WWF’S G L O B A L C O N S E R VAT I O N P R I O R I T I E Sd3nehc6yl9qzo4.cloudfront.net/downloads/global_200.pdf · ambitious goal in WWF’s mission statement: ‘harmony between

WWF’S G L O B A LC O N S E RVAT I O NP R I O R I T I E S

Compiled, edited and designed by:Tim DavisDJEnvironmentalBerrynarborDevon EX34 9TBUK

Picture research: Tim Davis and the WWF-Canon Photo Database

Cover photos, from top: Bayel tribespeople poling mokoros in the OkavangoDelta, Botswana. WWF-Canon/Martin HarveyCommon oak Quercus robur in the Caucasus.WWF-Canon/Hartmut JungiusCoral reef in Bonaire Marine Park, NetherlandsAntilles.WWF/UNEP/TOPHAM/Ezequiel Bece

First published as WWF’s Global Priorities to theYear 2000 January 1994. Revised August 1998.Further revised October 2001 by WWF–World WideFund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund),Gland, Switzerland. Any reproduction in full or inpart of this publication must mention the title andcredit the above-mentioned publisher as thecopyright holder.

No photographs from this publication may bereproduced on the World Wide Web without priorauthorization from WWF.

The material and the geographical designations inthis report do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of WWF concerningthe legal status of any country, territory, or area, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers orboundaries.

© text 2001 WWF. All rights reserved.

Mountain gorilla – one of WWF’s ‘flagship’ species.WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey

W W F ’S GL O B A LCO N S E RVAT I O N

PR I O R I T I E S

Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

WWF’s Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Guiding Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Conservation Priorities – What and Where? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Delivering Conservation – How?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Target-Driven Programmes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Ecoregion Action Programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

From Theory to Practice – Conservation in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

In this document we attempt to explain howWWF’s global priorities interact in fulfilmentof our mission: creating and influencingglobal policies for sustainable livelihoods inthe areas of forests, freshwater, oceans andcoasts, species, climate change and toxics,and thus help set the framework conditionsfor effective work in ecoregions. Ecoregionconservation, meanwhile, is a concept thatallows us to upscale conservation atgeographic levels that matter, and in sumcontribute to the global policy goals.

WWF has had considerable success with thistwo-pronged approach – this publication citessome examples. However, the recentlydefined targets for our Target DrivenProgrammes and the focus on a limitednumber of ecoregions should allow us to alignour programmes further, across the network,and thus multiply conservation successes.

WWF as an international conservationorganization is almost unique in its approachand experience, combining global policywith practical field-based work. To my mind,this today, more than ever, is the mosteffective way to make a lasting difference.Beyond this, working at the global as well asat the local level has also nurtured a climateof cooperation and integration between thedifferent sectors and various disciplines inthe organization, and thus helped forge theparticular persona and culture of WWF.

Working across sectors in a multiculturalorganization above all furthers the cruciallyimportant understanding for partnershipswith others and the fact that there can neverbe an ultimate answer to harmony betweenman and nature – only continued effort,experimentation and learning.

Dr Claude MartinDirector General

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PR E FA C E

Over the last four years, WWF as aglobal network has updated and

clarified its Global Conservation Priorities;the focus is now on six global issues andthe 'Global 200 Ecoregions’. In addition, wehave refined the strategic approaches to ourwork through what we now describe asTarget Driven Programmes (TDPs) andEcoregion Action Programmes (EAPs). Thistwo-pronged approach not only represents amodern vision of conservation and createssynergy between global policy and solution-oriented fieldwork in ecoregions, but alsoprovides an answer, I believe, to thatambitious goal in WWF’s mission statement:‘harmony between man and nature’.

This ultimate goal of WWF is a directderivative from its statutes, as laid down bythe founders who established a direct linkbetween the conservation of naturalresources and the well-being of mankind. Itis a sad coincidence that on the very day ofWWF’s 40th anniversary, 11 September2001, the world’s attention should be drawnso tragically to the fact that we are a longway indeed from the harmony we all seek.Harmony between man and nature cannotexist without peace between human beings,while peace itself often hinges upon arespectful relationship with nature: societiesin a destroyed environment are unlikely tolive in peace for long.

The fundamental interdependence betweenthe fates of man and nature, though stillpoorly recognized by many – not leastmainstream economists – is at the core ofWWF’s understanding of ‘sustainabledevelopment’. However, we also have torecognize that this term, now at the centreof preparations for the World Summit onSustainable Development in Johannesburgin September 2002, will continue to bemisunderstood and misused.

Since its inception in 1961, WWF hasworked to conserve nature and

ecological processes through a combinationof action on the ground, national andinternational advocacy work to establishappropriate policies, and internationalcampaigns to highlight and demonstratesolutions to crucial environmental problems.Over the course of its 40-year history, WWFhas contributed significantly to thedevelopment and impact of the worldconservation movement and to sustainabledevelopment in a period of great pressureon the world’s natural resources.

It is clear that no single organization canclaim to credibly cover the entireconservation agenda. In setting WWF’sagenda for the 21st century, during whichthe quest for natural resources will becomeeven greater, it is essential that WWF setsclear priorities for its work. The purpose ofthis document – a revision of WWF’s GlobalPriorities to the Year 2000 published inJanuary 1994 – is to better define WWF’sglobal conservation priorities and WWF’sapproach to address these priorities, withthe ultimate goal of achieving theconservation of biodiversity.

Through conservation successes in a fewwell-chosen areas, and effectivecommunication of the results, WWF aims tocreate the momentum necessary tochallenge the root causes of the degradationof our planet’s environment.

WWF’s Purpose

WWF’s Purpose, as laid down in its Statutesfirst established in 1961 and slightlymodified in 1993, is “to conserve the naturalenvironment and ecological processesworldwide”. This is taken to include faunaand flora, the landscape, water, soils, air

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IN T R O D U C T I O N

WWF is a network organization withalmost 5 million regular supporters,over 50 country or regional officesand 4 Associate Organizations, ledand coordinated by an InternationalSecretariat in Gland, Switzerland. Bycareful application of its resourcesand expertise, and through strategicpartnerships with governments,different sectors of business andindustry, civil society groups andindigenous peoples across the world,WWF conducts those activities whichare necessary to fulfil its aspirationsand attain its mission. In the 2001financial year WWF channelled morethan CHF 400 million intoconservation solutions.

