WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
2002/2003

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
2002/2003
Compiled, edited and designed by:
Tim Davis
DJEnvironmental
Berrynarbor
Devon EX34 9TB
UK
Picture research:Michèle Dépraz, WWF-Canon Photo
Database
Printed by:
Toptown Printers Ltd, Barnstaple,
Devon, UK
Cover photos:
Main picture: Featherstar on lettuce
corals in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
(WWF-Canon / Jürgen Freund)
Inset: An Antshihanaka fishermanwith his catch of mouthbrooder fish,
Lake Aloatra, eastern Madagascar.
(WWF-Canon / Olivier Langrand)

Published in October 2002 by WWF– World Wide Fund For Nature(formerly World Wildlife Fund),Gland, Switzerland. Any
reproduction in full or in part of thispublication must mention the title
and credit the above-mentioned
publisher as the copyright holder.
No photographs from thispublication may be reproduced on
the World Wide Web without priorauthorization from WWF.
The material and the geographicaldesignations in this report do not
imply the expression of any opinion
whatsoever on the part of WWF
concerning the legal status of any
country, territory, or area, orconcerning the delimitation of its
frontiers or boundaries.
© text 2002 WWF. All rights
reserved.

Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Freshwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Oceans and Coasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Climate Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Toxics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Financial overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
WWF around the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

The view from here – a cheetah atop a termite mound.
WWF / Martin Harvey

Introduction

his time last year I was
writing the introduction tothis annual report just before
WWF marked the 40th
anniversary of its founding – on 11
September 1961. Sadly, a year later,that date lives forever in our memories
for events of greater horror than could
ever have been imagined.

T

Those events threw into stark relief thedifferences and inequities that exist in
our world. The social challenges attheir heart arose from an indifference
which is matched by that showntowards the global environment. The
tragedy that unfolded in New York
caused us to ask fundamental questions
as to what is happening in the worldand how it affects different culturesand communities, and many people
began to think carefully about what
could be done about it. It was a wakeup call to world leaders to look deeply
at a number of important issues andtake remedial action.
One significant opportunity for actionii

came almost a year later at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development(WSSD) in Johannesburg. One aim ofthat meeting was to speed up
implementation of the ground-breaking
agreements reached at the Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Rio
achieved a political and conceptual
breakthrough which created a newwave of optimism that the world could
indeed find a way of continued
economic growth whilst reducing
inequities and safeguarding
environmental integrity. That optimism
lasted for a while, but for the NGO
community in general, and theenvironmental community inparticular, the Rio rhetoric was mostly
just that, and it has proved muchharder than anyone ever imagined tobreak with “business as usual”. There
are many examples:■ The Climate Change Convention
agreed in Rio was modest in its
goals but, ten years on, the Kyoto
Protocol is still not ratified, with
the US and Australia in particularrefusing to participate; meanwhile
records show the 1990s as thewarmest decade on record.
■ The burning of oil, of which
consumption grew by 14 per centin the 1990s, accounted for 40 per
cent of the 23 billion tonnes of
new carbon dioxide (CO2) added
annually to the atmosphere.
■ Although the Convention on
Biological Diversity (another Rio
product) has been ratified by morenations than any otherenvironmental treaty, it lacks real
teeth. (Scientists now estimate thaton only five occasions in the past
four billion years has biodiversity
been destroyed at current rates –and then from natural causes.)■ The proportion of the world’s
threatened coral reefs has grownfrom 10 per cent to 27 per cent,and the continued rising andwarming of seas will only makethings worse.

■ A UN report found that one-thirdof the world’s human population
lives in countries that are water
stressed – a figure that could
double by 2025 – and that as manyas 30,000 people die each dayfrom water-related diseases.
■ Rates of deforestation havebecome confused as the UN
Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) has loosened
its definition of what constitutes“forest”; nonetheless, there are
1.7 billion people in 40 countries
who rely for their well-being onforests which are now at a
critically low level.
■ Environmental catastrophes –among them loss of fish stocks,
floods, droughts, and forest fires
on a scale never seen before – arecausing enormous economic andhuman losses on every continent,
whilst subsidies which encourage
overexploitation of land, sea andwater continue unabated.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

WWF International Programme Director Chris Hails in the Minkebe Reserve in northern
Gabon with staff of WWF and the Ministry of Waters and Forests – the reserve is oneof 13 new protected areas declared by President Bongo following an assessment
carried out jointly by WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society and was a significant
step for the region in meeting the goals of the Yaoundé Declaration.

Perhaps it was the knowledge of the
failures of the past decade that madethe outcome of the WSSD such adisappointment. The time was ripe, thewarnings had been posted, we knew
much more about the challenges, but
the world’s leaders, so determined inmany aspects of their difficult jobs,
blinked and turned away.
The Summit failed to address energy
issues, the harmful effects of tradeliberalization and subsidies, madelukewarm statements to support the
Biodiversity Convention, andcompromised on toxic chemicals to theextent that the outcome was weaker
than previous international agreements.
All this has happened in the ten
years since Rio, a decade during
which the value of nature’s“services” – reliable water supply,
prevention of erosion and floods, etc– was valued, in 1997, at US$33
trillion annually, twice the grossworld product of that year.
The combined effect of all this can be
Introduction

seen in WWF’s Living Planet Report
2002. It documents the decline in thenatural health of the planet as thehuman footprint – the pressure ouractivity places on the Earth –increases. If the current trend
continues, sometime in the next 50
years we will exceed the naturalregenerative capacity of the Earth by afactor of two.

Some things were achieved however,including a determination to improvewater supply and sanitation, the need toallow fish stocks to replenish, andestablishment of an international fundto tackle poverty. Over 300 new
partnerships between governments,
businesses, and NGOs and other civilsociety organizations were forged.

Among them, WWF, the government ofBrazil, the World Bank and the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) announced
a new programme to triple the area of
Amazon rainforest under protection.
Surprisingly, the meeting virtually
gave up on setting real targets andtimetables for many urgent issues.
Targets and timetables may be
inconvenient but to those keen to
make substantive and measurable
progress they are essential. In thepages of this report, you will find thetargets and timetables for WWF’s six
global thematic programmes onforests, freshwater, oceans and coasts,
species, toxics, and climate change.
You can also find examples of someof the ecoregions targeted by WWF
as being of overwhelming importancein saving the major part of the Earth’s
biodiversity. For each conservation
target we have also set milestones
which will allow WWF to judge
whether its work is moving in theright direction. By adopting thisapproach, unlike many of the world’siii

Introduction

leaders, we can gauge our overall
progress.
Among significant achievements in thepast year, WWF has:■ helped establish 17.4 million ha of
new forest protected areas■ helped establish certified sustainable
forest management in 4 million ha■ encouraged governments to set
aside 18.4 million ha of freshwater
habitats for conservation – habitats
which form the natural reservoirs
for the world’s water supply■ formed partnerships with a majorbank for the conservation of
freshwater■ helped create new protected areasin the marine environment■ campaigned successfully against
harmful EU subsidies that promote
overfishingiv■ lobbied hard, and with somesuccess, for implementation of the
Kyoto climate treaty■ succeeded in persuading majorinternational companies to reduce
their CO2 emissions irrespective of
the Kyoto accord■ lobbied governments to speed up
ratification of the Stockholm
Convention on toxic chemicals■ worked with the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) tophase out the use of toxic paints onships.
Although these successes are modest
compared to the size of the challenges
we face, they nevertheless represent
hard-won battles in the war to slow
down the damage being done to theplanet. Despite the disappointments ofJohannesburg and the blow dealt tomultilateral approaches to dealing with
global problems, we remain optimisticthat there are sufficient enlightened
WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

In 2002, WWF encouraged governments to set aside 18.4 million ha of freshwater
habitats for conservation – habitats which form the natural reservoirs for the world’s
water supply.
WWF-Canon / Anthony B Rathgovernments, intergovernmental
agencies, private corporations andpartner NGOs with which WWF canform effective alliances to move
forward on the major issues. More thanever, self-interested parties must not beallowed to kill the momentum gained
over the past decade.
WWF will continue to fight for theprotection of nature’s special places
and species, and work with market
mechanisms like the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) and theMarine Stewardship Council (MSC) toensure that the utilization of natural
resources is sustainable. We see theprivate sector as a critical partner inthese endeavours, as well as those
governments and individuals willing totake courageous decisions in supportof the environment.

Introduction

WWF / Chris Martin Bahr

None of the successes listed above
would have been possible without thehelp and support of the many
thousands of donors, supporters,
collaborators and partners who haveworked with and helped WWF in a
myriad of different ways over the past
year. To all of you we are immensely
grateful. With your continued help we
will persevere in our efforts to save as
much as we can for future generations.

Chris Hails
Programme Director
WWF Internationalv

African elephants – see page 48. WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

ince its inception in 1961,
WWF has worked to conserve
nature and ecological processes
through a combination of action
on the ground, national and international
advocacy work to establish appropriate
policies, and international campaigns tohighlight and demonstrate solutions to
crucial environmental problems. Overthe course of its 41-year history, WWF
has contributed significantly to thedevelopment and impact of the worldconservation movement and tosustainable development in a period ofgreat pressure on the world’s natural
resources.

S

It is clear that no single organization
can claim to credibly cover the entire
conservation agenda. In setting
WWF’s agenda for the 21st century,
during which the quest for natural
resources will become even greater, it
is essential that WWF sets clear
priorities for its work. Thosepriorities, and the ways in which
WWF is addressing them, aredescribed here.
WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

Through conservation successes in a
few well-chosen areas, and effective
communication of the results, WWFaims to create the momentum necessary
to challenge the root causes of thedegradation of our planet’s environment.

Guiding Principles. The mission
clearly recognizes that WWF’s aims
cannot be achieved without taking into
account the underlying causes ofenvironmental degradation.

Mission Statement
WWF’s Purpose
WWF’s Purpose, as laid down in its
Statutes, first established in 1961 andslightly modified in 1993, is “to conserve
the natural environment and ecologicalprocesses worldwide”. This is taken to
include fauna and flora, the landscape,water, soils, air and other natural
resources, with particular emphasis on
the maintenance of essential ecologicalprocesses and life support systems, andon the preservation of genetic, species
and ecosystem diversity, and on ensuringthat the utilization of wild plant andanimal species and natural ecosystems issustainable.
To further tighten and focus its
institutional forces, in 1989 WWF
adopted a Mission Statement and sevenWWF’s mission is to stop the
degradation of the planet’s naturalenvironment and to build a future inwhich humans live in harmony withnature, by:■ conserving the world’s biologicaldiversity■ ensuring that the use of renewable
natural resources is sustainable■ promoting the reduction ofpollution and wasteful
consumption.

Guiding Principles
To guide WWF in its task of achieving
the mission goals, the following
principles have been adopted. WWF
will:■ be global, independent,
multicultural and non-party
political■ use the best available scientificinformation to address issues andcritically evaluate all its
endeavours■ seek dialogue and avoid
unnecessary confrontation■ build concrete conservation
solutions through a combination offield-based projects, policy
initiatives, capacity building andeducation work■ involve local communities andindigenous peoples in theplanning and execution of its field
programmes, respecting theircultural as well as economicneeds■ strive to build partnerships withother organizations, governments,
business and local communities toenhance WWF’s effectiveness■ run its operations in a costeffective manner and apply donors’
funds according to the highest
standards of accountability.

1

WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

Beluga whale.

What and Where?
To maximize its impact, WWF has
identified a set of global priorities for
its work. These priorities cover six
globally important issues, allied tosome of the most important places in
the world for biodiversity conservation(termed “ecoregions”), where WWF
will apply its effort and support.

The Six Global Issues
Firstly, there is the conservation of thethree biomes of Forests, Freshwater
Ecosystems, and Oceans and Coasts.
These contain the bulk of the world's
biodiversity and provide theenvironmental goods and services uponwhich all life ultimately depends.
Secondly, WWF has identified a small
number of flagship Species whose
conservation is of special concern andwhich act as powerful icons for theconservation of other species andhabitats.
And thirdly, WWF has targeted two of
the most globally pervasive and2

WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer

insidious of the threats to biodiversity:
the spread of Toxic Chemicals and thephenomenon of Climate Change.
Both of these have grave and often
invisible impacts upon the security of
all life on Earth.
For each of the six global issues WWF
has established a programme with clear
conservation targets that identify thoseactions required for WWF to achieve
its ambitious mission. The programmes
are hosted by various parts of the
WWF Network (currently the WWF
International Secretariat in Gland,
Switzerland, WWF-Netherlands,
WWF-UK, and WWF-US) and workin a coordinated fashion with WWF
offices and Ecoregion Action
Programmes across the world.

The Global 200 Ecoregions
Biodiversity is not spread evenly
across the Earth but follows complex
patterns determined by climate,geology and the evolutionary history of
the planet. These patterns are called“ecoregions”. In 1997, WWFembarked on ecoregion conservation asa response to the increased pace ofdegradation of the world’s endangered
habitats and species.
To begin with, WWF identified themost valuable and sometimes
vulnerable ecoregions in the world
which best represent the breadth of
biodiversity and ecological processes.
The list of priority ecoregions
identified by WWF scientists is known
as “The Global 200 Ecoregions” (seemap on page 12 or visit http://www.
panda.org/global200/pages/mainmap.htm).
The Global 200 recognize the fact
that, whilst tropical forests and coral
reefs harbour the most biodiversity
and are the traditional targets ofconservation organizations, uniquemanifestations of nature are found intemperate and boreal regions, indeserts and mountain chains, which
occur nowhere else on Earth andwhich risk being lost forever if they
are not conserved.

The WWF Network
WWF is a networkorganization with almost 5
million regular supporters,
over 50 country or regional
offices and 4 Associate
Organizations, led andcoordinated by an
International Secretariat in
Gland, Switzerland. By careful
application of its resourcesand expertise, and throughstrategic partnerships withgovernments, different sectorsof business and industry, civilsociety groups andindigenous peoples acrossthe world, WWF conducts
those activities which arenecessary to fulfil its
aspirations and attain its
mission. In the 2001 financial
year WWF channelled morethan CHF400 million into
conservation solutions.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Delivering Conservation – How?
WWF has selected a subset of the
Global 200 where it is best placed tocarry out conservation programmes at
an ecoregional scale. WWF encourages
others to take up the challenges ofconserving the rest of the Global 200
ecoregions.

