Freshwater biodiversity

Did you know?

Only 1% of the earth´s surface is covered with freshwaters but they are habitat for over 10% of all animals and over 35% of all vertebrates.

The silent freshwater biodiversity crisis

No other major component of global biodiversity declines so fast and massively as freshwater species and ecosystems. In the 30 years between 1970 and 2000, populations of more than 300 selected freshwater species declined by ~55% while those of terrestrial and marine systems each declined by ~32%. Given the incomplete and fragmentary nature of our taxonomic knowledge of freshwater faunas and floras, current estimates of freshwater biodiversity and its decrease have to be considered as massively underestimated.
Despite their pivotal ecological and economic importance, freshwater ecosystems have not been of primary concern in policy-making.

Freshwater biodiversity is the over-riding conservation priority during the International Decade for Action – ‘Water for Life’ – 2005 to 2015.

BioFresh aims to provide data, scientific progress and models that can be used to develop clear policy and management recommendations for freshwater conservation strategies.