WWF’s trademark symbol has become synonymouswith the conservation of nature worldwide.

and other natural resources, with particularemphasis on the maintenance of essentialecological processes and life supportsystems, and on the preservation of genetic,species and ecosystem diversity, and onensuring that the utilization of wild plant andanimal species and natural ecosystems issustainable.

To further tighten and focus its institutionalforces, in 1989 WWF adopted a MissionStatement and seven Guiding Principles.The mission clearly recognizes that WWF’saims cannot be achieved without taking intoaccount the underlying causes ofenvironmental degradation.

Mission Statement

WWF’s mission is to stop thedegradation of the planet’s naturalenvironment and to build a future inwhich humans live in harmony withnature, by:

conserving the world’s biologicaldiversityensuring that the use of renewablenatural resources is sustainable, andpromoting the reduction of pollutionand wasteful consumption.

4 WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

Freshwater – crucial to all life on Earth.Ola Jennersten

Approved by WWF’s International Board in1989 and adopted by the entire WWFNetwork, the mission statement has playeda crucial role in modernizing WWF’sapproach to conservation, particularly theintegration of WWF’s field-based activitieswith its expanding policy work at bothnational and international levels.

With the mission in place, positioning WWFas a conservation organization focusing onbiodiversity conservation, WWF has sinceidentified a small number of globalconservation priorities and devised severalconservation tools to move the organizationtowards the achievement of its ambitiousmission. These global priorities, and theapproaches developed to address them, aredescribed in the following sections.

Guiding Principles

To guide WWF in its task of achieving theMission goals, the following principles havebeen adopted. WWF will:

n be global, independent, multicultural andnon-party political

n use the best available scientificinformation to address issues andcritically evaluate all its endeavours

n seek dialogue and avoid unnecessaryconfrontation

n build concrete conservation solutionsthrough a combination of field-basedprojects, policy initiatives, capacitybuilding and education work

n involve local communities and indigenouspeoples in the planning and execution ofits field programmes, respecting theircultural as well as economic needs

n strive to build partnerships with otherorganizations, governments, business andlocal communities to enhance WWF’seffectiveness

n run its operations in a cost-effectivemanner and apply donors’ fundsaccording to the highest standards ofaccountability.

Secondly, WWF has identified a smallnumber of flagship Species whoseconservation is of special concern andwhich act as powerful icons for theconservation of other species and habitats.

And thirdly, WWF has targeted two of the mostglobally pervasive and insidious of the threatsto biodiversity: the spread of Toxic Chemicalsand the phenomenon of Climate Change. Bothof these have grave and often invisibleimpacts upon the security of all life on Earth.

For each of the six global issues WWF hasestablished a programme with clearconservation targets that identify thoseactions required for WWF to achieve its

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To maximize its impact, WWF has chosena set of global priorities for its work.

These priorities cover six globally importantissues, and some of the most importantplaces in the world for biodiversityconservation (‘The Global 200 Ecoregions’),where WWF will apply its effort and support.

The Six Global Issues

Firstly, there is the conservation of the threebiomes of Forests, Freshwater Ecosystems,and Oceans and Coasts. These contain thebulk of the world's biodiversity and providethe environmental goods and services uponwhich all life ultimately depends.

GL O B A L CO N S E RVAT I O NPR I O R I T I E S

– WH AT A N D WH E R E?

MISSION

GLOBAL PRIORITIES

TARGET DRIVENPROGRAMMES

ECOREGION ACTIONPROGRAMMES

SIXGLOBALISSUES

GLOBAL200

ECOREGIONS

ambitious mission. The programmes arehosted by various parts of the WWFNetwork (currently the WWF InternationalSecretariat in Gland, Switzerland, WWF-Netherlands, WWF-UK, and WWF-US) andwork in a coordinated fashion with WWFoffices and Ecoregion Action Programmesacross the world.

The Global 200 Ecoregions

Biodiversity is not spread evenly across theEarth but follows complex patternsdetermined by climate, geology and theevolutionary history of the planet. Thesepatterns are called ‘ecoregions’. In 1997,WWF embarked on ecoregion conservationas a response to the increased pace ofdegradation of the world’s endangeredhabitats and species.

To begin with, WWF identified the mostvaluable and sometimes vulnerableecoregions in the world which bestrepresent the breadth of biodiversity andecological processes. The list of priorityecoregions identified by WWF scientists isknown as ‘The Global 200 Ecoregions’ (seemap inside back cover or visit http://www.panda.org/global200/mainmap.cfm).

The Global 200 recognize the fact that,whilst tropical forests and coral reefsharbour the most biodiversity and are thetraditional targets of conservationorganizations, unique manifestations ofnature are found in temperate and borealregions, in deserts and mountain chains,which occur nowhere else on Earth andwhich risk being lost forever if they are notconserved.

WWF has selected a subset of the Global200 where it is best placed to carry outconservation programmes at an ecoregionalscale. WWF encourages others to take upthe challenges of conserving the rest of theGlobal 200 ecoregions.

Relationship Between the Six Global Issues and the Global 200 Ecoregions

There is a clear synergy both between andamongst these two sets of priorities. The sixglobal issues are a set of globally importantprocesses which are WWF’s priorities forconservation action; the Global 200 identifythose large landscapes WWF has prioritizedfor broad-based conservation action.

Work on the global issues both inside andoutside ecoregions, for example in the areaof sustainable forest management orimproving the way in which freshwater isused in agriculture, will support theconservation of ecoregions. Globaladvocacy campaigns will help to create theappropriate political and policy context toenhance the chances of conservationsuccess in the ecoregions. Conservation ofthe Global 200 will address the long-termsecurity of their biodiversity by integratingthe six issues with other conservationapproaches, addressing the full range ofsocio-economic factors which are the rootcause of biodiversity loss, leading toconcrete conservation solutions. As we learnmore about the root causes of biodiversityloss in the ecoregions, so this will inform thepolicy work that is carried out for the sixglobal issues.


Ecoregions defined

WWF defines an ecoregion as a "largeunit of land or water containing ageographically distinct assemblage ofspecies, natural communities, andenvironmental conditions." Theboundaries of an ecoregion are not fixedand sharp, but rather encompass anarea within which important ecologicaland evolutionary processes moststrongly interact.