Relationship between the
Global Issues and the Global
200 Ecoregions
There is a clear synergy both between
and amongst these two sets ofpriorities. The six global issues are a
set of globally important processes
which are WWF’s priorities forconservation action; the Global 200
identify those large landscapes WWF
has prioritized for broad-based
conservation action.
Work on the global issues both insideand outside ecoregions, for example in
the area of sustainable forest
management or improving the way inwhich freshwater is used in agriculture,
will support the conservation of
ecoregions. Global advocacy
campaigns will help to create theappropriate political and policy context
to enhance the chances of conservation
success in the ecoregions.
Conservation of the Global 200 willaddress the long-term security of theirbiodiversity by integrating the six
issues with other conservation
approaches, addressing the full rangeof socio-economic factors which are
the root cause of biodiversity loss,
leading to concrete conservation
solutions. As we learn more about theroot causes of biodiversity loss in theecoregions, so this will inform thepolicy work that is carried out for thesix global issues.

Target Driven Programmes
A Target Driven Programme (TDP) isthe delivery mechanism for focusedand targeted work on one of the global
priority issues central to WWF's
mission. TDP activities are aimed atpolicy change, introduced either
through existing instruments (e.g.
conventions, legislation), market forces(e.g. certification, buyers groups), or
voluntary commitments (e.g. Gifts tothe Earth, Climate Savers). Issues
lending themselves to the TDP
approach typically are those where ashort- to medium-term critical masseffort leads to a new level ofconservation or magnification of its
effects, such as the adoption of WWF's
forest targets by the World Bank.

Global Conservation Targets
Each of the six TDPs focus on two or
three global targets (see below), andlead WWF’s effort to achieve thosetargets, also assuring appropriate links
to Ecoregion Action Programmes.
The TDPs develop whatever strategies

WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities – What and Where?

are needed to achieve their targets: forexample, working the corridors of
power (as on subsidies), seeking
innovative partnerships such as thosethat led to the creation of the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) and theMarine Stewardship Council (MSC),
or working to engage the public. Not
all targets will necessarily be in the
public eye – certain targets may be
best addressed by a more political (lessvisible but still “high profile”)
approach and only emerge into the
public arena at certain stages or whensuccessfully completed. Other targets
may be best addressed by highly
visible activities, motivating andmobilizing the media and public
opinion to achieve the targets.

Forests
WWF’s vision for forests is for theworld to have more extensive, morediverse and higher-quality forest
landscapes which will meet human3

WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

needs and aspirations fairly, whileconserving biological diversity andfulfilling the ecosystem functions
necessary for all life on Earth.
To achieve this, WWF’s Forests forLife Programme aims to halt andreverse the loss and degradation offorests and all kinds of woodlands
worldwide. This will require theestablishment of forest protected areas;sustainable management of unprotected
forests; restoration of degraded forests;
minimizing forest loss due to climatechange and pollution; and responsible
trade in forest products.
Three global targets have been set:
■ Protection: By 2010, theestablishment and maintenance of
viable, representative networks ofprotected areas in the world’s
threatened and most biologicallysignificant forest regions■ Management: By 2005, 100
million ha of certified forests,

4

distributed in a balanced manner
among regions, forest types andland tenure regimes■ Restoration: By 2005, at least 20
forest landscape restoration
initiatives underway in the world’s
threatened, deforested or degraded
forest regions to enhance
ecological integrity and humanwell-being.
Freshwater Ecosystems
Freshwater is a precious resource,
necessary for all life. Its future is far
from secure. The failure of modern
society to deal with water as a finite
resource has led to the unnecessary
destruction of rivers, lakes, marshes
and other wetlands that provide a life
support system for the planet.
Globalization of trade and water
privatization are now further adding to
the demands on freshwater
ecosystems.
WWF believes that healthy freshwater

wetlands the world over will enhance
the quality of life, but that this will
only be achieved when nature isrecognized and valued as the source ofwater.
The goal of WWF's Living Waters
Programme is to conserve and restore
freshwater ecosystems and theirprocesses for the benefit of people andwildlife. To achieve this requires aholistic approach to freshwater
management through integrating
ecological concerns with basic humanneeds and cultures; promotion of theconservation of freshwater ecosystems
and their processes by emphasizing
management of entire water
catchments; and maximizing beneficial
impacts and minimizing detrimental
impacts on freshwater resources andecosystems.
Three global targets have been set:
■ Freshwater biodiversity: By
2010, 250 million ha of highpriority freshwater ecosystems

worldwide are protected and/or
sustainably managed■ Water infrastructure development:
By 2010, ecological processes aremaintained or restored in at least
50 large catchment areas of highbiodiversity importance■ Resource use in water intensive
products: By 2010, private sector
practices and related government
policies concerning key waterusing sectors are established and/orchanged in order to sustain the
integrity of the freshwater
ecosystems on which they depend
and/or impact.
Oceans and Coasts
The oceans cover 70 per cent of the
Earth's surface. Acting as both thesource of primordial life and the sinkof material washed off the land, the sea
is the life support system for the world.
It contains a huge biodiversity, fromthe shallow coral reefs of the tropics toWWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Gifts to the EarthA Gift to the Earth is WWF’s highest
accolade for the significant conservation
work of others. It provides internationalrecognition and support to a government, acompany, or an individual. By August 2002,
77 Gifts had been recognized by WWF.

Queen conch shell.
WWF-Canon / Michel Roggo

cold, dark ocean trenches up to 11km
deep. It is a transport route,playground, source of resources, meansof livelihood, and a huge store of
biodiversity – as well as being
incomparably beautiful. Driving
climate, supplying food and recyclingsome of our wastes, we damage it atour peril.
WWF believes that governments,
communities, environmentalists,industries and other interest groups
around the world must work closely
together to keep and restore thetreasures of the sea. We have to use
oceans and coasts wisely for the
benefit of current and future
generations. Through a common
understanding and admiration ofnatural richness and beauty, we must
respect the idea that all marine life has
a right to be and the space to survive.

protected areas (MPAs), and by the
introduction of measures to ensure thatfishing is carried out in a sustainable
manner.
Two global targets have been set:
■ Protected areas: By 2020, theestablishment and implementationof a network of effectively
managed, ecologically
representative marine protectedareas covering at least 10 per centof the world’s seas
■ Sustainable fisheries: Maintainthe status of all fish stocks that are
currently exploited sustainably
and, by 2020, halve the number offish stocks that are overexploitedor depleted, as currently
categorized by FAO.

the organization's establishment in
1961. WWF’s vision is a world inwhich the intrinsic, aesthetic, economicand ecological values of species arerecognized and respected worldwide
and that, as a result, environmental
degradation and unsustainable use nolonger threaten the survival of wild
plants and animals and their crucial
habitats.
WWF’s Species Programme seeks toconserve viable populations of selected
species that are of particularconservation concern. Whilst importantin their own right, species are also
critical for the maintenance offundamental ecological processes, andas indicators of the health of naturalplaces. As flagships, they also provide
unique opportunities for promoting andcommunicating important conservationand environmental issues.

Species
WWF’s Endangered Seas Programmeapproaches the conservation of oceans
and coasts by promoting globally theestablishment of a system of marine
Delivering conservation – How?

Two global targets have been set:
The world's fauna and flora lie at theheart of WWF's mission to conserve
biodiversity and the prime reason for■ Flagship species: By 2010,
populations of key species ofglobal concern are stabilized orincreased and their critical habitats
safeguarded■ Wildlife trade: By 2010, at least
ten species of global concern are
no longer endangered byoverexploitation.
The species and species groups which
form the focus for target one are giant
panda, tiger, rhinoceroses (black,white, Javan, Sumatran, and greater
one horned), elephants (African andAsian), marine turtles (leatherback,hawksbill, green, loggerhead, olive
ridley, and Kemp's ridley), great apes
(gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, andorang-utan), and whales. Amongst the
species included under target two aresnow leopard, sturgeon, and Tibetan
antelope.
WWF articulates its species
conservation work through Species
Action Plans and influencing thedecisions made by the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered

5

WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) and the International Whaling
Commission (IWC). At the heart of thiswork lies the concept of species viability
and the corresponding need to conservewildlife in managed landscapes large
enough and varied enough to ensure
their long-term well-being withincontexts increasingly dominated bysocial and economic concerns.
An issue of wide concern in species
conservation is the internationalcommercial trade in endangered
species. Jointly with IUCN–The World
Conservation Union, WWF runs the
TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis ofFlora and Fauna in Commerce)
programme whose mission is to ensurethat trade in wild plants and animals is
not a threat to the conservation ofnature.
Climate Change
WWF’s task is to protect nature fromglobal climate change. By focusing on
achieving a deep reduction in global

6

carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, WWF
expects to have triggered by 2030 a
series of changes in society that will
have transformed the supply and use ofenergy and raw materials compared tothe beginning of the 21st century. This
will need not only pressure from civilsociety, but also action by policymakers, businesses and investors. By
working together, catastrophic damage
to ecosystems can yet be avoided.

nations achieve a permanent downward
trend in their domestic emissions of
CO2 as a first step towards substantial
reductions in emissions.

The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change’s most recent report
documents more strongly than everbefore the extreme and daunting
impacts that climate change will haveon wildlife, spelling extinction andvast changes for species such as polar
bear, Bengal tiger, and amphibians.
With increasing temperature ranges of
1.4–5.8˚C, it is clear that climatechange poses an enormous threat tobiodiversity and WWF's mission
worldwide.

■ Solutions: By 2010, initiatives
should be underway in thirty
developing countries to implement
solutions leading to a significant
reduction in carbon intensity, inparticular from the combustion offossil fuels

WWF’s Climate Change Programmeaims to ensure that industrialized

Three global targets have been set:
■ Emissions reductions: By 2010, a
10 per cent reduction below 1990
emissions in industrialized country
carbon dioxide emissions■ National plans and strategies: By
2010, fifty countries are
implementing adaptation strategies
in key ecoregions/biomes andsectors of their economies on thebasis of national plans for the
reduction of vulnerability to
climate change.

Toxic Chemicals
Wildlife, people, and ecosystems are
threatened by pervasive and global
chemical contamination. WWF isworking to reduce and eliminate theworld's most dangerous industrial
chemicals and pesticides while
simultaneously promoting increased
understanding, regulation of, andalternatives to toxic chemicals.
Within one generation, by 2020, WWF
would like to see an end to threats tothe Earth’s biological diversity fromtoxic industrial chemicals andpesticides, especially endocrine
disrupting, bioaccumulative, or
persistent chemicals. In pursuit of thisvision, WWF’s Toxics Programme
investigates toxic chemicals and theirrelationship to biodiversity and humanhealth; works to phase out and ban
chemicals that threaten life; and seeks
to identify and promote safe, effective,
and affordable alternatives.
Two global targets have been set:

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Nile crocodiles.
WWF / Martin Harvey■ Elimination: By 2007, eliminate
or reduce at least 30 of the mosthazardous industrial chemicals andpesticides, with special emphasison persistent organic pollutants(POPs) and endocrine disrupting
chemicals (EDCs)■ Informed decision-making: By
2007, scientific, educational andregulatory initiatives will be firmly
in place, enabling decision-makers(governments, industry,
consumers) to make informed
choices about toxic chemicals andtheir alternatives.
These targets will be integrated into
WWF’s work on the other global
issues, as well as the Global 200
Ecoregions. In all cases the“precautionary principle” will be usedas the basic approach.

Delivering conservation – How?

Cross-cutting issues
There are a number of issues that cut across the work being carried out by WWF’s Target Driven
Programmes and Ecoregion Action Programmes. These include matters such as trade and investment (e.g.
World Trade Organization rules), indigenous and traditional peoples (e.g intellectual property rights),
national implementation of treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the impacts of
tourism. WWF will focus on those cross-cutting issues, including newly emerging topics, that directly affectprogrammatic and ecoregional work. Particular attention will be paid to the root causes of biodiversity loss,
such as poverty, migration, macroeconomic policies, and poor enforcement of environmental legislation.

7

The TDP approach
Seven important features for Target Driven Programmes have been developed in the light of lessons learned over six years from WWF’s first international
campaigns and underscored by the early experiences of the Ecoregion Action Programmes.
1. Focused targets – targets focus effort and bring results
Targets have proved to be extremely effective tools in achieving conservation goals. The campaigning approach has demonstrated that setting targets
builds momentum and helps us focus our effort.
2. Flexible strategy – flexibility in strategy and tactics allows timely action
TDPs need to be flexible in their strategy and tactics in order to respond effectively to political and media opportunities and threats in a fast-changing
world. This means they should not be over-planned.
3. Effective communications – policy advocacy needs potent communications strategies
Effective 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 measures and a steering group with high-level composition
The “project” approach is central to the TDP management process. This approach uses results-orientated monitoring with timetables and check points andhas proven extremely useful to ensure delivery. Full accountability, to one Steering Group, mandated by the WWF Network, is also vital.
5. Strong leadership and entrepreneurship – strong staff leadership with entrepreneurial skill, rather than management by committee
TDPs are effective only when led by a capable director who has credibility with the WWF Network. The director should be a good spokesperson and havethe ability to carry things through without too much friction. He/she should also have a good eye for campaigning opportunities.
6. Firm funding and financial accountability – established funding commitments for a set term accompanied by fiscal responsibility andoversight
TDPs need a multiple-year funding guarantee and budgeting flexibility in order to use opportunities to their maximum.
7. Monitoring and lesson learning – innovation needs constant learning and adaptation
Monitoring progress against the overall goal is essential. Targets have been selected to help move towards one overarching goal. The TDP must ensure it
remains outward looking and monitors not only the progress towards the chosen targets, but also the continuing relevance and priority of those targets in a
fast-moving world.
Underpinning the TDP approach is the need for institutional support and capacity building both to enable the TDPs to act effectively and to empower staff
in key areas of the WWF Network to play an effective part in their delivery.

8

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Coral reef in the Turtle Islands,
Philippines.
WWF-Canon / Jürgen Freund

Ecoregion Action Programmes
In addition to the six Target Driven
Programmes outlined above, WWF
has identified and chosen to work in a
subset of individual or combined
ecoregions, for each of which an
Ecoregion Action Programme (EAP)
will be formulated. An EAP is anambitious, broad-scale, integrated
approach that aims to conserve and,
where necessary, restore thebiological diversity of an entire
ecoregion. This does not mean thatevery individual of every species
must be protected, rather that WWF’s
strategies and actions work towardachieving the broad goals of
biodiversity conservation:■ Representation of all native
habitat types and plant and animalcommunities across their naturalrange of variation■ Resilience of ecosystems andspecies to short- and long-term
environmental change
Delivering conservation – How?

■ Viable populations of all native
species in natural patterns ofabundance and distribution■ Healthy ecological andevolutionary processes such as
disturbance regimes, hydrologicalprocesses, nutrient cycles, andbiotic interactions, including
predation.
Using current information, and in
conjunction with partners, each EAPestablishes a vision for the long-term
conservation of the ecoregion’s
biodiversity, and a set of targets which
need to be achieved to reach that vision.
These targets address the full range ofsocio-economic change necessary within
the ecoregion and also in some cases
contribute to the achievement of the
global TDP targets. This latter feature –creating synergy between ecoregion and
TDP work – is where WWF will
maximize its impact and institutional
efficiency and make most progress.
Examples of how it can be done arefound in the pages of this report.

