The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we get from the land, lakes and rivers – even the ocean – are all dependent on healthy freshwater ecosystems.
While access to fresh water, in sufficient quantity, quality and availability, is fundamental to human life, health, well-being and dignity and is a human right, the ecosystems that provide this fresh water are under increasing threat. Freshwater ecosystems and inland water bodies such as rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater aquifers,
and their biodiversity, are among the most threatened on the planet. They are also fundamentally connected to, and interdependent on, other blue ecosystems along our coasts and in the ocean. This forms the crux of UNEP’s global Freshwater Strategic Priorities, 2022-2025, which helps to implement UNEP’s Medium-term Strategy 2022-2025.
Our work on Ecosystem Health is carried out through public-private partnerships, often involving partners, collaborating centres and networks.