Target Driven Programmes

A Target Driven Programme (TDP) is thedelivery mechanism for focused andtargeted work on one of the Global Priorityissues central to WWF's mission. TDPactivities are aimed at policy change,introduced either through existinginstruments (e.g. conventions, legislation),market forces (certification, buyers groups),or voluntary commitments (e.g. Gifts to theEarth, Climate Savers). Issues lendingthemselves to the TDP approach typicallyare those where a short- to medium-termcritical mass effort leads to a new level ofconservation or magnification of its effects(e.g. the adoption of WWF's forest targetsby the World Bank).

Each of the six TDPs focus on two or threeglobal targets (see below), and lead WWF’seffort to achieve those targets, also assuringappropriate links to Ecoregion ActionProgrammes.

The TDPs develop whatever strategies areneeded to achieve their targets: forexample, working the corridors of power (ason subsidies), seeking innovativepartnerships such as those that led to thecreation of the Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) and the Marine Stewardship Council(MSC), or working to engage the public. Notall targets will necessarily be in the publiceye – certain targets may be bestaddressed by a more political (less visiblebut still ‘high profile’) approach and onlyemerge into the public arena at certainstages or when successfully completed.Other targets may be best addressed byhighly visible activities, motivating andmobilizing the media and public opinion toachieve the targets.

Global Conservation Targets

Forests

WWF’s vision for forests is for the world tohave more extensive, more diverse andhigher quality forest landscapes which willmeet human needs and aspirations fairly,while conserving biological diversity andfulfilling the ecosystem functions necessaryfor all life on Earth.

To achieve this, WWF’s ‘Forests for Life’Programme aims to halt and reverse theloss and degradation of forests and all kindsof woodlands worldwide. This will requirethe establishment of forest protected areas;sustainable management of unprotectedforests; restoration of degraded forests;minimizing forest loss due to climate changeand pollution; and responsible trade in forestproducts.

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Mangrove forests are important for coastal

protection and fish breeding grounds.WWF-Canon/Michel Marie Gunther

DE L I V E R I N G CO N S E RVAT I O N– HO W?

Three global targets have been set:

n Protection: By 2010, the establishmentand maintenance of viable, representativenetworks of protected areas in the world’sthreatened and most biologicallysignificant forest regions

n Management: By 2005, 100 million ha ofcertified forests, distributed in a balancedmanner among regions, forest types andland tenure regimes

n Restoration: By 2005, at least 20 forestlandscape restoration initiatives underwayin the world’s threatened, deforested ordegraded forest regions to enhanceecological integrity and human well-being.

Freshwater Ecosystems

Freshwater is a precious resource,necessary for all life on Earth. Its future isfar from secure. The failure of modernsociety to deal with water as a finiteresource has led to the unnecessarydestruction of rivers, lakes, marshes andother wetlands that provide a life supportsystem for the planet. Globalization of tradeand water privatization are now further


Shallow water coral reefs and red mangrove,

Belize, Central America.WWF-Canon/Anthony B Rath

adding to the demands on freshwaterecosystems.

WWF believes that healthy freshwaterwetlands the world over will enhance thequality of life, but that this will only beachieved when nature is recognized andvalued as the source of water.

The goal of WWF's ‘Living Waters’Programme is to conserve and restorefreshwater ecosystems and their processesfor the benefit of people and wildlife. Toachieve this requires a holistic approach tofreshwater management through integratingecological concerns with basic humanneeds and cultures; promotion of theconservation of freshwater ecosystems andtheir processes by emphasizingmanagement of entire water catchments;and maximizing beneficial impacts andminimizing detrimental impacts onfreshwater resources and ecosystems.


n Freshwater biodiversity: By 2010, 250million ha of high-priority freshwaterecosystems worldwide are protectedand/or sustainably managed

n Water infrastructure development: By2010, ecological processes are maintainedor restored in at least 50 large catchmentareas of high biodiversity importance

n Resource use in water intensiveproducts: By 2010, private sectorpractices and related government policiesconcerning key water-using sectors areestablished and/or changed in order tosustain the integrity of the freshwaterecosystems on which they depend and/orimpact.

Oceans and Coasts

The oceans cover 70 per cent of the Earth'ssurface. Acting as both the source ofprimordial life and the sink of materialwashed off the land, the sea is the lifesupport system for the world. It contains ahuge biodiversity, from the shallow coral

reefs of the tropics to cold, dark oceantrenches up to 11km deep. It is a transportroute, playground, source of resources,means of livelihood, and a huge store ofbiodiversity – as well as being incomparablybeautiful. Driving climate, supplying foodand recycling some of our wastes, wedamage it at our peril.

WWF believes that governments,communities, environmentalists, industriesand other interest groups around the worldmust work closely together to keep andrestore the treasures of the sea. We have touse oceans and coasts wisely for the benefitof current and future generations. Through acommon understanding and admiration ofnatural richness and beauty, we mustrespect the idea that all marine life has aright to be and the space to survive.

WWF’s ‘Endangered Seas’ Programmeapproaches the conservation of oceans andcoasts by promoting globally theestablishment of a system of marineprotected areas, and by the introduction ofmeasures to ensure that fishing is carriedout in a sustainable manner.

Two global targets have been set:

n Protected areas: By 2020, theestablishment and implementation of anetwork of effectively managed,ecologically representative marineprotected areas covering at least 10 percent of the world’s seas

n Sustainable fisheries: Maintain thestatus of all fish stocks that are currentlyexploited sustainably and, by 2020, halvethe number of fish stocks that areoverexploited or depleted, as currentlycategorized by FAO.

Species

The world's fauna and flora lie at the heartof WWF's Mission to conserve biodiversityand the prime reason for the organization'sestablishment in 1961. WWF’s vision is aworld in which the intrinsic, aesthetic,economic and ecological values of species

are recognized and respected worldwideand that, as a result, environmentaldegradation and unsustainable use nolonger threaten the survival of wild plantsand animals and their crucial habitats.