Ecoregions as a unit for conservation action
Ecoregions are defined in biological terms and, as such, are logicalunits for conserving biodiversity. By moving from sites defined
geographically or politically to biologically defined ecoregions, WWF
can better assess what is necessary to maintain the full array of
biodiversity – species, communities, ecosystems, and ecologicalprocesses. An ecoregional approach helps ensure that we do not
overlook areas that are particularly unique or threatened, allowing
for smarter trade-offs and greater positive impacts that are more
likely to endure over time.
Because ecoregions often transcend political boundaries, managers,
decision-makers, and other constituents, including in particular civilsociety (e.g. community groups, non-governmental organizations,labour unions), must enlarge their thinking and planning to act
beyond their own borders. Whether an ecoregion is made up offorests, grasslands, rivers and streams, or marine and coastal
zones, the people who live in an ecoregion often share a common
relationship with the land, water, and their other natural resources.
By encouraging ecoregional thinking, there is a greater chance thatlarge-scale ecological processes will be recognized and maintained.

9

WWF’s Global Conservation Priorities

The principles which outline therationale of ecoregion conservation(see opposite) are those which guideand direct WWF’s Ecoregion Action
Plans (EAP). EAPs employ the tried
and tested methods that WWF has usedover the years – e.g. protected area
establishment, environmental
education, capacity building, advocacy
for policy change – but on ageographically larger scale andengaging a broader range of issues andpartners than ever before. In addition,
as we analyse the pressures bearing
upon ecoregions, certain “common”
problems will emerge, such as adverse
trade rules, perverse subsidies which
drive agricultural expansion or
resource depletion, and other socioeconomic issues. It is in these common
areas that the EAPs and the TDPs willinterrelate most, working together, as
well as with external partners, toachieve common goals.
Ecoregion conservation requires acareful balance of analysis, planning,
and action, thinking differently, and10

exploring and understanding thelinkages between social and biologicalfactors. This interplay between
understanding and action will better
enable WWF and all parties in an EAP
to secure conservation gains andcomplementary economic and social
development successes over the shortand long term.
Based on the need to think and act
differently, with broader visions, larger
scales, longer time horizons, andgreater impact, WWF has defined a setof simple features of ecoregion
conservation, developed and refined byecoregion conservation practitioners,
based on their experience in the field.
■ The fundamental goal of ecoregion
conservation is to conserve and,
where necessary, restore the fullrange of an ecoregion's biodiversity:
genes, species, communities,
ecosystems, and ecologicalphenomena must be conserved on ascale that ensures their integrity andlong-term survival■ Human development needs must
be reconciled with conservation
actions: ecoregional scales ofplanning and action require athorough understanding of theinteractions between social,economic, and ecological factors■ Emphasis must be given tocollaboration and developing
partnerships: partnerships among
institutions and individuals arevital for getting the best input andbroadest commitment toprogramme design andimplementation, and to ensure thatscarce resources are efficiently
appliedEcoregions defined
WWF defines an ecoregion asa "large unit of land or watercontaining a geographicallydistinct assemblage of
species, natural communities,
and environmental
conditions". The boundaries ofan ecoregion are not fixedand sharp, but rather
encompass an area within
which important ecologicaland evolutionary processes
most strongly interact.

■ Adapting through learning: putting
experience into practice:continuous reshaping of actions
and strategies based on previous
lessons and experience and on
emerging information and newtools for conservation
management.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Principles of Ecoregion Conservation
1.

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

2.

Ecoregions are the appropriate geographical unit for setting conservation goals; they represent an ambitious and visionary scale necessary forbiodiversity conservation.

3.

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

4.

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

5.

Ecoregion conservation programmes should develop a bold, engaging and ambitious vision for an ecoregion in order to set directions andarouse support. This vision should contain an inspirational message to motivate and engage stakeholders and partners.

6.

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

7.

Operationally, implementation may take place at levels below the ecoregional scale, or outside the ecoregion, depending on the issue underattention. Threats analysis is an essential filter for figuring out the scale at which we should act.

8.

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

9.

Knowing who and when to engage in strategic partnerships throughout the entire ecoregion process is crucial to realize the vision. This may
include partnerships with stakeholders who represent a critical constituency but who may not normally be seen as conservation allies.

10. An inspiring vision must be combined with up-to-date reporting and transparency of goals, actions and achievements in order to build thecommitment and ownership of partners to stay actively engaged.
11. Clear objectives and precise conservation targets are needed to guide, focus and monitor progress.
12. Long-term flexible financing must be focused at an ecoregional level (rather than site level) to give the programme a confident start and tomaintain it. Novel and ambitious financial mechanisms that go beyond traditional WWF support must be actively pursued.
13. All conservation activities must be conceived and implemented in relation to the social and political realities in which they take place.
14. Appropriate institutional development is necessary to strengthen advocacy at several scales. This includes the harnessing of the full power ofthe WWF Network and key partners to make the most of political and high publicity opportunities.

Delivering conservation – How?

11

The Global 200 Ecoregions

12

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Sustainable development, poverty and the environment: a challenge to the global community
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in August 2002 gave the world community the opportunity to assess
progress in addressing sustainable development and to agree priority issues for the future. It took place ten years on from the UN Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro which called for sustainable development “to ensure socially responsible economic
development while protecting the resource base and the environment for the benefit of future generations”.
WWF defines sustainable development as that which is economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound. Development is notsustainable if it does not integrate all three elements. This requires changes in business practices and lifestyles, as well as the adoption ofenvironmental and social standards to stay within the limits of available resources. WWF believes that sufficient technical knowledge exists toachieve sustainable development. Political will and appropriate incentives are required to convert the ideals into practical action.
In preparing for the WSSD, governments, UN institutions and development agencies focused on economic well-being by targeting poverty
alleviation as the overriding concern in achieving sustainable development. While this was both welcome and necessary, and provided theopportunity to embed this firmly in the sustainable development agenda, WWF argued that the other two pillars of sustainable development mustalso be strengthened in the process.
WWF and other organizations working within the sustainable development arena issued an appeal to those attending the WSSD to build on
previous analyses and conclusions, not least the considerable preparations for UNCED, and to reaffirm and strengthen the global view thatsustainable development is the only option for a viable future.
Success in this quest for sustainability requires the joint efforts of three sectors:■ National and local governments, supported by international instruments that provide standards, incentives, and regulations■ The private sector, whose new freedoms resulting from globalization place the responsibility of informed stewardship squarely on theiroperations■ Civil society, whose pressure and support can ensure that the public interest is being well served.
The challenge ahead lies in enabling the three sectors to work harmoniously together, each providing checks and balances on the others andrecognizing their mutually supporting roles in achieving sustainable development.

Sustainable development, poverty and the enviroment: a challenge to the global community

13

Forests

CHRIS ELLIOTT, Director of the Forests for Life Programme, provides an overview of WWF’s efforts to conserve the world’s forests.
WF adopts an integrated
approach to forest
conservation which canbe characterized by‘protect, manage, restore’. Forest
protection has always been a priority
for WWF, but we also recognize thatas many as 90 per cent of the 1.2
billion people in the world who live in
extreme poverty depend on forests fora variety of goods and services. Tradein wood and wood products is also an
important source of income for many
countries, and many forests will thus
continue to be used to satisfy the needsof local communities as well asinternational markets. Conservationists
should therefore identify and promote
ways in which these forests can bewell managed. In addition, in someparts of the world forests are highly
degraded and must be restored if they
are to provide benefits for people andnature.

W

Some significant conservation

14

successes have been recorded during
the past 18 months. Over 17 million haof new forest protected areas havebeen established. In addition topromoting the creation of new
protected areas, we are also pressing
for improvements in the managementof existing protected areas – toovercome the phenomenon known as“paper parks”. In collaboration with
the World Bank, management
effectiveness has been assessed in 70
million ha of parks using a new
methodology developed by WWF.
In the same period, the amount of
FSC-certified forests increased by 4
million ha. A major new partnershipwas established with IKEA to promotecertification in China, the Baltic States,
Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia. New
Forest and Trade Networks ofcompanies committed to sourcing
certified wood products have been
established in Central America, Hong
Kong and Japan.

Forest landscape restoration began to
get underway with an international
meeting in Costa Rica, co-hosted with
the IUCN Forest Programme, withfunding from the Korean and UK
governments. The results of thisinternational workshop were brought tothe second session of the United
Nations Forum on Forests in New York
where numerous governments
expressed support for the restoration offorest landscapes. Far more thansimple tree planting, restoration aims
to regain complete ecological integrityand enhance human well-being byimproving representation of forest
species and communities, increasing
forest resilience to climate change, andconnecting forest habitats outside
protected areas.
In the coming year, WWF will belaunching a major new international
campaign on illegal logging and forest
crime, which is not only a serious
threat to forest conservation, but also

often deprives local communities andnational economies of much-needed
revenue. We will focus on
encouraging the G8 countries andChina to adopt timber procurement,
aid and trade policies which help toreduce illegal logging in exporting
countries.
We have chosen a few key ecoregions
around the world where we can workwith WWF conservationists and others
to implement our integrated approach
to forest conservation, adding value toongoing activities in an innovative
manner. The South-West Amazon,
Western Congo Basin and the Forestsof the Upper Yangtze in China areprime prospects in this regard.
By 2003, we should be seeing
significant implementation of thepledge made in 1997 by President
Cardoso of Brazil to protect 10 per
cent of the country's forests.
Preparation and planning to implement

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Boreal forest and wetlands in Lenskie
Stolby National Nature Park, Sakha
Republic, Russia.
WWF-Canon / Hartmut Jungius

this pledge has been underway forsome time in Brazil, and WWF has
also been active at the international
level in collaboration with the Global
Environmental Facility (GEF), theWorld Bank, and private foundationsin the United States to raise funds toassist the Brazilian government to set
up and manage the new protectedareas.
A main focus of WWF in 2003 will be
the reduction of illegally logged
timber reaching western markets.
Studies of trade flows from Russia toWestern Europe, Japan and China will
highlight the amount of timber fromdubious sources crossing Russian
borders. In addition, WWF wants toensure that protected forest areas will
also be managed effectively; a system
of identifying management
effectiveness has already been put into
practice and is currently being
evaluated in Russia. WWF will beusing the results to assist governments
and protected area managers to
identify priorities.
Forests

Targets and examples of progress in 2002
Protecting forests: By 2010, the establishment and maintenance of viable, representative networks ofprotected areas in the world’s threatened and most biologically significant forest regions.
■ 17.4 million ha of new forest protected areas established in Russia, Georgia, Croatia, Tunisia, Brazil,
Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, Gabon, and Cameroon.
Managing forests: By 2005, 100 million ha of certified forests, distributed in a balanced manner among
regions, forest types and land tenure regimes.
■ 4 million ha of forests placed under Forest Stewardship Council management standards in a number ofcountries, including Bolivia, Mexico, and Colombia■ New Forest and Trade Networks promoting forest conservation in Japan, Hong Kong, and Central
America.
Restoring forests: By 2005, at least 20 forest landscape restoration initiatives underway in the world’s
threatened, deforested or degraded forest regions to enhance ecological integrity and human well-being.
■ Wide governmental support won for the concept of Forest Landscape Restoration■ Forest restoration projects underway in Malaysia, China, Brazil, and Bulgaria.

15

Forests

Africa and Madagascar
WWF is focusing its forest
conservation efforts in Africa andMadagascar on establishment of new
protected areas and improved
management of existing ones,sustainable utilization of forest
resources, and better opportunities for
local people to have a central role inmanaging protected areas. Thisapproach is being developed in a
number of ecoregions, including theWestern Congo Basin Moist Forests,
Guinean Moist Forests, Eastern
African Coastal Forests, Miombo
Woodlands (see opposite), the Fynbos,
and the Spiny Forest of Madagascar.
An increasingly important aspect offorest conservation is assessing theeffectiveness of protected area
management, for which WWF and theWorld Commission on Protected Areas(WCPA) have developed a means oftesting. During 2002, assessments werecarried out in three forest reserves inboth Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, with

16

Conserving ecoregions – Miombo, Africa

further assessments done in Lobeke
National Park in Cameroon, theMinkebe Forests of Gabon, and theIthala Game Reserve in South Africa.
WWF will use the results torecommend improvements where
necessary.
Forest protected areas supported in
2002 include Taï National Park in Côte
d’Ivoire, Lobeke in Cameroon, Dzanga
Sangha in Central African Republic,
Gamba and Minkebe in Gabon,
Udzungwa in Tanzania, Virunga in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
and the Zombitse-Vohibasia andAndringitra National Parks in
Madagascar.
Despite ongoing instability in the
DRC, WWF continues to work in andaround Virunga National Park. A
community-run greenbelt plantation,
where over 170,000 tree seedlings
have been planted, has increased forest
cover over a 20km stretch of the park’s
buffer zone. WWF also assisted in thenegotiated removal of illegal settlers

The Miombo ecoregion, covering 3.5 million square kilometresacross ten countries of southern Africa (Angola, Botswana,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,
South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), comprises dry andmoist woodlands that support some of the most important mammal
populations left in Africa. Among threatened animals are black rhino,
African elephant, African hunting dog, cheetah and the slendernosed crocodile, along with many lesser known plants, birds,
reptiles, fish, and insects. More than half of the estimated 8,500
plant species in Miombo are found nowhere else on Earth.
The biggest threat to Miombo wildlife is the large and rapidly
growing human population and its demand for agricultural land.
Many rural people depend heavily on natural resources for theirlivelihoods. This has led to community-based natural resource
management programmes and the establishment of conservancies– bodies charged with the preservation of environmental resources– across southern Africa. These are now yielding significant benefits
for nature and people, with profits ploughed back into thecommunity, such as through provision of grants to local schools.
WWF’s long-term vision for Miombo is “a biologically diverse andecologically functional ecoregion that meets and sustains humanneeds and development through the sustainable use of natural
resources,
landscapes, species
and environmental
processes”. For
WWF, wildlife
conservation is
inextricably linked tohuman development
and livelihood issues.
African hunting dog.
WWF-Canon / Frederick J
Weyerhaeuser

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Green tree python from the rainforests ofAustralia.
WWF / Martin Harvey

from the park through financial andtechnical support to a joint commission
set up in Goma to delineate the park’s
boundaries.
In Tanzania, WWF is working in
partnership with the TanzanianNational Parks authority to conserve
the rich biodiversity of the Udzungwa
Mountains National Park. Highlights in2002 included approval of the Park’s
management plan, further developmentof facilities within the park and, in
conjunction with local communities,
creation of alternative incomegenerating activities. Several tree
nurseries were established, with over
15,000 trees planted, and a number ofanimal husbandry projects were
undertaken by women’s groups. A new
8,050ha National Forest Reserve,
Namekutwa-Nyamuetta, wasdesignated under the WWF-supported
Lowland Coastal Forest project.
Better protection of forests byencouraging participation of local
people in their management has helped
Forests

conserve Andringitra National Park in
Madagascar. Successful fire risk
management has led to much higher
species diversity, in particular amongorchids. In addition, keeping numbersof cattle within the carrying capacity of
pasture areas has helped to reduce
habitat degradation. Elsewhere, despite
a profusion of sapphire mines and thesettlement of over 200,000 miners
around the periphery of the ZombitseVohibasia National Park, the park has
so far retained its naturalcharacteristics.
The major focus of WWF’s work topromote sustainable use of forest
resources lies in Central Africa. In
Cameroon, WWF helped to formulate
legislation and develop partnerships
with local communities and the private
sector to control the rapidly expanding
bushmeat trade. Helpful in this regard
was the signing of an accord with thenational railroad transporters, which,amongst other things, placed a ban on
the transportation of wild meat andother animal products.

