshwater species, including fish, dragonfly, damselfly, crab, crayfish, and shrimp are at high risk of extinction. For several groups, including freshwater crustaceans, that figure rises to nearly 30%. These findings underscore the urgency of scaling up conservation action, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.

To shed light on the latest efforts and innovations in freshwater conservation, IUCN Save Our Species is pleased to invite you to our upcoming webinar:

Flowing together: safeguarding freshwater species through collective action

This session will bring together grantees, experts and partners working across IUCN’s Fondation Segré Conservation Action Fund, the SOS Sturgeons Initiative, and global efforts such as SHOAL’s 1,000 Fishes Initiative. Through real-world case studies and a rich panel discussion, we will explore practical solutions, cross-cutting challenges, and pathways to strengthen collaboration for the recovery of threatened freshwater species.

What to expect

The webinar will highlight:

Field insights from IUCN grantees working on freshwater species recovery across Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Innovative collaborations, including SHOAL’s efforts to mobilise global action for the world’s most threatened freshwater fishes and species.
Opportunities for engagement, cross-learning, and collective action across the freshwater conservation community.

Speakers

Facilitator:

Dr. Topiltzin Contreras MacBeath, Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, Mexico

Speakers:

Dr. Jeremy Shelton, Freshwater Conservation Biologist, Freshwater Research Centre, South Africa – Conservation Action Grant grantee – Fondation Segré Conservation Action Fund

Diky Dwiyanto, PhD candidate/Head of Masyarakat Zoologi Wallacea (MZW), Indonesia – Research Support Grant grantee – Fondation Segré Conservation Action Fund

Thomas Friedrich, Senior Scientist, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria – IUCN Save Our Species Sturgeons grantee

Mike Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL , United Kingdom – an initiative aimed at engaging a wide range of organisations to accelerate and escalate action to save the most threatened fish and other freshwater species

Ana Nieto, Head, IUCN Species Conservation Action Team, Switzerland

Why attend?

Freshwater ecosystems are facing a crisis—but they are also highly resilient when given a chance to recover. This webinar provides a platform to:

Learn from on-the-ground conservation and research projects delivering real impact
Exchange best practices with peers across regions and disciplines
Discover emerging partnerships and tools to strengthen your own work
Join a growing community committed to turning the tide for freshwater species

Whether you are a practitioner, donor, student, researcher, policymaker, or member of the IUCN network, your participation helps advance collective understanding and action.