WWF’s Species Conservation Programmeseeks to conserve viable populations ofselected species that are of particularconservation concern. Whilst important intheir own right, species are also critical forthe maintenance of fundamental ecologicalprocesses, and as indicators of the health ofnatural places. As flagships, they alsoprovide unique opportunities for promotingand communicating important conservationand environmental issues.


n Flagship species: By 2010, populationsof key species of global concern arestabilized or increased and their criticalhabitats safeguarded

n Wildlife trade: By 2010, at least tenspecies of global concern are no longerendangered by overexploitation.

The species and species groups which formthe focus for target one are giant panda,

9Delivering Conservation – How?

African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya.WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey

tiger, rhinoceroses (black, white, Javan,Sumatran, greater one horned), elephants(African and Asian), marine turtles(leatherback, hawksbill, green, loggerhead,olive ridley, Kemp's ridley), great apes(gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, orang-utan),and whales. Amongst the species includedunder target two are snow leopard,sturgeon, and Tibetan antelope.

WWF articulates its species conservationwork through Species Action Plans andinfluencing the decisions made by theConvention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora (CITES) and the International WhalingCommission (IWC). At the heart of this worklies the concept of species viability and thecorresponding need to conserve wildlife inmanaged landscapes large enough andvaried enough to ensure their long-termwell-being within contexts increasinglydominated by social and economicconcerns.

An issue of wide concern in speciesconservation is the international commercialtrade in endangered species. Jointly withIUCN–The World Conservation Union, WWFruns the TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysisof Flora and Fauna in Commerce)


Winds of change – clean energy in the Waddensee,Germany.

WWF-Canon/Hartmut Jungius

programme whose mission is to ensure thattrade in wild plants and animals is not athreat to the conservation of nature.

Climate Change

WWF’s task is to protect nature from globalclimate change. By focusing on achieving adeep reduction in global carbon dioxide(CO2) emissions, WWF expects to havetriggered by 2030 a series of changes insociety that will have transformed the supplyand use of energy and raw materialscompared to the beginning of the 21stcentury. Driven by pressure from civilsociety and the decisions of policy-makers,businesses and investors to decarbonizesociety, dangerous climate change such asdramatic damage to ecosystems will be onthe right track to be avoided.

The Intergovernmental Panel of ClimateChange’s most recent report documentsmore strongly than ever before the extremeand daunting impacts that climate changewill have on wildlife, spelling extinction andvast changes for species such as polarbear, Bengal tiger, and amphibians. Withtemperature ranges of 1.4 to 5.8 degreesCentigrade, it is clear that climate changeposes an enormous threat to biodiversityand WWF's mission worldwide.

WWF’s Climate Change Programme aims toensure that industrialized nations achieve apermanent downward trend in their domesticemissions of carbon dioxide as a first steptowards substantial reductions in emissions.


n Emissions reductions: By 2010, a 10per cent reduction below 1990 emissionsin industrialized country carbon dioxideemissions

n Solutions: By 2010, initiatives should beunderway in thirty developing countries toimplement solutions leading to asignificant reduction in carbon intensity, inparticular from the combustion of fossilfuels

n National plans and strategies: By 2010,fifty countries are implementingadaptation strategies in keyecoregions/biomes and sectors of theireconomies on the basis of national plansfor the reduction of vulnerability to climatechange.

Toxic Chemicals

Wildlife, people, and ecosystems arethreatened by pervasive and globalchemical contamination. WWF is working toreduce and eliminate the world's mostdangerous industrial chemicals andpesticides while simultaneously promotingincreased understanding, regulation of, andalternatives to toxic chemicals.

Within one generation, by 2020, WWFwould like to see an end to threats to theE a r t h ’s biological diversity from toxicindustrial chemicals and pesticides,especially endocrine disrupting,bioaccumulative, or persistent chemicals.In pursuit of this vision, WWF’s To x i cChemicals Programme investigates toxicchemicals and their relationship tobiodiversity and human health; works tophase out and ban chemicals thatthreaten life; and seeks to identify andpromote safe, effective, and aff o r d a b l ea l t e r n a t i v e s .


n Elimination: By 2007, eliminate or reduceat least 30 of the most hazardousindustrial chemicals and pesticides, withspecial emphasis on persistent organicpollutants (POPs) and endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs)

n Informed decision-making: By 2007,scientific, educational and regulatoryinitiatives will be firmly in place, enablingdecision-makers (governments, industry,consumers) to make informed choicesabout toxic chemicals and theiralternatives.

These targets will be integrated into WWF’swork on the other global issues, as well as

the Global 200 Ecoregions. In all cases the‘precautionary principle’ will be used as thebasic approach.


Campaigns

The target driven – campaigning –approach has proven itself to be asuccessful conservation deliverymechanism for WWF. The concepthas enabled WWF to make greaterconservation achievements bybuilding upon traditional programmeactivities. To help the TDPs achievetheir goals, short-term campaigns (ofup to 18 months’ duration) will becarried out by the TDPs.

A WWF campaign is “an integratedset of innovative and high-profileinternational activities carried outto achieve a specific conservationtarget within a defined timeframe”.

A maximum of three such campaignswill be run at any one time. These willrelate directly to the global targets,and will seek to mobilize the publicand the media in a substantial way,and draw heavily on, and promote, theWWF brand. High-profile, high-energyactivities in the public arena, thesecampaigns will not preclude high-profile work being undertaken by theTDPs on other targets.

In addition, short-term campaigninginitiatives of three to six months’duration will be employed, addressingfor example a particular conventionmeeting or an ecoregion issue, orunexpected opportunities oremergencies that arise, for instancean escalation in whaling.

The TDP approach

Seven important features for TDPs have been developed in the light of lessons learnedover six years from WWF’s first international campaigns and underscored by the earlyexperiences of the Ecoregion Action Programmes.

1. Focused targets – targets focus effort and bring resultsTargets have proved to be extremely effective tools in achieving conservation goals.The campaigning approach has demonstrated that setting targets builds momentumand helps us focus our effort.

2. Flexible strategy – flexibility in strategy and tactics allows timely actionTDPs need to be flexible in their strategy and tactics in order to respond effectively topolitical and media opportunities and threats in a fast changing world. This means theyshould not be over-planned.

3. Effective communications – policy advocacy needs potent communicationsstrategiesEffective internal and external communications need to accompany the policy goals.Communications is a tool for achieving targets, not just for highlighting successes.