In Madagascar, national standards forsustainable forest management,
developed under the WWF/World Bank
alliance, were endorsed by thegovernment. The new standards will
help the country’s Forest Service toimprove monitoring of private logging
operations and will give private
enterprises clear guidelines on what is
expected of them.
WWF has become a leader incommunity-based forest managementin Madagascar. Agreements have beensigned with nine villages to transfer
management responsibility to them foraround 3,000ha of forests in Antsiraka,
Tolongoina, and Tsitongambarika
districts. Similarly in Cameroon, WWF
has worked with the government tocreate a system that will give local
communities more control overmanagement of forests and wildlife.
The government has also formallyrecognized Community Managed
Hunting Zones as a category ofmanaged forest. Five such zones,
covering approximately 300,000ha offorest, have been designated by thegovernment.

Asia and the Pacific
Forest conservation, particularly thecreation of protected areas, continues
to be the largest single area of focus
for WWF in the Asia/Pacific region,
with a growing emphasis on forest
certification and restoration.
A major effort is underway to reducethe European “footprint” on Asian
forests by engaging with the edible oils
sector in sustainable forest
management. Much of this work is
taking place in Indonesia andMalaysia, where forest loss throughconversion for oil palm plantations isbeing tackled by developing
partnerships and entering into
discussion with industry leaders (seeunder Europe and the Middle East,
page 20).
Major achievements in forest
conservation have come in Indonesia,
where the problem of illegal logging

17

Forests

Forest certification under the FSC
reached 28 million ha during 2002.
WWF-Austria

has been recognized by the national
government as a high priority and has
led to crack-downs on corrupt officials.
At a national level, the World Bankand WWF have assisted with theformation of the Forest Law,
Enforcement and Governance network.
WWF has also influenced legal
decisions by local administrations
favouring sustainable forestry
practices. One decree forbids
exploitation of resources in Wasur
National Park, while in Lombok, a
WWF proposal for introducing
alternative land use and natural
resource management planning was
accepted by the province's governor.
Despite these successes, Indonesia stillpresents some of the biggest forest
conservation challenges. For example,
WWF is campaigning vigorously tosave the last remaining patch of viable
habitat for the Sumatran elephant in
the tropical forest of Tesso Nilo. A
survey by WWF scientists found thatthe area harbours the highest density oflowland forest plants known to18science: up to 218 species wererecorded in a single 200 square metre
plot – nearly twice as high as similar
forests elsewhere in the world.
However, WWF has warned that Tesso
Nilo’s natural riches could be lost
within four years if logging of theforest continues at the present rate.
Satellite images show Tesso Nilo
standing out like a green ark in a sea ofclear-cut forests and plantations. Heavy
logging for timber and pulp by smallscale illegal loggers and aninternational corporation is having
devastating effects on both plant andanimal life. Working on the ground toprevent further damage, WWF ispressing the government to declare
Tesso Nilo a protected area.
Elsewhere in the region, all logging of
old-growth and high value
conservation forest has been halted inWestern Australia,. This followed a
WWF campaign to influence theenvironmental policies of mainstream
political parties in the lead up to the2001 election. Australia has also

successfully pioneered a number ofprivate conservation efforts, including
conservation agreements setting aside
land for nature conservation.
In China’s Baimaxueshan region, four
villages testing collective forestry
schemes have succeeded in eliminatingillegal cutting of forests. In Nepal,
community forests established in andaround Bardia, Shey Phoksundo,
Dhorpatan and Kangchengjunga
National Parks are benefiting 2,600
households and easing pressure on theparks’ natural resources. In Malaysia,
too, forest reserves are being
successfully placed under community
management.
Certification of forests has surged withthe launching in March 2002 of two
Forest and Trade Networks (FTN). The
East Asian FTN – EcoWood@sia –covers Hong Kong, China, Taiwan andSouth Korea, collectively among theworld’s heaviest timber importers andconsumers. The Japanese FTN is
known locally as WWF Sanshoukai –meaning “group of smilingmountains”. Its members are drawn
from various sectors including forest
owners and managers, paper mills,
timber processors, furniture designers
and manufactures, architects, andforest product wholesalers andretailers.
In-country promotion of certification
also gained momentum during 2002.
China established a national working
group, with one timber-consuming
company committing to join
EcoWood@sia and another 20 users
expressing interest. Seventeen
companies received FSC “chain ofcustody” certification. New Zealand’s
newly established national working
group on certification received staunch
support from the country’s timber
supply industry, once a major opponentof certification. The industry now sees
it as a means to meet growing overseas
demand for certified wood. In
Vietnam, WWF helped the national
working group develop criteria andindicators compatible with those of the

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

The Global Forest and Trade Network

FSC for assessing proper managementof the country’s forests. And Laos
could soon see its first certified forests
under a new FINNIDA-funded project.
Initially, the aim is to certify 20,000haof forests in Khammouane andSavannakhet provinces, managed byvillage associations; in time, thisshould expand to 100,000ha.
In April 2002, the Indonesian and UK
governments signed a ground-breaking
agreement to tackle illegal logging andillegal international trade in timber andwood products. This is the first timethat two governments have committed
to reforming legislation anddeveloping systems to prevent theharvesting, export, and trade of illegal
timber. On the horizon is a study ofChina’s timber consumption, the reporton which is expected to include
recommendations for ameliorating theimpact of the growing demand fortimber.
Forest restoration projects got
underway in Malaysia, Nepal, andForests

Pakistan. In Indonesia, the principles,
criteria and indicators for forest
landscape restoration were consideredby the Ministry of Forestry, which thenissued a decree on forest rehabilitation.
In India, a pilot project is underway torestore degraded forest corridors in the
Terai Arc landscape in the eastern
Himalayas. WWF-India is also
working on joint forest managementwith local communities in three states.
And in Australia, a patch of rainforest
managed under WWF’s highly
successful Rainforest Recovery
Programme yielded a new plant
species. Donated to the local council
by a farmer as a public reserve morethan 30 years ago, the site is also ofprime conservation importance for the
threatened black-breasted button-quail,the world’s only rainforest quail.

Consumers are increasingly demanding responsible businesspractices. As a result, investors such as pension funds andinsurance companies are beginning to take account of social andenvironmental concerns. It is therefore in the forest industry’s
interests to adopt internationally recognized management standards.
Companies that can demonstrate sound management of timberresources – by gaining the FSC certificate – can gain competitive
advantage both in the financial markets and the productmarketplace.
To promote greater levels of buy-in for independent certification,
particularly from major companies in the forest industry, WWF
helped establish the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN). The
network is an alliance of environmental and social organizations andnearly 700 companies in 18 countries committed to producing,trading or purchasing certified timber and wood products. Its
members, including forest owners, timber companies, processors offorest products, architects, construction companies, local authorities,
and retailers of timber and paper goods, account for some 7 percent of the world’s industrial wood use.
Market demand for FSC-certified products is now well establishedand growing in Europe and North America, and increasing in Asia (inparticular Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea). However, with
forest production spread throughout the world, the GFTN is looking
to increase the area of certified forest across all forest types and tolink certified suppliers to markets around the globe. To achieve this,particularly in large regions and less developed countries like Brazil,
Russia, China and the Baltic states, Producers Groups – networksof timber suppliers – are now being established on each continent topromote the benefits of certification.

Europe and the Middle East
Over the last 18 months, WWF hashelped to increase significantly the sizeof FSC-certified forests in Europe andTogether, the members of the GTFN are proving how the forest
industry can be both sustainable and profitable, securing the healthof forests worldwide for people, economies, and wildlife.

19

Forests

Giant river otters – amongst the
Amazon’s most spectacular wildlife.
WWF-Canon / Hartmut Jungius

secured further commitments fromgovernments towards more responsible
forest management, in particular inCentral and Eastern European
countries where most of Europe´svaluable forest resources exist.
By mid-2002, the area of FSC-certified
forests had increased by 4 million ha toa global total of 28 million ha. Half of
this increase came from new forest
certifications in the Baltic states. Latvia
and Estonia together now haveapproximately 2 million ha of forests
certified to FSC management standards,
mostly on public lands. Romania also
expressed its commitment to work
towards certifying 1 million ha over the
next two years. These advances sent astrong signal to other timber-producing
countries and for western buyers of
FSC timber.
WWF has witnessed a significant
increase in the certification of stateowned forests all over Europe, whichindicates that governments are
increasingly taking an active role in20

responsible forest management. Since
July 2001, Finland, Liechtenstein,
Slovakia, Lithuania and Ukraine have
moved some of their forests under the
FSC standard.
At the same time, European markets are
becoming increasingly sensitive to theorigins of timber. With the launch of the
Italian FTN in late 2001, the number ofForest and Trade Networks in Europe
has increased to 13, encompassing morethan 400 companies committed topromoting responsible forest
management and trade.
In April 2002, the French and German
governments announced a change intheir public timber procurement
policies towards FSC-certified wood,
following an earlier decision by the
UK government. WWF now expects
the European Union as a whole to
make a clear decision on purchase oftimber for use in the public domain.
WWF and IKEA, one of the world’s
largest home-furnishing companies,

have embarked on a three-year
partnership to promote responsible
forestry. The two organizations will
carry out a series of forest projects thatwill promote responsible forestry in
Russia, China, Bulgaria, Romania, andthe Baltic countries. These will include
the development of a means for
identifying and managing forests ofhigh conservation value, and issues
such as illegal logging and forest
certification.
A paradigm shift in thinking about
forest management has also been
demonstrated by the Swedishcompany, Sveaskog. The state-owned
company that recently purchased
AssiDomän has committed to set aside
20 per cent of productive state forest
land for nature conservation.
In an initiative begun in 2001, WWF isbringing together fieldwork acrossthree continents to focus on therelationship between forest conversion
for edible oil production and Europe as
the biggest importer of palm oil andsoy. The aim of the project, linking
work in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil,
Ghana, and Nigeria with marketoriented work in Europe, is to improvestandards within the edible oil industry
and influence investment decisions andtrade policies. Palm oil and soy
plantations are proliferating at theexpense of natural forests, as well as
polluting the environment throughexcessive use of pesticides. Already,four Dutch banks have madecommitments to invest in forest andpalm oil activities using sustainable
practices, and the Swiss retailer Migros
has committed to purchasing“ecologically-friendly” palm oil and is
supporting a pilot test case in Ghana.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Palm Oil
Association has invited WWF to joinin policy dialogue.

Latin America and the
Caribbean
Nearly 1 billion ha of natural forest
blanket the Latin America andCaribbean (LAC) region. WWF

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Conserving ecoregions – Amazonian Forests
Much of WWF’s conservation work on forests is taking place inecoregions. One of these lies in the Amazon jungles of SouthAmerica, home to over half of the world's remaining tropicalrainforest. At the heart of this still vast region is the Southwest
Amazon Moist Forest ecoregion, almost 200 million ha of largely
intact forest covering part of the western Brazilian states of
Amazonas, Acre, and Rondonia, stretching into the lowlands ofsouth-eastern Peru and north-western Bolivia. Among its abundantriches is an incredible array of trees, including the valuable big-leaf
mahogany, as well as some of the continent's most spectacularwildlife, including jaguar, harpy eagle, and giant river otter.
Although 92 per cent of the original forested area still remains, theregion faces numerous large-scale threats, such as road
construction, illegal logging, gold mining, human settlement andagricultural expansion, and oil and gas exploration. Human
populations remain relatively low, consisting mainly of indigenous
tribespeople, river dwellers, Brazil nut gatherers, and rubber
tappers. However, migrants from overpopulated and deforested
regions of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru are moving into the region,
converting forest into farm and pasture and threatening the
traditional way of life.
The remoteness of most of the forest has insulated it from the worst
development pressures so far, presenting a great opportunity forconservation. This opportunity, however, is fleeting and is temperedby rapidly increasing development plans in all three countries.
WWF's efforts in the ecoregion are focusing on the creation of new
protected areas and attaining effective management of existingones, promotion of sustainable natural resource management, suchas FSC certification of both timber and non-timber forest products
and the establishment of community-managed forests, and support
for policies that deal with the threats posed by oil and gas
development and road construction.

Forests

continues to champion forest
conservation from the dry forests ofnorth-western Mexico’s Chihuahuan
Desert to the temperate rainforests ofsouthern Chile and Argentina.
However, this work is still challenged
by agricultural expansion, cattle
raising, unsustainable timber
exploitation, and unsoundinfrastructure projects which threaten
the integrity of the region’s forests andtheir rich biodiversity.
In order to reduce these threats, WWF
has collaborated with a large anddiverse group of partners, from thesmallest community organization to
government agencies and the largest
international aid and development
agencies. In the realm of forests, thesecollaborations have focused onprotected areas, sustainable forest
management through voluntary
certification, policy reform, and forest
restoration.
WWF continues to be a leader insupporting and developing protectedareas in the LAC region. Under theleadership of WWF-Brazil, theAmazon Region Protected Areas
Project (ARPA) is becoming a reality.
The first four-year phase of a ten-year
project estimated at US$400 million is
expected to be launched this year,
financed by the Brazilian government,
GEF, the German aid agency KFW,
and WWF. ARPA will represent an
achievement of global importance:
28.5 million ha of new protected areasand improved management of 12.5
million ha of existing parks andreserves.
Protected areas in Latin America,
where many people live in or aroundforests and depend on forest products,
require innovative approaches beyond
traditional national parks. WWF has
made substantial progress with respect
to Community Protected Areas in
Oaxaca, Mexico, and Private Reserves
in Chile and Paraguay. In Colombia,
WWF has played a crucial role infurthering the concept of private
reserves and supporting the21Forests

establishment of seven new private
reserves in the Central Andes. In
December 2001, WWF, the World
Bank, and the Colombian Ministry of
the Environment signed a
Memorandum of Understanding thatwill maximize the conservation
potential of the three institutions.
WWF’s office in Bolivia has provided
project coordination for strengthening
community certification efforts in
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
Guatemala, and Mexico. Bolivia
continues to lead the way in terms ofcertification of natural forests, withnearly 1 million ha of certified forests
representing almost one-third of the
LAC total of 3.5 million ha. The
certification movement in Brazil is also
gaining momentum. In 2002, Brazil
passed the 1 million ha mark of FSCcertified forests. WWF’s Central
American office continues to pioneer
the improvement of community
certification with the indigenous andmestizo communities of northern
Guatemala and southern Mexico.