4. Regular reporting and accountability – reporting and accountability measuresand a steering group with high-level compositionThe ‘project’ approach is central to the TDP management process. This approach usesresults-orientated monitoring with timetables and check points and has provenextremely useful to ensure delivery. Full accountability, to one Steering Group,mandated by the network, is also vital.

5. Strong leadership and entrepreneurship – strong staff leadership withentrepreneurial skill, rather than management by committeeTDPs are effective only when led by a capable director who has credibility with theWWF Network. The director should be a good spokesperson and have the ability tocarry things through without too much friction. He/she should also have a good eye forcampaigning opportunities.

6. Firm funding and financial accountability – established funding commitments fora set term accompanied by fiscal responsibility and oversightTDPs need a multiple-year funding guarantee and budgeting flexibility in order to useopportunities to their maximum.

7. Monitoring and lesson learning – innovation needs constant learning andadaptationMonitoring progress against the overall goal is essential. Targets have been selected tohelp move towards one overarching goal. The TDP must ensure it remains outwardlooking and monitors not only the progress towards the chosen targets, but also thecontinuing relevance and priority of those targets in a fast-moving world.

Underpinning the TDP approach is the need for institutional support and capacity buildingboth to enable the TDPs to act effectively, and also to empower staff in key areas of theWWF Network to play an effective part in their delivery.


Ecoregion Action Programmes

In addition to the six Target DrivenProgrammes outlined above, WWF hasidentified and chosen to work in a subset ofindividual or combined ecoregions, for eachof which an Ecoregion Action Programme(EAP) will be formulated. An EAP is anambitious, broad-scale, integrated approachthat aims to conserve and, wherenecessary, restore the biological diversity ofan entire ecoregion. This does not meanthat every individual of every species mustbe protected, rather that our strategies andactions work toward achieving the broadgoals of biodiversity conservation:

n representation of all native habitat typesand plant and animal communities acrosstheir natural range of variation

n resilience of ecosystems and species toshort- and long-term environmentalchange

n viable populations of all native speciesin natural patterns of abundance anddistribution

n healthy ecological and evolutionaryprocesses such as disturbance regimes,hydrological processes, nutrient cycles,and biotic interactions, includingpredation.

Using current information, and inconjunction with partners, each EAPestablishes a vision for the long-termconservation of the ecoregion’s biodiversity,and a set of targets which need to beachieved to reach that vision. These targetsaddress the full range of socio-economicchange necessary within the ecoregion andalso in some cases contribute to theachievement of the global TDP targets. Thislatter feature – creating synergy betweenecoregion and TDP work – is where WWFwill maximize its impact, institutionalefficiency and make most progress.Examples of how it can be done are foundin the case studies (see pages 17-22).

The principles which outline the rationale ofecoregion conservation (see page 15) are

those which guide and direct WWF’secoregion action plans. EAPs employ thetried and tested methods that WWF hasused over the years – e.g. protected areaestablishment, environmental education,capacity building, advocacy for policychange – but on a geographically largerscale and engaging a broader range ofissues and partners than ever before. Inaddition, as we analyse the pressuresbearing upon ecoregions, certain ‘common’problems will emerge, such as adversetrade rules, perverse subsidies which driveagricultural expansion or resource depletion,and other socio-economic issues. It is inthese ‘common’ areas that the EAPs andthe TDPs will interrelate most, workingtogether, as well as with external partners,to achieve common goals.


Ecoregions as a unit forconservation action

Ecoregions are defined in biological termsand, as such, are logical units forconserving biodiversity. By moving fromsites defined geographically or politically tobiologically defined ecoregions, WWF canbetter assess what is necessary to maintainthe full array of biodiversity – species,communities, ecosystems, and ecologicalprocesses. An ecoregional approach helpsensure that we do not overlook areas thatare particularly unique or threatened,allowing for smarter trade-offs and greaterpositive impacts that are more likely toendure over time.

Because ecoregions often transcendpolitical boundaries, managers, decision-makers, and other constituents, including inparticular civil society (e.g. communitygroups, non-governmental organizations,labour unions), must enlarge their thinkingand planning to act beyond their ownborders. Whether an ecoregion is made upof forests, grasslands, rivers and streams,or marine and coastal zones, the peoplewho live in an ecoregion often share acommon relationship with the land, water,and their other natural resources. Byencouraging ecoregional thinking, there is agreater chance that large-scale ecologicalprocesses will be recognized andmaintained.

Ecoregion conservation requires a carefulbalance of analysis, planning, and action,thinking differently, and exploring andunderstanding the linkages between socialand biological factors. This interplaybetween understanding and action willbetter enable WWF and all parties in anEAP to secure conservation gains andcomplementary economic and socialdevelopment successes over the short andlong term.

Based on the need to think and actdifferently, with broader visions, largerscales, longer time horizons, and greaterimpact, WWF has defined a set of simplefeatures of ecoregion conservation,developed and refined by ecoregionconservation practitioners, based on theirexperience in the field.

n The fundamental goal of ecoregionconservation is to conserve and,where necessary, restore the full rangeof an ecoregion's biodiversity: genes,species, communities, ecosystems, andecological phenomena must beconserved on a scale that ensures theirintegrity and long-term survival


A 12-year-old boy finishing a fence around a schooltree to protect it from goats in Mount Kilum,

Cameroon.WWF-Canon/Sandra Mbanefo Obiago

n Human development needs must bereconciled with conservation actions:ecoregional scales of planning and actionrequire a thorough understanding of theinteractions between social, economic,and ecological factors

n Emphasis must be given tocollaboration and developingpartnerships: partnerships amonginstitutions and individuals are vital forgetting the best input and broadestcommitment to programme design andimplementation, and to ensure that scarceresources are efficiently applied

n Adapting through learning: puttingexperience into practice: continuousreshaping of actions and strategies basedon previous lessons and experience andon emerging information and new toolsfor conservation management.

Principles of Ecoregion Conservation

1. WWF’s primary purpose is the conservation of biodiversity, which is the foundation fora future where humans live in harmony with nature.

2. Ecoregions are the appropriate geographical unit for setting conservation goals; theyrepresent an ambitious and visionary scale necessary for biodiversity conservation.

3. Sharing ideas, promoting learning processes at different scales, and practisingadaptive management are critical to rapid success.