22

WWF has also been instrumental indeveloping a Forest and Trade
Network to promote the marketing ofcertified products.
Forest landscape restoration has
significant potential in the LAC
region, especially in the Valdivian
forests of Chile and Argentina, and in
the Atlantic forests of Argentina,
Brazil, and Paraguay. A first
restoration initiative is taking form in
the northern Andes of Ecuador, basedon the use of the bamboo Guadua
angustifolia for the protection of small
river systems.

North America
In Canada, WWF sponsored andcoordinated the development of FSC
standards for the boreal forest of
Ontario, convening a year-long process
involving representatives of industry,
environmentalists, First Nations andother groups. FSC will use the newstandards in certification processes inother Canadian provinces.

Iisaak Forest Resources Ltd, jointly
owned by a native people’sorganization and the global forestry
giant Weyerhaeuser, received the FSC
certificate for its sensitive forest
management, including protectedareas, throughout its 87,000ha Pacificcoastal rainforest in Clayoquot Soundon Vancouver Island, British
Colombia. Iisaak operates in an
ecoregion of tremendous global
interest and its accomplishment wasrecognized as a Gift to the Earth byWWF.
Westwind Forest Stewardship Inc., a
not-for-profit community-based forest
management company, earned thelargest FSC certification to date in
Canada for its 855,000ha parcel of
public lands in Ontario’s FrenchSevern Forest, which they manage
under a license on behalf of theOntario provincial government.
Domtar Inc., one of Canada’s largest
and oldest forestry companies, earned
its FSC chain-of-custody certificate for
its Cornwall, Ontario paper mill,thereby re-establishing a supply of
FSC-certified paper in North America.
Wood supply to the mill comes from
Domtar’s private land operations insouthern Ontario and New York state.
During the year, an assessment offorest fragmentation in the US wascompleted, including an analysis of theKlamath-Siskiyou ecoregion, where acampaign was undertaken to promote
the use of FSC-certified timber and tocertify one or two mills. Elsewhere,
WWF defended the Cascade-Siskiyou
National Monument in Oregon fromgovernment attempts to shrink its
boundaries, and also started a process
there to certify to FSC standards
4,000ha of private forest holdings. In
the Southeast Rivers and Streams
ecoregion, WWF worked to secure
FSC certification of forest lands ownedby the state of Tennessee and toencourage other public and private
landowners to seek certification.
In April 2002, WWF co-hosted theForest Leadership Forum in Atlanta,

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Palm trees, bamboos and tree ferns in
the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve,
Costa Rica.
WWF-Canon / Michèle Dépraz

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
Expenditure on Forest Conservation FY 2001
16,00014,216
14,00012,805

12,453

12,0009,566

10,000

8,000
6,293
6,000

4,000

Georgia, bringing together 1,000
representatives from the environmental
community and the forest products
industry, and retailers and buyers fromaround the world. Issues covered
included illegal logging, forests of highconservation value, responsible
Forests

consumption, and certification.
Over the past year, 300,000ha of forest
were certified under FSC in the US,
bringing the country’s total certified
area to 3.4 million ha.

2,578
2,000
1,135
0

AfricaAsia

EuropeLatin
America

North
America

Conservation Campaigns
Policy23Freshwater

JAMIE PITTOCK, Director of the Living Waters Programme, looks back over the past year and previews WWF’s freshwater work in 2003.
WF’s Living Waters
Programme is dedicatedto ensuring that
freshwater ecosystems
around the world are valued andconserved as a source of life for people
and nature. Freshwater wetlands areamong the richest wildlife habitats inthe world – and also the mostthreatened. According to the 2002
Living Planet Report, WWF’s periodic
review of the state of the planet,
freshwater species declined by some
55 per cent between 1970 and 2000 – arate faster than wildlife loss in forestsand oceans.

W

These alarming trends are reflected byincreasing human suffering. Currently,
1.5 billion people lack ready access toclean drinking water and if current
consumption patterns continue, at least
3.5 billion people – 48 per cent of the
projected world population – will beliving in water-stressed river basins
within the next 25 years. Already, 2.5

24billion people lack water sanitation,
leading to widespread outbreaks ofwater-related disease and possibly as
many as 10 million deaths annually.
WWF is tackling the conservation of
freshwater ecosystems in three ways:
establishing protected areas for the mostimportant wetlands, conserving river
basins – freshwater ecoregions – as thesource of fresh water, and promoting
more efficient use of water to increase
the share for people and nature.
Working as a catalyst, WWF aims tosee 250 million ha (about 20%) of theworld’s freshwater wetlands understrict protection. In partnership with
the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
and in cooperation with the people
and governments of many countries,
such as Algeria, Bolivia, Chad,
China, Cuba, Guinea, Peru, andTurkey, in excess of 18 million hahave been set aside for conservation –an area about half the size of The

Netherlands. Exciting progress has
also been achieved in managing many
significant freshwater reserves forconservation, at the same time
helping to develop sustainable
livelihoods with local people,
particularly in Algeria and China, andthrough a tri-national programme
involving Australia, Indonesia andPapua New Guinea (see page 28).
Currently, WWF is working in 14
countries to protect a further 20 million
ha of wetlands and enhance their
management. In Africa, we areworking with the Lake Chad Basin
Commission and Niger Basin
Authority, among others, using new
protected areas as a catalyst forcooperation between governments tomanage these critical river basin
ecoregions as sustainably as possible.
Freshwater areas cannot be conservedby protection alone. All the land andwaters upstream in the river basin need

to be carefully managed to maintainadequate water quality and quantity.
We have drawn together 34 WWF
projects conserving river basin
ecoregions to identify and raise theextra resources needed, and the lessons
that can be shared to achieveconservation of river ecosystems. A
WWF film on our conservation workon the Niger River won a Certificate of
Merit at the prestigious Chicago
International Television Competition in
the Public Affairs/Video News Releasecategory. We are using this platform toaccelerate the complex task of bringing
together governments and otherstakeholders to conserve the most
biologically important freshwaterecoregions. Examples are WWF’s
work in the Danube River basin thathas been critical in bringing together
conservation efforts in 13 countries,
and the tri-national Morava-Dyje
Floodplain initiative in Austria, theCzech Republic and the Slovak
Republic (see page 30).

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Mountain wetlands 3,600 metres high inthe Ecuadorian Andes.
WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer

Targets and examples of progress in 2002
Freshwater biodiversity: By 2010, 250 million ha of high-priority freshwater ecosystems worldwide areprotected and/or sustainably managed.
■ 18.4 million ha set aside for conservation, including in Algeria, Bolivia, Chad, China, Cuba, Guinea,
Peru, and Turkey■ Memorandum of Understanding to manage 3 million ha of wetlands signed by the governments ofIndonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia at the fourth preparatory meeting in Bali in May for theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development.
Water infrastructure development: By 2010, ecological processes are maintained or restored in at least
50 large catchment areas of high biodiversity importance.
■ Five-year, multi-million dollar agreement with HSBC to conserve four major river basins■ Options assessment completed according to World Commission on Dams guidelines, resulting in Polishgovernment's decision to reconsider the need for more dams and to consider instead sustainable waysof addressing problems of the ageing Wloclawek dam.
Resource use in water intensive products: By 2010, private sector practices and related government
policies concerning key water-using sectors are established and/or changed in order to sustain the integrityof the freshwater ecosystems on which they depend and/or impact.
■ A new partnership with an international drinks company to develop industry standards for minimizing
water use and improving water quality.

Freshwater

WWF is also working to redirectenvironmentally disastrous
development proposals into moresocially and economically responsible
alternatives. In particular, poorly
planned dams cause immense
environmental damage, includingchanging the quality and quantity ofwater in rivers and by fragmenting anddestroying wildlife populations. A
major push has commenced against
the Spanish National HydrologicalPlan, a massive inter-basin watertransfer scheme requiring hundreds ofdams and impacting on dozens ofcritical conservation areas (see underEurope and the Middle east below, andalso page 29).
In February, a report on shipping along
the Danube set out WWF’s caseagainst the proposed ‘Trans European
Network’ of shipping channels ineastern Europe. An economic
assessment was also published as a
critique of the proposal for a massive
south-north water transfer scheme in
China. Following a WWF

25

Freshwatercommissioned assessment, we aremaking good progress in Poland infavour of abandoning the proposed
Nieszawa Dam and decommissioning
the Wlocalwek Dam on the VistulaRiver. And the World Bank’s draft
strategy on water resources wasamended to partially reflect WWF’s
approach to implementing therecommendations of the World
Commission on Dams.
In 2003, the Living Waters
Programme will launch a new
campaign on dams, seeking toredirect investment into ecologically,
environmentally and sociallybeneficial alternatives to dams forprovision of power and water. In
other work, we will be seeking abetter deal for people and nature bypromoting more efficient use of the
87 per cent of fresh water used by
the agricultural and industry sectors;
an assessment of the most waterdemanding crops will help us
identify the most promising
opportunities for change.

26

WWF is collaborating with a major
drinks company to develop bestpractice standards for minimizing
water use and improving water quality
in manufacturing plants. And we haveconcluded a five-year agreement withHSBC for the conservation of four
major river basins, including theYangste and the Brazilian Amazon.
This work will also develop practicalguidance on how the financial sector
can apply the recommendations of theWorld Commission on Dams andpromote best practice in river basin
management based on WWF’s
fieldwork experience. Lastly, as apartner with nine leading international
water and agricultural organizations inthe ‘Dialogue on Food, Water and theEnvironment’, WWF will be seeking
agreement on solutions to the world’s
food, water and environmental needsin time for the 2006 World Water
Forum.
WWF’s biggest challenge in 2003 andbeyond is to fight the mismanagementof water by finding and promoting

innovative solutions that conserve
freshwater wetlands and benefit people
and wildlife.

Africa and Madagascar
WWF made significant progress inadvancing some of the major wetland
conservation initiatives started last year
in Africa. Much of this work was aided
by the commitment of African
governments to wetland conservation –more than six million ha of new
Ramsar sites were declared across thecontinent.
Among these wetland initiatives wereefforts by the government of Tanzania
to re-establish year-round water flows
in the Great Ruaha River. Much of thisinvolves better management of
wetlands within the river’s catchment,
which WWF is promoting under theGreat Ruaha River and Catchment
Programme. Projects in Udzungwa andKipingere are helping to protect the
Ruaha’s headwaters and secure waterflows in numerous tributaries.

WWF has also initiated an ambitious
programme for the Niger River,
together with Wetlands International
and the Nigerian Conservation
Foundation. As with the Ruaha, acatchment approach is being adopted
to conserve the Niger’s wetland
habitats and wildlife and to securesustainable livelihoods for humanpopulations that depend entirely on theriver for survival.
The Lake Bogoria Community-based
Wetlands Project in Kenya intensified
its conservation work through closer
ties with the peoples and councils of
the Baringo and Koibatek
communities. Some of theachievements resulting from these
efforts include the establishment ofenvironmental planning committees, anenvironmental education strategy,
habitat and wildlife surveys, andinstallation of facilities for ecologicalmonitoring.
In Tanzania, WWF worked withgovernment and non-governmental

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Water-lilies in the delta of the Danube
River, Romania.
WWF-Canon / Michel Guntherpartners to focus public attention on
the plight of Tanzania’s wetlands.
Efforts by the Journalists
Environmental Association of
Tanzania, with backing from WWF,brought wetland issues to the front
pages of both Swahili and English
language newspapers, as well asradio and television. Two new
Ramsar sites were declared: Lake
Natron Basin (224,781ha) and theKilombero Valley Floodplain(796,735ha). In addition, thegovernment established a broadbased wetlands working group withmembers drawn from government,
civil society organizations, and theinternational community. WWF isalso working with local NGOs on theconservation of Lake Manyara
wetlands.
Freshwater

In South Africa, the Table Mountain
Fund developed a partnership between
the National Botanical Institute’s
Outreach Programme, the City of Cape
Town and local Reconciliation andDevelopment Forums that led to thecreation of the Edith Stephens
Wetlands Park. A fundraising campaign
was launched to secure conservation of
the Noordhoek Kommetjie wetlands –the missing piece in the consolidationof the Cape Peninsula National Park
that will see the park attain World
Heritage status.
In West Africa, WWF’s Living Waters
Programme lent its expertise to thedesignation of a suite of new Ramsar
sites in the River Niger and Lake Chadbasins. New protected wetlands
amounted to 500,000ha in Niger,

1,650,000ha in Chad, and 4,500,000ha
in Guinea. A new protected site,
Mazabuka, covering 47,000ha, hasbeen established in the Kafue Flats in
Zambia. Further Ramsar designations
are anticipated in the coming year in
Cameroon, the Central African
Republic, Madagascar, and Nigeria.
Three potential Ramsar sites have also
been identified in the Seychelles andagreement has been reached on aprocess for further designations once
the government of Seychelles has
ratified the Ramsar Convention.