4. WWF must be flexible in its outlook and be willing to adapt its own structures andoperations to the needs of conservation in the ecoregion.

5. Ecoregion conservation programmes should develop a vision for an ecoregion, which isbold, engaging and ambitious to set directions and arouse support. This vision shouldcontain an inspirational message to motivate and engage stakeholders and partners.

6. Ecoregion conservation plans must be flexible and allow for sound judgement when achange of course or tactic is necessary.

7. Operationally, implementation may take place at levels below the ecoregional scale, oroutside the ecoregion, depending on the issue under attention. Threats analysis is anessential filter for figuring out the scale at which we should act.

8. Personal initiative and effective, empowered leadership are vital. Appropriate emphasismust be placed on training and capacity building.

9. Knowing who and when to engage in strategic partnerships throughout the entireecoregion process is crucial to realize the vision. This may include partnerships withstakeholders who represent a critical constituency but who may not normally be seenas conservation allies.

10. An inspiring vision must be combined with up-to-date reporting and transparency ofgoals, actions and achievements in order to build the commitment and ownership ofpartners to stay actively engaged.

11. Clear objectives and precise conservation targets are needed to guide, focus andmonitor progress.

12. Long-term flexible financing must be focused at an ecoregional level (rather than sitelevel) to give the programme a confident start and to maintain it. Novel and ambitiousfinancial mechanisms that go beyond traditional WWF support must be activelypursued.

13. All conservation activities must be conceived and implemented in relation to the socialand political realities in which they take place.

14. Appropriate institutional development is necessary to strengthen advocacy at severalscales. This includes the harnessing of the full power of the WWF Network and keypartners to make the most of political and high publicity opportunities.



Supporting livelihoods – a WWF-funded treenursery in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.

WWF-Canon/John Newby

Cross-cutting issues

There are a number of policy areas that cut across the work being carried out by WWF’sTarget Driven Programmes and Ecoregion Action Programmes. These include issues suchas trade and investment (e.g. World Trade Organization rules), indigenous and traditionalpeoples (e.g intellectual property rights), national implementation of treaties such as theConvention on Biological Diversity, as well as the impacts of tourism. WWF will focus onthose cross-cutting issues, including newly emerging topics, that directly affect the work ofthe TDPs and EAPs. Particular attention will be paid to the root causes of biodiversity loss,such as poverty, migration, macroeconomic policies, and poor enforcement ofenvironmental legislation.

Six areas in which WWF will concentrate its activity are:

n International relationships, organizations and treaties

n International trade

n Investment, economics and markets

n People, conservation and livelihoods

n Business and industry

n Education and awareness-raising.

EUROPE: The Carpathians

The Carpathian Mountains stretch overseven countries of Central and EasternEurope, binding together diversenationalities and forming the link betweenthe forests of northern, southern andwestern Europe. The region is exceptionallyrich in species diversity and is the lastremaining European stronghold of largemammals such as the brown bear, wolf andlynx. The region also harbours one of thecontinent’s most extensive tracts of montaneforest, including Europe’s largest remainingarea of virgin forest.

The uniqueness of the Carpathians is alsotied to its strong cultural heritage. Scatteredthroughout the region are age-old traditions,shaped by the highland way of life:shepherding, beliefs and rituals, music anddance, architecture. Sharing the sameclimate, hardships and sense of isolation,the distinct traditions of people of theCarpathians unite the people across thedifferent national and ethnic divides.

Biodiversity and socio-economicassessments of the Carpathians indicatethat the ecoregion is facing serious threatsas a result of the rapid transition of theformer centralized Communist system to amarket economy, unsustainable naturalresource use (e.g. in the agriculture andforestry sectors), land restitution, major roadprogrammes, increasing tourism, a declinein rural economies, and moves towardsintegration with the EU.

In the two years since the CarpathianEcoregion Action Programme started in1999, a vision for the region has beendeveloped and the basic directions of theconservation plan have been established.

The plan has three overarching componentsand long-term objectives:

n Strengthening institutional development –by promoting flexible cooperation,enhancing community participation andcapacity building, and strengtheninglegislation

n Developing a Carpathians ecologicalnetwork – by establishing new protectedareas, ensuring efficient management,and implementing the Pan-Carpathiancarnivore strategy

n Generating sustainable economic benefitsfor people in the region – by establishingmarket mechanisms for sustainableproduction, developing and implementinga nature- and culture-based tourismstrategy, and using pilot projects todemonstrate economic benefits.

17

Grey wolf – a feature of the Carpathian mountains.WWF-Canon/Chris Martin Bahr

FR O M TH E O RY TO PR A C T I C E– CO N S E RVAT I O N I N AC T I O N

This comprehensive strategy will beimplemented by WWF together with morethan 50 partner organizations. Detailed five-and ten-year objectives and milestones areunder discussion and will be finalized during2002. Activities to be taken at different levelsinclude: influencing EU policies, worktowards a ‘Carpathians Convention’ in closecooperation with UNEP, strengtheninglegislation at national level, and, at a locallevel, working with communities and pilotprojects.

Optimizing conservation

In May 2001, the Heads of State from 14countries of the Danube-Carpathians regiongathered in the Romanian capital ofBucharest to confirm and strengthen theircommitment to sustainable development.The summit included a commitment to aprocess of formalizing ecoregionconservation in the Carpathian mountains.

More than half of the Carpathian mountainrange is covered by forests. The biodiversityassessment indicates that the area offorested land needs to be doubled, focusingmainly on Romania and Ukraine. Ananalysis of clear felling in the Carpathianforests and its possible impact on extreme


The Vistula River, Poland, has its source in the

Carpathian Mountains.Ireneusz Chojnacki

flooding in the Danube basin (in particularon the Tisza River) will be undertaken. Fromthis, appropriate forest managementtechniques will be developed. In theWestern Carpathians (Slovakia, Poland, andCzech Republic) investments need to bemade in improving the management ofprotected areas. In terms of sustainableforest management and certification, awhole range of activities need to be carriedout. In parts of the region there is also aneed for forest landscape restoration.

The Carpathians harbour one of Europe’smajor underground freshwater reservoirs fordrinking water, as well as being the sourceof the Tisza and the Vistula rivers, majortributaries of the Danube. These riversystems have been chosen by WWF as twoof three model river basins for freshwateractivities in Europe. Since the Carpathiansare densely forested, the impact of forestmanagement practices on surface- andground-water is significant. However, thelink between clear felling in the highmountain regions and severe flooding in thelowlands is still under discussion. Giventhese issues, all three of the FreshwaterTDP targets – protection, maintenance ofecological processes, and the promotion ofwater saving practices – are relevant for theCarpathians ecoregion as the conservationapproach is based on integrated land andwater management.

ASIA: Greater Annamites

The chain of mountains that extends alongthe border between Laos and Vietnammarks the eastern boundary of the finalstages of the Mekong River andcharacterizes the Greater Annamitesecoregion. The forests and rivers support arich diversity of animals and plants, such astiger, Asian elephant, gibbons, the highlyendangered Javan rhinoceros, and severalspecies discovered only in recent years, likedouc langur, one of the world’s mostbeautiful and endangered primates.

For people, the region’s tropical forests arean important natural resource for twocountries recovering from years of social

turmoil and economic collapse. Areas areconverted for agriculture, forests are felledfor timber, and dams are constructed toprovide energy. Such activities are puttingincreasing pressure on the region’s naturalwealth. However, the governments of bothLaos and Vietnam are committed tosustainable development and are makingefforts to ensure economic growth does nottake place at the expense of the naturalresource base.

The chief threats to biodiversity in theGreater Annamites are illegal hunting andwildlife trade, habitat loss and degradation,and fragmentation of wildlife populations.Four root causes have been identified asthe drivers behind these threats: populationand population migration pressures;macroeconomic policies and transition to amarket economy; weak land-use and naturalresource planning; infrastructuredevelopment.

WWF’s Greater Annamites Ecoregion ActionProgramme, begun in 1998, is exploring themitigation of these impacts at the landscapelevel. Its conservation strategy is presentlybased on:

n Mobilizing conservation efforts for theentire ecoregion through advocacy,strategic partnerships and strongcommunications

n Developing comprehensive landscape-scale conservation initiatives to protectkey species and sites. A majorconservation initiative has been launchedfor one of the priority landscapes – theCentral Annamites

n Promoting a supportive policyenvironment for sustainable naturalresource management throughsustainable forest management,community participation in conservationand natural resource management, andeliminating unsustainable and illegalwildlife exploitation

n Laying the foundations for long-termconservation through environmentaleducation, sustainable finance and

capacity building and institutionalstrengthening.


The EAP approach to the conservation of theGreater Annamites is based on thedevelopment of a set of functionallandscapes comprising a mosaic ofcomplementary land uses includingsustainable forest management, areasassigned for forest restoration, and the needfor effective protected area systems – all ofwhich contribute directly to the global T D Ptargets. Substantial support is being providedto develop the Central Annamites (the focalpriority landscape) as one of the globalrestoration landscapes; this will be a dualT D P / E A P initiative. Sustainable forestmanagement has been identified as a keyfocal topic for the EAP and support hasalready been provided to establish the firstcertified forest in Vietnam. As the currentportfolio of forest-based projects are renewedand the EAP moves from its initial planningphase to implementation, new projects arebeing jointly identified and developed. Oneexample of this integration is the GEF ‘GreenC o r r i d o r’ project in Vietnam which will containelements of protected area management andforest restoration.

19From Theory to Practice – Conservation in Action

A WWF survey team in Vu Quang Reserve,Vietnam. Such surveys form the basis ofconservation plans in ecoregions. WWF-Canon/John Mackinnon

Three of the WWF’s focal species are foundin the Greater Annamites: Asian elephant,tiger and lesser one-horned (Javan)rhinoceros. The global importance of thepopulations of these species in the GreaterAnnamites ensured that the biodiversityvision for the ecoregion was developedpartly with these key species, especiallytiger, in mind. TDP activity will depend onwhere the programme focuses its effortsince both Asian elephants and tigers arefound in other ecoregions. While the GreaterAnnamites may not necessarily be the focusfor global efforts, regional efforts through theEAP will contribute to the global picture.

Management of tigers, rhinos and elephantsin the Greater Annamites will requirelandscapes designed and managed tosupport viable populations of these largemammals. The Greater Annamites EAP hasassisted this work by identifying thoselandscapes that could support viablepopulations; supporting management ofprotected areas; and developing locallyappropriate measures to support the long-term conservation of elephants and tigers.


Dried yellow mullet loaded for transport to theNouakchott market in the Banc d'Arguin National

Park, Mauritania.WWF-Canon/John Newby

AFRICA: Sahelian Upwelling

The Sahelian Upwelling ecoregion includesthe marine and coastal waters of fourcountries: Guinea Bissau, Mauritania,Senegal, and The Gambia. Some 13 millionpeople live within the boundaries of theecoregion, mostly in, and dependent on,coastal areas. The Sahelian upwelling isrenowned for its high productivity –especially its extensive deep sea fisheries.Among a number of threatened species arefive types of marine turtle and the criticallyendangered monk seal. Vast concentrationsof overwintering and breeding waterbirdsoccur, with areas such as the Banc d’Arguinin Mauritania among the most importantwintering places for birds migrating betweensouthern Africa and northern Europe.

WWF opened a marine coordination office inDakar, Senegal in April 2001 andcommenced in-depth analyses of theecoregion in July. At the same time, workhas continued on objectives related tomarine protected areas, fisheries, andspecies. Ongoing work has been importantin establishing partnerships with other keyplayers in the region; e.g. with IUCN–TheWorld Conservation Union and FIBA(‘Fondation Internationale de la Bancd'Arguin’), and with the ‘Commission SousRégionale des Pêches’ – a subregional bodycharged with advising governments onfisheries issues. WWF is working with theCommission on artisanal fisheries as well ason the issue of equitable accessagreements.

Human pressure on the marine and coastalenvironment is increasing, especiallyartisanal fishing which in recent times hasseen motorization of ‘pirogues’ (fishingboats) and the introduction of damaging newtechniques (dynamite fishing) and fishinggear (fine-meshed beach seines, turningseines). However, the greater threat comesfrom commercial fishing – both by nationalfleets and distant-water fleets. Heavilysubsidized European fleets are guaranteedaccess to West African waters throughfishing agreements negotiated with the EUwith little regard for sustainability concerns.Destruction of the fisheries will inevitably

impact on the livelihoods of local peoplewho rely on these resources in some of theworld’s least developed countries.