Asia and the Pacific
The significance of the Asia/Pacificregion’s freshwater resources ismatched by the significance of the
problems facing them. Throughout thelast year, WWF has concentrated on
the establishment of new protectedareas, wetland restoration, andmanagement of river basins.
The year’s biggest conservationachievement came with the Chinese

government’s designation, on World
Wetlands Day, 2 February, of 14
wetlands totalling nearly 2 million haas Ramsar sites. The government also
pledged nearly US$1 billion over the
next ten years for their management.
The sites are located in the north-eastof the country (five sites), along theYangtze River (three sites), and at six
coastal sites which include mangroves
and valuable habitats for migratory
birds, turtles and seals. WWF
recognized the declaration as a Gift tothe Earth and a major contribution to
the WWF-supported China Action Plan
for Wetland Conservation.
Another Gift to the Earth, the 26,000ha
Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in
Malaysia, received legal protection
under the state of Sabah’s Land
Ordinance in recognition of its“outstanding” biological, cultural, andeconomic importance. Kinabatanganprovides a refuge for several
endangered species, among themorang-utan, proboscis monkey, andAsian elephant, as well as a vital27

FreshwaterBlack darter covered inmorning dew.
WWF / Fritz Pölking

source of fresh water for over 200,000
people living in Sabah.
More good news came in June 2002
with the signing of the “Tri-national
Wetlands Initiative” between Australia,
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The
agreement commits the three nations towork together to achieve sustainable
management of 3 million ha of tropical
wetlands within three existing
protected areas, Kakadu National Park
(Australia), Wasur National Park
(Indonesia) and Tonda Wildlife
Management Area (PNG). The
initiative will greatly improve
management of these parks andencourage the creation of further
protected areas.
China again led the way with wetland
restoration. Altogether, 1,650ha ofwetlands were restored at three sites,
including Qinshan polder, where thediversity of bird, fish and plant life has
increased. With the advent of the new,multi-million dollar funding under the
WWF-HSBC partnership, wetland

28

restoration in China will continue toflourish. Other restoration efforts in theregion include mangrove regenerationin India’s Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
and management of wetland vegetation
for waterbirds in Hong Kong. As aresult of these efforts in Hong Kong,the endangered population of blackfaced spoonbills has risen by 10 per
cent since 1997, following a long
period of decline. There are only about
600 of the birds left in the world and aconservation plan for the species iscurrently awaiting approval by theHong Kong government.
WWF has also been successful inpreventing incompatible orunsustainable development on
wetlands in Hong Kong. For example,
a revision in land use strengthened
protection for the ecologically sensitive
Tai Ho stream, one of Hong Kong’s
few remaining medium-sized natural
streams known for its diversity offreshwater and brackish-water fish.
Among 47 species of fish recorded
there are some new for Hong Kong,such as the rare and migratory Ayu
Plecoglossus altivelis, a relative of thesalmon. And an application to develop
Lut Chau – a Site of Special ScientificInterest comprising fish ponds withrich food sources for the thousands of
migratory birds and nesting habitats fora number of species in the south of
Mai Po Nature Reserve – was rejectedby the Hong Kong Town Planning
Board on the advice of WWF.
Progress in wetland management at thecatchment level is a concept new to theAsia/Pacific region and has been slow
to develop. Despite this, meetings were
held with the Mekong River
Commission and leading construction
company ABB in Indochina to discusspossibilities of a partnership. And in
the Murray Darling Basin in Australia,
WWF has been prioritizing wetland
sites and helping to develop amanagement plan and voluntary
conservation agreement at Lake
Dartmouth, as well as pressing theCommonwealth and State governments
to adopt a “free-flowing” rivers

agreement for the Murray-Darling andQueensland-Darling headwaters.
Further progress on river basin
management should increase once
funding is secured for major
programmes for the Mekong, and the
Sepik in Papua New Guinea.

Europe and the Middle East
The EU Water Framework Directive –if implemented in a comprehensive andtimely manner – has the potential todeliver sustainable use of water acrossEurope. The importance of this pieceof legislation makes it a prime focus
for WWF policy work in Europe overthe coming year. The Directive, whichcame into force in December 2000,
encourages transboundary river basin
management and involves thosecountries seeking accession to the EU,
such as Poland and Romania, and even
non-EU countries such as Norway,
Russia and Switzerland. It is, however,a complex piece of legislation. In thepast twelve months, WWF has been
helping to develop the Directive’s

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Conserving ecoregions – freshwater wetlands in the Mediterranean
WWF is working in 33 river basins (also known as watersheds or catchments), demonstrating solutions towater management problems. A prime example is WWF’s freshwater work in the Mediterranean.

Common Implementation Strategy,
participating in technical working
groups and developing guidance
documents on “best practice” for its
implementation in EU and accession
countries, taking into account on-theground practicalities.
In 2003, the European component of
the Living Waters Programme will
launch the “Water and Wetland Index– Phase 2”, the follow-up to the index
first released in 2000 which rates
countries on their freshwater
management performance. The newindex will include Mongolia, Morocco
and Russia.
WWF continues its action against the
Spanish National Hydrological Plan, aconglomeration of 120 dams and 261
other supporting infrastructures being
built to transfer water from the northof the country – mainly from the Ebro
Delta – to the south. The plan is likely
to have disastrous consequences forthe delta and its human and wildlife
inhabitants. WWF is pressing the EU
Freshwater

The pressures on fresh water in the Mediterranean are many and varied, not least from agriculture, tourism,
and construction. Severe drought in the region, as the climate changes, have added to these pressures. To
meet the growing demand for fresh water, a number of Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, Greece
and Turkey, are developing plans to transfer water between river basins. Already, the diversion of waterfrom the Segura River in Spain to irrigate fields and vast acreages of greenhouses has reduced the river toan ecological ruin, demonstrating the inadequacy of planning and overestimation of the water supply, andputting local economies, human livelihoods and wildlife at risk.
The Spanish National Hydrological Plan involves the building of 120 dams and 261 supporting
infrastructures to aid transfer of water from the north of the country, mainly from the delta of the Ebro River,to the south. Just over half of the water is earmarked for intensive agriculture, and the remainder for tourism
development. The total estimated cost is in excess of EUR22 million, of which the Spanish government isseeking almost EUR8 million from the EU. Such developments are totally at odds with EU attempts to
reduce agricultural subsidies to bring food prices closer to world market levels.
Transfer of water at the volumes proposed will reduce the quality of drinking water for one million people inthe Valencia region, and threaten the local fishing industry at the mouth of the Ebro, especially the port of
Tarragona, as a result of reduced freshwater flows and increased sedimentation. From a wildlife point ofview, the Ebro delta, a Ramsar site, is one of the most important areas for breeding birds in the
Mediterranean and the third most important wetland in Spain.
WWF has taken an active stand against thedevelopment, both in Spain and across Europe,and is pressing hard for EU funds to be spent
instead on social, economic and environmental
improvements that are both balanced andsustainable. These include environmental
actions that are in line with EU priorities, suchas improved monitoring of water quality andpromoting reductions in water consumption.
The Riba Roja dam on the Ebro River.
WWF-Spain29

Freshwater

Protecting the Morava-Dyje floodplain
The Danube is the second longest river in Europe and the source of drinking water for 20 million people.
More than 80 per cent of the original Danube floodplain has been lost to engineering projects for navigation,
irrigation and power generation. Pollution is also a major problem. WWF has been supporting the “Lower
Danube Green Corridor” scheme, combining protection of 935,000ha of wetlands and restoration of
225,000ha and helping to reduce pollution, support freshwater fisheries, develop ecotourism opportunities,
and conserve the river’s biodiversity.

to reject the Spanish government’s
application for up to EUR8 billion tofinance the scheme. WWF sees theplan in its current form as clearly
contradicting EU laws, including the
Habitats Directive and the Water
Framework Directive. WWF has
published a socio-economic critique ofthe plan and a report giving
alternatives to it, and will continue toraise public awareness across Europe
in attempts to halt the project (seeprevious page).
The 8th Conference of Parties to theRamsar Convention on Wetlands, heldin Valencia, Spain in November 2002,
brought the opportunity to raise
European freshwater issues, including
cross-border cooperation on protectedareas and the protection in particularof scarce alpine wetlands. Protectedareas are also a focus in the DanubeMorava-Dyje Floodplains, for which a
Memorandum of Understanding was
signed by Austria, Czech Republic andSlovakia for designation of thefloodplains as a trilateral Ramsar site –30

One example is the tri-national initiative for theMorava-Dyje floodplain, lying across theborders of Austria, the Czech Republic and the
Slovak Republic, by WWF’s DanubeCarpathian Programme and three partner
NGOs. At the heart of this project lies thesustainable use and conservation of the naturaland cultural heritage of the floodplains of theMorava and Dyje rivers. This riverine
landscape is one of the last regions in Europe
where traditional land use has secured a richbiodiversity. WWF and its partners brought
together the Environment Ministries of thethree countries to establish a body of expertise
consisting of ministry representatives, water
management institutions, national Ramsar
committees, and NGOs to ensure collaborative
management. In recognition of thisachievement, WWF’s Danube-Carpathian
Programme was a co-recipient of the 2002
Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award. WWF’s
partners in the project are DAPHNE in the
Slovak Republic, Distelverein in Austria, andVeronica in the Czech Republic.

The lower Morava River, close to its confluencewith the Danube on the Slovak-Austrian border.
M Cierna / DAPHNE-Centre for Applied Ecology

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

potentially the third such initiative inEurope after the Wadden Sea(Denmark, Germany and The
Netherlands) and Prespa Lake
(Albania, Greece and FYR
Macedonia). The Morava-Dyje
floodplains support freshwater habitats,such as wet meadows and seasonally
flooded forests, that were once
common along European rivers but
now sadly confined to a few remaining
areas (see opposite).

Latin America and the
Caribbean
With over 30 per cent of the world’s
available freshwater and some of theworld’s most biologically diverse
rivers, the Latin America andCaribbean (LAC) region holds
tremendous opportunities for
freshwater conservation. River basin,
or catchment, management is the mosteffective way to conserve freshwater
wetlands, so it is not surprising that it
is a key component in WWF’s LAC
freshwater strategy. Our capacity toFreshwater

address the problems facing wetlands
is growing, as are the number offreshwater protected areas and Ramsar
sites that WWF has helped toestablish.

expected if proposed infrastructure
projects go forward, and the impacts
that they would have on the Orinoco’s
resources and the communities that
depend on them.

In Bolivia, WWF developed a meansof identifying key wetlands withincatchments so that management efforts
could concentrate on the mostimportant components of freshwater
biodiversity. Applying the approach to
the Bolivian Pantanal, WWF was able
to produce a map and a report on the
Correreca sub-catchment which
eventually led to the declaration of
more than 3 million ha of the Bolivian
Pantanal as a Ramsar site. Another 1.4
million ha were declared a Ramsar site
in the Chaco region.

In Central America, WWF is helping
the communities in the Mosquitia toform a Water Board to protect
catchments important for drinking
water. In Nicaragua, three new Ramsar
sites have been designated. And in
Colombia, WWF and its local partner,
ADC (Asociación del Campesino),
helped local communities to stop theconstruction of a dam in the La Cocha
Ramsar site. The site’s high Andean
paramo wetlands are among the mostunique and threatened wetlands in theworld. WWF also played a significant
role in the development of newnational wetland conservation policies
in Colombia.

In Venezuela, WWF is working with
its associate FUDENA to develop ariver basin model for the Orinoco, oneof the six most biologically diverse
rivers in the world. The model will be
used to demonstrate the changes inflooding and flow patterns that can be

Within the Amazon River and Flooded
Forest ecoregion, WWF has identified
several priority sub-regions. One ofthese is the Abanico de Pastaza, ageological depression located on theupper Pastaza River in Peru. Many rare
and threatened aquatic species,
including river otter, pink dolphin, andAmazonian manatee, thrive in thisarea. Numerous species of fish thatmake up an important part of the dietof local communities are also present
in large numbers. As a result of efforts
by WWF and partners, this year over
3.8 million ha of this ecoregion were
designated under Ramsar.
In Brazil, WWF and other NGOs
played an important role in blocking
infrastructure projects along the
Paraná-Paraguay River system.
However, the cumulative impacts ofminor improvement plans in navigation
still pose threats in some places. WWF
published a report drawing attention toerosion problems in riverbanks along
the waterway caused by the impact oflarge barges transporting grain andminerals.
Several major activities for freshwater
conservation in the LAC region for the31

Freshwater

Floodplain management the answer to flooding
As floodwaters rose in Europe and other parts of the world in 2002,
WWF named climate change as one of the leading causes of theextreme weather events occurring more frequently around theglobe. The way freshwater ecosystems are managed also plays acrucial role.

coming year are underway. WWF willcontinue to carry out technical studies
for the designation of new Ramsar
sites in the Amazon River and Flooded
Forest ecoregion. In Colombia, theorganization is proposing theestablishment of new freshwater
protected areas in the Chocó, Paramos(northern Andes) and Llanos. A river
basin management programme
between Colombia and Venezuela isworking to mitigate or eliminate
negative environmental impacts posedby development projects in two
catchment areas of the Andes and the
Llanos. Stopping the construction of
the Guamez dam will protect rare
mountain wetlands in the northern
Andes. In Peru, WWF will continue tofocus on road construction policies andpractices as a major component ofcatchment management in the
Marañon watershed, part of theSouthwest Amazon ecoregion. Thisdevelopment is likely to lead to
deforestation and subsequent
sedimentation and loss of water within
key wetlands.

32

North America
During the year, WWF stepped up
efforts to conserve the vast,
200,000km2 Canadian Arctic
wilderness known as the Central
Barrens. Part of this process involved
securing the Thelon Game SanctuaryManagement Plan, for which approvalis still awaited.
In the US, work continued withgovernment agencies and NGOs to
improve water quality and fish passage
on streams in the Klamath-Siskiyou
ecoregion, including funding theremoval of eight small dams on Sucker
Creek, a tributary of the Illinois River
in south-west Oregon. In the South
Florida ecoregion, WWF worked with
the Everglades Coalition to ensure full
implementation of the historicEverglades restoration legislation,
which provides for a 30-year, US$8
billion plan to restore the Everglades.
WWF successfully convinced thegovernor of Tennessee to place amoratorium on gas-fired steam

During the last 150 years, as rivers have been put into
straightjackets of dams and dykes, floodplains have been drainedon a massive scale to make way for agriculture and development.
New housing, roads and infrastructure are constructed on the very
areas which store floodwaters and help to reduce flood damage. As
the natural capacity of rivers and adjoining wetlands for flood control
grows ever smaller, so severe bad weather channels more water
into unnaturally small spaces, leading to higher and more damaging
flood peaks. Floods are also worse where overgrazing anddeforestation in the watershed allows rainwater to run off faster intorivers. Forests and wetlands act as sponges, and when they areabsent in times of heavy downpours, there is no absorption provided
by nature to even out river flows. WWF is arguing that floods are
best managed by working with nature, not fighting it.
The enormous economic and social cost of flooding could be
prevented by recognizing the importance of floodplains and theneed for sustainable management – as well as restoration – ofthese areas. The need for floodplain management has never been
higher. WWF called on leaders gathering in Johannesburg for theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development in August to agree tobetter manage river basins as the key to ensuring freshwater
resources and coping with floods. This went hand in hand withWWF’s call for world leaders to agree on effective measures tocombat climate change and to provide a sustainable energy future.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Channeling of rivers and urban
development in floodplains, allied toclimate change, are the main factors
behind increasingly severe floods inmany parts of the world.
WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
Expenditure on Freshwater Conservation FY 2001
generating plants, which consume
millions of gallons of freshwater daily,
returning only a fraction to rivers andstreams.
Working with an alliance of cavers andenvironmental NGOs, WWF’s
Southeast Rivers and Streams
ecoregion office funded a scientificstudy of the unique biodiversity of
Rumble Falls cave, the second largest
cavern in the US. National media
coverage of the cave’s discovery
resulted in a halt to plans to discharge
treated waste-water into the stream

flowing through the cave.