The recent discovery of commercially viablereserves of oil off Mauritania presents a newconcern for the region. Exploration isplanned in and around marine protectedareas (MPAs) in Mauritania and GuineaBissau, and blocks have recently been letfor exploration within the ‘Parc National dela Banc d'Arguin’ which WWF has supportedtogether with its partner FIBA since thepark’s creation in 1976.


At a time when EU fisheries agreementswere coming up for renewal in all fourcountries of the ecoregion, WWF – in theshape of the forerunners of the EAP and theTDP, together with WWF’s European PolicyOffice (EPO) – highlighted issues associatedwith damaging fisheries subsidies andagreements through the publication ofWWF's Handbook for Negotiating FishingAccess Agreements. In addition, the EPOhighlighted the lack of transparency incurrent agreements for the four countries ata November 2000 symposium in Brussels,and has pointed to the failure of theEuropean Commission to regulate fisheriesin its own waters.

The Endangered Seas Programmecollaborated in the promotion of a regionalnetwork of marine protected areas (MPAs)through the celebration in March 2001 oftwo ‘Gifts to the Earth’ at a series of eventsinvolving the President of Mauritania and thePrime Minister of Guinea Bissau.

The TDP will contribute further to work in theecoregion through the provision ofconservation tools (e.g. effectivenessguidelines) and policy work aimed at byremoving threats which originate fromoutside the ecoregion (e.g. EU subsidies forits fishing fleets). Access agreementsbetween the ecoregion countries and theEuropean Union will be highlighted in theTDP’s new European Fisheries Campaign.The Campaign will highlight accessagreements as a type of fisheries subsidy,

while oil exploration issues will be used as ameans to engage the oil industry andinvestors, as well as regional governments,in a debate on operations in protectedareas. The EAP will contribute to the TDP’stargets by concentrating on theestablishment and effective management ofMPAs, illegal activity, fisheries management,access agreements, and on strengtheningregional fisheries bodies.

The Species TDP is expected to contributeto EAP work on marine turtles, which in turnwill help the TDP objective of stabilizing orincreasing threatened populations andsafeguarding their habitats. Work on tradeissues (turtles, sharks) should also facilitatespecies conservation work in the region.

With regard to climate change, the Bancd'Arguin offers a potential site for vulnerabilityassessments of coastal MPAs as it hosts thenorthernmost mangroves and southernmostsaltmarsh in the Eastern Atlantic.

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN:Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef

The Mesoamerican Caribbean Reefextends some 700km from the northern tip

21From Theory to Practice – Conservation in Action

The Lagoon of Seven Colors in the MesoamericanCaribbean Reef coastal zone at Quintana Roo,Mexico.WWF-Canon/Robert de Jongh

of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico to theBay Islands off the coast of Honduras. Itcontains the largest coral reef system in theAtlantic. Associated with the ecoregion areextensive areas of coastal wetlands,lagoons, sea-grass beds, and mangroveforests that provide critical habitat forthreatened and endangered species. Marineturtles, crocodiles, dolphins, more than 500species of fish, the elusive whale shark, andthe largest population of manatees are allfound in different parts of the reef.

Commercial fisheries include spiny lobster,queen conch, shrimp, grouper, and snapper.Other important industries along thecoastline of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, andHonduras are tourism; extensive agriculturalactivities such as oil palm, banana, andcitrus plantations; and commerce (throughmajor ports in Guatemala and Honduras). Allthese important economic activities have animpact on the reef system since they oftenlead to the destruction of coastal habitat,sedimentation, water pollution, andoverexploitation of marine resources.Ironically both tourism and fisheries, themajor income generators for the nationaleconomies of these countries, dependdirectly on the health of the reef andassociated coastal and marine ecosystems.

Amongst the threats to the MesoamericanCaribbean Reef are overfishing by semi-industrial fleets that often do not respectpolitical boundaries; unregulated tourismdevelopment that is destroying coastalhabitats and near-shore marine areas andspreading quickly throughout the region,particularly in Mexico; and pollution fromrunoff in the Honduras, port facilities andshipping in the Gulf of Honduras, and poorlyplanned coastal development in Belize andMexico.

To address these threats and conserve theecoregion, the conservation strategy for theMesoamerican Caribbean Reefconcentrates on four key actions:

n Mobilizing conservation on an ecoregionalscale, including assurances that othermajor players apply the biodiversity visionto their investment decisions


n Protecting key sites and wildlifepopulations, focusing on the design,establishment and effective managementof the most important marine protectedareas as part of an ecoregional network,strengthening fisheries policies andmanagement, and supporting theconservation of marine turtles

n Shaping regional development to supportconservation, especially tourism as wellas both land-based and ship-basedsources of marine pollution

n Establishing long-term conditions andcapacities needed to sustain conservation,including a major push to develop anecoregional financing mechanism.


Effective management will be achieved in atleast three of the most important MPAs inthe ecoregion, contributing to both EAP andTDP targets. A tourism officer will work onsecuring commitments from industry andgovernments to apply sustainable tourismguidelines and best practices. Fisheriescertification assessments under the MarineStewardship Certification scheme are beingcarried out in Banco Chinchorro. Broadermarket analyses are planned to determinewhat other fisheries make good candidatesfor MSC certification.

Climate impacts on coral reefs over the next50 years could be devastating. In response,the Climate Change Programme is lookingto support coral reef biodiversity adaptationstrategies that would influence the designand thus effectiveness of marine protectedareas.

Critical nesting sites for depleted Caribbeanhawksbill and green turtle populations –both WWF flagship species – will beprotected within the ecoregion.

The EAP is looking to set up a ‘ridge to reef’project – a catchment managementproposal focused on preventing land-basedpollution that is detrimental to the marineenvironment in the southern part of theeocregion.

WWF is one of the world's largest and most experiencedindependent conservation organizations, with almost 5million supporters and a global network active in over 96countries.

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’snatural environment and to build a future in which humanslive in harmony with nature, by:

- conserving the world’s biological diversity- ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is

sustainable - promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful

consumption.

WWF International

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Tel: +41 22 364 9111Fax: +41 22 364 5358www.panda.org

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