16,00014,426In the Chihuahuan Desert, WWF and
the Alliance for Rio Grande Heritage
held the first multi-stakeholder
workshop to develop a vision for the
restoration of the heavily degraded Rio
Grande/Rio Bravo. In addition, WWF
launched a strategic planning processwith the managers of six protectedareas on the Rio Grande which should
result in improved management for
wildlife in over 1 million ha of river
basin wetlands in the US and Mexico.

14,00012,00010,000

8,000

5,781

6,000

3,737

4,000
3,085

1,492

2,000

1,881

544
0

AfricaFreshwater

Asia

EuropeLatin
America

North
America

Conservation Campaigns
Policy33

Oceans and Coasts

SIMON CRIPPS, Director of the Endangered Seas Programme, highlights some of WWF’s marine conservation efforts in 2002 and looks ahead to 2003.
he ocean is the naturalenvironment for millions ofspecies, but an array ofhuman activities, including
overfishing, insensitive coastal
development, pollution and climatechange, are causing a deepening crisis.
Today, more than three-quarters of ourseas are overexploited, threatening thelong-term sustainability and survival ofcoastal communities across the entire
globe.

T

To restore the balance in the use ofmarine and coastal areas, theEndangered Seas Programme isfocusing on human activities
threatening the oceans. We arehelping to create new market
incentives and penalties, influencing
legislation and leadership, andapplying pressure when appropriate.
We are also encouraging industries toadopt practices which are bothprofitable for industry and beneficial
to the marine environment.

34

Within a generation we aim to stop
overfishing and ensure that all
exploitation of fish stocks issustainable. We are also working
towards establishing networks of wellmanaged and ecologically
representative marine protected areas
covering at least ten per cent of theworld's oceans, including the deepseas. Over the last year, good progresshas been made in this direction.

reviewed its Common Fisheries Policy(CFP). To influence the debate, inFebruary 2002 WWF launched a highprofile campaign – the “StopOverfishing” campaign – calling for
far-reaching reforms to safeguard thefuture of fish stocks and fishingcommunities. It drew much politicaland public attention to the CFP and
won extensive media coverage of thereform process.

About 75 per cent of the word's mostvaluable fish species are either
overfished or fished to their limit. Toomany boats are chasing too few fish,
fish stocks are being mismanaged, andharmful subsidies are being paid tooversized fishing fleets. This abuse of
the marine environment will ultimately
destroy the fishing industry, the fishstocks and the environment itself. The
European Union has one of the world's
largest fishing fleets, which it
subsidizes with about EUR1.4 billion
each year. During 2002, the EU

WWF has welcomed the adoption by
the world’s shipping nations at theInternational Maritime Organization(IMO) of a convention to eliminate
the dangerous chemicals used inpaints on ships’ hulls from themarine environment (see page 64).
The Regional Government of the
Azores received a WWF Gift to the
Earth certificate in recognition of its
outstanding achievement to protect two
deep-sea sites – made possible in largepart due to intense lobbying by WWF.

Situated on the sea-floor at depths of
850 and 1,700 metres, the two sites
contain hydrothermal vents – chimneylike structures which eject seawatersuperheated to 350˚C – hosting a uniqueand fragile fauna in extreme
environments. They play an importantrole in regulating the temperature andchemical balance of the oceans. Theirprotection is the first in a proposed
network of deep-sea MPAs in the northeast Atlantic and sets an important
precedent for future work on important
offshore and deep-sea sites lying
outside national jurisdiction. In
addition, the management plan for the
Azores sites will serve as a blueprint for
future deep-sea MPAs.
Batangas Bay, in the Philippines,
provides food security and income formany fishing communities and, home
to one of the largest and most diverse
coral reefs in the country, is a prime
ecotourism site. It is also, however, thesite of two major oil refineries. An oil

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

WWF’s “Stop Overfishing” campaign
called for far-reaching reforms tosafeguard the future of fish stocks andfishing communities.
WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer

Targets and examples of progress in 2002
Protected areas: By 2020, the establishment and implementation of a network of effectively managed,
ecologically representative marine protected areas covering at least 10 per cent of the world’s seas.

spill in these waters would bring
immediate and long-lasting sufferingto the people and the environment inand around the bay. A viable solution
to the quick containment of oil is seenas oil spill response teams comprisedof local people. As part of efforts toaddress the issue of toxics in themarine environment, WWF organized
the first ever community-based oils
spill management training course. The
course helped to broaden community
understanding of the issue andemphasized the need to work together.
Similar courses are planned in otherregions of the world.
Oceans and Coasts■ The establishment of globally significant MPAs, including hydrothermal vents in Portugal (Azores), coral
reefs in Mozambique, and the brackish Baltic waters of Finland■ Creation of the world's largest MPA at Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve in Australia■ A commitment from the United Nations to look into the potential of creating MPAs in waters that lie
outside national jurisdiction.
Sustainable fisheries: Maintain the status of all fish stocks that are currently exploited sustainably and, by
2020, halve the number of fish stocks that are overexploited or depleted, as currently categorized by FAO.
■ As a key player in the EU fisheries policy reform process, WWF helped create media awareness, raise
public interest, and develop a political climate essential for the success. The reform proposal now
includes the ending of three of the most damaging subsidies: those for modernization, new vessels, andexport of capacity outside EU waters■ The WTO committed to reform harmful fishing subsidies■ The world's largest wild salmon fishery in Alaska was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council■ The government of Mauritania has asked for greater environmental safeguards and fairer access rights
in the fisheries agreement negotiated with the EU.

35

Oceans and Coasts

At the WSSD in Johannesburg, some
progress was made with respect to themarine environment. In particular,
participants agreed to reduce catches
and restore heavily depleted fish stocks
by 2015. Although this decision wasless encompassing than the WWF
target on fisheries, it contained exactly
what WWF had been lobbying for
during the run-up to the Summit. The
draft agreement even contained theprecise wording from several WWF
briefings on fisheries. A commitment
to establishing MPAs including
representative networks was alsoreached, in line with WWF’s target onprotected areas.
In 2003, the Endangered Seas
Programme will be working with the
WCPA and the US National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration tocomplete guidelines for effective
management of protected areas. WWF
will also take the opportunity currently
provided by the high profile of coral
reefs and the high seas to move theseissues forward both internationally and36

at a local level. This work will besupported by several initiatives, suchas the Commonwealth Seas Initiativein which the international president ofWWF, Chief Emeka Anyaoku iscalling on the premiers of coastal
Commonwealth countries to pledge
greater protection and better
management of the marine
environment. The European Fisheries
Campaign (mentioned above) willreach its climax in efforts to reduce
environmentally harmful subsidies andwill be stepped up at the WTO (seepage 41). WWF will also be seeking to
influence an agreement on fairer
access to fisheries, particularly
between the EU and African countries,
as well as assisting the Marine
Stewardship Council to continue its
successful certification of key
fisheries.

Africa and Madagascar
WWF’s marine conservation work in
Africa and Madagascar is focused
primarily on the Western Africa,

Eastern Africa and Western Indian
Ocean Marine ecoregions. In addition
to advancing Ecoregion Action Plans
for all three, WWF continued its
support to key protected areas withineach of the ecoregions

and patrolling are now being
undertaken by members of theCommunity Action Committee andartisanal miners’ associations.

Building on Gift to the Earth events in
Senegal, Guinea Bissau, andMauritania in 2001, WWF is working
with IUCN and FIBA (Fondation
Internationale du Banc d’Arguin) tostrengthen management of MPAs andfill the gaps in the current network ofprotected waters in the Western African
Marine ecoregion. In the Western
Indian Ocean, WWF is helping tomaintain three MPAs in Masoala and is
working to increase the number ofmarine sites in Madagascar’s protectedarea system.

Efforts by WWF and partnerorganizations in Mozambique resulted
in the declaration by the government of
the Bazaruto Archipelago National
Park, together with a new marine andterrestrial protected area in Quirimbas(see opposite). The task for WWF now
is to support the government inmanaging these two globally
outstanding areas effectively – both lie
within the Eastern African Marine
ecoregion. Other marine conservation
areas within the ecoregion in which
WWF plays a crucial support role are
Menai Bay in Zanzibar, Kiunga in
Kenya, and Mafia Island in Tanzania.

Under the Mafia Island Marine Park
project, WWF is helping the Tanzanian
government and especially the Mafia
Island people and other interest groups
to conserve the island’s unique marine
and terrestrial biodiversity. Monitoring

The Menai Bay Conservation Area
project is helping to conserve natural
resources in partnership with the local
community through actions to curb
illegal fishing and restore traditional
management of fisheries. Following

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Conserving ecoregions – the seas of eastern Africa
From the coastal waters of Sodwana in South Africa to Chisamayu, some 4,600km to the north in Somalia,
the Eastern African Marine ecoregion harbours a wealth of tropical species and habitats and provides forthe livelihoods of millions of coastal people. The major conservation issues in the ecoregion are overharvesting of fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and sea cucumbers, damage to coastal and mangrove forestsand coral reefs, partly as a result of climate change, and pollution, particularly in and around major towns
and river mouths. Populations of turtles and dolphins are declining as a result of both deliberate andaccidental capture, as are dugongs, which are at serious risk of disappearing altogether.

official declaration of the Conservation
Area, the government has enacted
legislation to enable 70 per cent ofrevenues raised there to be retained forconservation purposes. WWF ishelping to train project staff in radio
communication, scuba-diving formarine surveys, seamanship andcoastal navigation, as well as inrevenue collection. In addition, a newlaw-enforcing patrol boat financed by
WWF has significantly reduced
incidence of illegal fishing.
In Kiunga, an artisanal fishing zone
has been established and WWF is
supporting its management.
Communities around the reserve haveintensified patrols and surveillanceagainst illegal fishing practices and areparticipating in the monitoring of fish
catches and mangrove harvesting. The
project has also contributed to thedevelopment of new legislation in
Kenya that makes the use of scubadiving equipment to catch lobsters
illegal and requires the use of Turtle
Excluder Devices (TEDs) by trawlers.
Oceans and Coasts

During 2002, WWF made very good progress, in conjunction with partner organizations and local
communities, on the development of an Ecoregion Action Plan structured around coastal habitats, species,
and fisheries. Twenty-three conservation targets were identified, including halting the loss of quality of reefs
and coral communities, protecting at least 100,000ha of mangrove forests and their wildlife, and increasing
the number of dugongs.
In Mozambique, protection of two globally outstanding areas within the ecoregion was strengthened andcelebrated by WWF as Gifts to the Earth: declaration of the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park in late 2001
provides much needed protection for dugongs, while the newly created Quirimbas National Park provides ameans of securing the livelihoods of
local fishermen through improved
fisheries management. In otheractivities to safeguard the future of
the ecoregion, WWF has signed aformal agreement with the United
Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), presented the Ecoregion
Action Plan to international meetingsof scientists, conservation
practitioners and policy-makers, andcontinued to build the skills andexpertise of local people and nongovernmental organizations.

Loggerhead turtle.
WWF-Canon / Michel Gunther37

Oceans and Coasts

Activities to strengthen sustainable
resource management on Mafia Island
included issuing more than 1,000
identity certificates to local fishermen,
delineation of a fishing zone in Chole
Bay, and training in marine
surveillance and natural resource
management for more than 40 village
and ward officers. WWF also advisedon the preparation of an environmental
education programme and a survey ofvillagers’ awareness and understandingof marine conservation issues.
In West Africa, there is growing
evidence that large-scale commercial
fishing by both national and distantwater fleets has seriously depleted fishstocks, with impacts too on the marine
environment, local fishingcommunities and even national
economies. WWF is helping the SubRegional Fisheries Commission andother partners to reach a regional
consensus on access agreements tofisheries by both local fishing interestsand foreign, commercial fleets. In the
coming year, this work will be

38

complemented by projects withartisanal fishing associations and by amajor study on illegal, unregulated andunreported fishing.
In South Africa, WWF has been
involved in several marine research
projects, the results of which are being
used to develop guidelines for species
conservation and to control negative
impacts of recreational activities on
seabirds and sharks. The studies
included an investigation of the impactsof long-line fisheries on southern ocean
albatrosses which revealed a highnumber of mortalities to foraging birds
during the incubation and early guarding
phase of their reproductive cycle. The
data suggest that some 20,000
albatrosses and 10,000 other seabirds are
killed annually by tuna-fishing vessels inthe seas south of Africa. The results
have contributed to the formulation of
the Agreement on the Conservation ofSouthern Hemisphere Albatrosses andPetrels under the Bonn Convention,
which will have far-reaching
implications for seabird conservation.

Asia and the PacificWWF’s work on conservation of themarine environment in the Asia-Pacificregion is growing fast, thanks in part toa 50 per cent increase in funding overthe past year. Much of the work has
focused on protected area
establishment and management, andsustainable fisheries.
A major achievement came with thedesignation of the 16 million ha
Macquarie Island Marine Park inAustralia as a marine protected area.
This was followed, in late 2001, by theestablishment of the 270ha Tung Ping
Chau Marine Park in Hong Kong.
Another proposed park in Hong Kong
– Soko Island – has still to beapproved.
In Indonesia, the local government
agreed to a management plan for
Cendrawasih Bay Marine National
Park. In the Philippines, conservationof 128,000ha of coastal habitats has
improved through better planning,

enforcement, and management
practices, as well as the introduction ofuser fees, which generate valuable
revenues for conservation
management. Partially as a result of
these efforts, populations of fish in
Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sulawesi
Seas are rising. Delineation by WWFof the boundaries of the Sulu Sulawesi
Sea ecoregion, which touches thecoasts of Indonesia, Malaysia and thePhilippines, paved the way for new
marine management areas, including
sanctuaries and no-fishing zones, while
the identification of ocean “corridors”
linking the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas has
given WWF a pioneering role inmarine corridor management in theregion.
Successful lobbying by WWF led to
the revoking of a permit for a pearl
farm in the Riung protected area in thenorth of Flores in Indonesia’s Nusa
Tenggara (Lesser Sundas). WWF has
been working in the area since 1999,
strengthening the capacity of local
people and institutions in managing theWWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Flocks of bar-tailed godwits and spoonbilled sandpipers wintering in the Bancd’Arguin National Park, Mauritania.
WWF-Canon / Siegfried Woldhek

area’s rich marine resources. In 2002,
these efforts began to pay off. Most
local fishermen have stopped using
destructive fishing practices, andincreased awareness of marine
conservation among villagers resulted
in the district leader allocating funds
for mapping and restoration of marine
habitats. WWF was appointed as anadvisor.
Collaboration between localorganizations and businesses in the
Banda Flores Sea has led to thedevelopment of a code of conduct.
Drawn up by 25 dive operators, theWater Sports Association, and theIndonesian Diving Association, work is
now underway to give the code legal
status. Recognizing the efforts of all
those involved, the provincial
government and planning boards
assigned Bali Barat and Bunaken
Marine Parks as models of “bestpractice” for MPA management.
Regular patrols in both parks resulted
in the capture and conviction of eight
cyanide-bomb fishermen. This example
Oceans and Coasts

of effective law enforcement attracted
national attention and WWF hopes itwill be replicated in other marine parks
in Indonesia.
Following certification of New
Zealand’s hoki fishery, the Marine
Stewardship Council is now wellestablished in the country as a meansof promoting sustainable fishingpractices. In Indonesia, a newcertification group comprised ofgovernment agencies and NGOs
looked first at aquarium products
derived from coral reefs; WWF and theMarine Aquarium Council also signed
an accord to work together on
certification and monitoring issues. In
India, WWF was involved in site
selection and pre-assessment for thecertification of a crab fishery.
WWF’s Southeast Asia Policy
Programme is carrying out a study on
the impact of trade on the Philippines’s
fisheries sector. Although in its initialstages, the project has alreadyprompted a multi-stakeholder
discussion on trade policies – the firstever undertaken in the Philippines. The
government has now indicated its
willingness to hold discussions on
fisheries trade policy with the private
sector and, significantly, with nongovernmental organizations such as
WWF.
Sustainable fisheries also progressed in
Hong Kong with the drafting of afisheries management strategy,
licensing system, and a proposal forthe creation of a Fisheries Protection
Area. In Thailand, WWF is working on
an amendment to the Marine National
Parks Act to accommodate sustainablefishing by small-scale fishermen, as
well as promoting policies and laws toeliminate destructive fishing gear andreduce fishing fleets.

Europe and the Middle East
WWF’s most significant advances inmarine conservation in Europe over thelast 18 months centred around theEuropean Commission’s approach to
the reform to the Common Fisheries

Policy, the continued development of
networks of marine protected areas,
and the commitments given to an
ecosystem approach at the fifth North
Sea Ministerial Conference.
Publication of the Commission’s first
package of proposals for the reform of
the CFP in May 2002 wasencouraging, with the conservation ofcommercial fish stocks and fleet
reduction given as the major priorities.
The Commission stated that its aim
was “a move towards an ecosystembased approach to fisheries
management” and “to incorporate
environmental concerns into fisheries
management, in particular bycontributing to biodiversity
protection”. This was very much inline with WWF proposals. However,dissention to major changes by France,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, andSpain has slowed the process and adecision on the reforms is now
expected in December 2002.
Despite delays, implementation of the

39

Oceans and Coasts

EU Habitats Directive in the marine
environment is making good progress.
A number of European states have now
agreed to the designation of sites
between 12 and 200 nautical miles
offshore. Germany has alreadyintroduced the necessary legislationand the UK is under way and has
committed to protecting the deep, coldwater coral reefs of the Darwin
Mounds off the north-east coast of
Scotland. The Darwin Mounds are anovel geographical formation lying on
the sea-floor at around 1,000m. The
field contains hundreds of individual
mounds typically 5m high and 100m in
diameter that support coral
communities and a diversity of seabedinvertebrates and deep-water fish. They
are under immediate threat fromtrawling and are under considerationby the UK government as an offshore
Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
under the Habitats Directive.
All North Sea states have committed
to have in place by 2010 networks ofwell-managed MPAs. The Finnish

40

government has pledged to expand
existing and create new marine
National Parks and the government of
the Azores has designated the firsttwo deep-sea MPAs in the NE
Atlantic, the Lucky Strike and Menez
Gwen hydrothermal vent fields(described on page 34). Thesedevelopments have all resulted
directly from WWF advocacy. WWF
is now looking at threats to MPAs
from industry sectors such as offshore
oil and gas, and shipping.
Also as a direct result of lobbying by
WWF, North Sea states havecommitted to introducing an ecosystemapproach to the management of humanuse of the North Sea. The
commitments include environmental
assessments and development of better
planning controls for the North Sea.
These steps are fundamental to thesuccessful creation of networks of
MPAs and the restoration and future
management of fish stocks. WWF isencouraging such an approach in all
European marine ecoregions.

Latin America and the
Caribbean
The marine and coastal systems of the
LAC region support a complex
interaction of habitats and plant andanimal life, and are among the mostproductive in the world. Several of theworld’s largest estuaries are found here,
such as the Amazon and Plata Riverson the Atlantic coast and Fonseca on
the Pacific. The coastal waters ofArgentina and Uruguay are home to theworld’s fastest-growing fishery. In Peru
and Chile, an upwelling of nutrient-richwaters generates one of the top fivecommercial fisheries in the world. The
Humboldt current drives these waters
north to the Galápagos where they meet
the warm tropical currents from thewestern Pacific, producing an
astounding assemblage of marine
habitats and species on the equator that
include penguins as well as tropicalfish.
An estimated 29 per cent of theregion’s reefs are at risk fromincreased runoff and sedimentation
caused by land-based activities such as
deforestation, coastal construction andmining. Several organizations, with thesupport of WWF, have joined forces toguarantee the long-term financial
sustainability of efforts to conserve the
700km long Mesoamerican Caribbean
Reef, the second largest barrier reef inthe world. As well as providing
livelihoods to innumerable coastal
communities through fishing, tourism
and other marine-related activities, thisvast reef system also protects thecoastline and hosts a vast biodiversity,
including one of the few remaining
spawning sites for reef fish in the
Caribbean. To sustain existing and newconservation efforts, environmental
and donor groups have come together
to create a conservation plan for thereef that will contribute to its
protection and rational management.
Fisheries throughout the region, thathave traditionally provided
employment and income for coastal
residents, are at great risk. In recent

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Fishing Subsidies and the WTO
In 1997, WWF began an international campaign to eliminate government subsidies that drive overfishing. A critical goal of that campaign since1998 has been to achieve binding and effective new rules under the World Trade Organization to discipline fishing subsidies. In an important victoryfor WWF, trade ministers meeting in Doha, Qatar in late 2001, agreed to include negotiations on fishing subsidies in the new round of WTO tradetalks. Thus, WWF’s first phase of work has succeeded in getting the issue into the formal WTO rule-making process.
The outcome in Doha presented a unique opportunity for the creation of new international laws aimed at reducing and reforming harmful fishingsubsidies – laws that could have a fundamental impact on the economics of the world’s fisheries. Moreover, the WTO talks on fishing subsidies
open a new field of play for activists and policy-makers concerned with globalization more generally, and with the need to reform the WTO. For the
first time, a piece of the multilateral trading system is to be explicitly focused on the sustainability of a vital natural resource. And for the first time, asignificant trade negotiation has grown out of pressures brought by environmental NGOs rather than by private commercial interests. Thus, onseveral fronts the WTO talks will break new ground.
WWF’s success to date at moving the fishing subsidies ahead in the WTO and elsewhere was the result of four years of research, communications,and policy advocacy that reflected:■ WWF’s strength in the field (drawing on experiences with the impacts of fishing subsidies) combined with a capacity for strong andsophisticated policy advocacy in national capitals and in international fora (including FAO, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development,
UNEP, and the WTO), and■ WWF’s ability to work with governments and international bodies in a constructive, solutions-oriented manner, without losing the ability to use
hard-hitting public communications when necessary.
Through this multifaceted work WWF has been able to put the fishing subsidies issue on the international political map, prompt a group of countries
called the “Friends of Fish” to push the issue in the WTO, provoke a significant shift towards reform in the European Union, and attract a broadcoalition of governments from developed and developing countries in support of WTO action.
To capture this momentum, WWF will build upon successful policy advocacy in and around
the WTO, in Europe, key developing countries, and the US. The aim will be to influence thefishing subsidies negotiations and to advance the broader objective of seeking concretereforms in national policies on fishing subsidies, and in fishing industries. Success in the
WTO talks will also require the participation of a broad array of stakeholders – not only in thenegotiations themselves, but also in following up on the results at national and international
levels. Both the equity and the effectiveness of the mechanisms ultimately adopted by the
WTO will depend on drawing a wider circle of voices into the process.
WWF activists at a demonstration for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy at the EU Fisheries Council in
Luxembourg.
LUXPRESS / Jean-Claude Ernst

Oceans and Coasts

41

Oceans and Coasts

decades, a steady increase in the sizeof fishing fleets has led to theoverexploitation of some 35 per cent of
the region’s stocks. This has had
economic repercussions on local
communities which depend on
fisheries. These pressures have led toproblems of by-catch as fishermen
struggle to identify alternative species,
such as turtles, for harvesting. WWF isworking with member governments of
the Interamerican Tropical Tuna
Commission (IATTC) and regionalorganizations to promote measures toreduce overfishing and by-catch in theeastern Pacific Ocean. With thefinancial support of the Packard
Foundation, WWF is leading this effort
through a regional fisheries officer
stationed in Central America, wheresome of the tuna fleet is growing
fastest. In addition, WWF and the FAO
presented a fleet capacity management
paper to the IATTC, marking the firsttime the FAO has provided technicalinput into a document prepared by an
NGO for a regional fisheriesorganization. In other moves, WWF

42

and the Central American Fisheries
Organization (SICA/OSPESCA)
organized a high-level meeting inPanama City to discuss accessagreements with distant-water fishingfleets and their effect on fishingcapacity in the eastern Pacific.
WWF has also been working on
fishery certification. Lessons learned inspiny lobster certification in Mexico
are being applied to projects in Central
America, including the development offisheries regulations in the Gulf ofHonduras for lobster, conch, grouper
and snapper and the protection of key
spawning aggregation sites in Gladden
Spit and Northern Ambergris Caye.
In Ecuador, WWF released acolourfully illustrated publication
containing recipes provided by worldrenowned chefs for relatively stablefish species found in the Galápagos
reserve. The guide is designed to
inform local fisherman, restaurant
owners, chefs and the general public of
the conservation status of a variety of

Galápagos species and to offer tasty
alternatives to over-harvested species
like lobster and bacalao.
A major problem for marine areas ingeneral is lack of adequate protection.
WWF is working with governments
and a range of partners to create new
MPAs and strengthen the managementof existing ones. Working with the
Scripps Institute of Oceanography,
WWF in Mexico has proposed a
network of marine reserves in the Gulf
of California ecoregion, one of thelargest and most diverse semi-enclosed
bodies of water in the world. Over the
next few years, WWF will work tohave these priority areas declared andmanaged as protected areas so thatthey may continue to protect
threatened and endangered species aswell as support the local fishingindustry. Already, San Pedro Mártir
Island has been declared a Biosphere
Reserve and plans are underway tosecure declarations for San Lorenzo
Archipelago and Espíritu Santo andPartida Islands. Plans are also

underway to secure the first marine
park in Argentina – the Monte Leon
National Park – and establish a large
MPA for Jardines de la Reina
archipelago in Cuba.
Once established, there is a need toensure that MPAs are working. WWF
and the WCPA are jointly defining
guidelines for assessing management
practices in MPAs. Using a series ofgoals, objectives and indicators, the
new guidelines will be tested in theUpper Gulf Biosphere Reserve, Loreto
Bay and Sian Ka’an in Mexico, Hol
Chan Marine Reserve in Belize, and on
the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. The
lessons learned will be built into themanual to be published at the World
Parks Congress in September 2003.
Unsustainable tourism development
along the Yucatan coast is spilling
southwards and posing a major threat
to conservation of the Mesoamerican
Caribbean Reef. Efforts to reduce the“footprint” of new and existing
facilities are required to prevent future

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Imraguen fishermen with a catch ofyellow mullet, Banc d’Arguin National
Park, Mauritania.
WWF-Canon / Mark Edwards

environmental degradation. WWF isencouraging the tourism sector to
adopt environmental standards in its
operation, which accounts for some 12
per cent of the region’s Gross
Domestic Product. This will be a focus
for WWF’s work in the coming year.

North America
In Canada, National Marine
Conservation Area legislation, once
approved, will enable Canada’s Parks
agency to protect and manage a
network of MPAs, including a numberof key WWF sites, such as Gwaii
Haanas (British Columbia) and Lake
Superior (Ontario). Parks Canada
accepted recommendations for theestablishment of Lake Superior Marine
Conservation Area, a protected area
covering more than 10,000km2. A map
depicting different marine habitats inboth the Canadian and American
portions of the Gulf of Maine wascompleted and will be used by WWF
to develop a proposal for a network of
MPAs in that part of the Grand Banks
Oceans and Coasts

ecoregion. And a new 3-4 year
initiative has started to establish andmanage a system of MPAs in the
Canadian part of the Beaufort Sea.
WWF worked with commercial andrecreational fishermen, NGOs, andgovernment officials to secure
approval of the Tortugas marine
reserve, the largest no-take marine
reserve in the US, located in the South
Florida ecoregion. The reserve
includes coral reefs, seagrass beds, andspawning grounds for marine life.
In the western Bering Sea, WWF
succeeded in creating a new,
60,000km2 coastal protected area;
Nalychevo Park Marine Zone
encompass a 5km band of coastal
waters in northern Avachinsky Bay, an
area renowned for its marine mammals
and seabirds. Also in the western
Bering Sea, WWF’s pilot project with
Russian government agencies infisheries enforcement has resulted in
more than 300 arrests and revokedpermits, representing as much as

43

Oceans and Coasts

Melting sea ice in Bull Seal Bay, St
Matthew Island, Alaska.
WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
Expenditure on Marine Conservation FY 2001
8,000

7,000

6,628

6,000
4,829

5,000

3,960

4,000

US$1.5 million in losses for thoseviolating fisheries regulations.
Discussions with community leadersfrom the Bering Sea’s Pribilof Islands,
in collaboration with The Nature
Conservancy of Alaska, may lead tothe development of a marine
conservation zone around the islands.
WWF is currently working on a44

number of follow-up steps.

3,165
3,000
2,610

WWF has been working with Whole
Foods and the Marine StewardshipCouncil to promote a nationwide
consumer campaign about the MSC
and its first certified American product– wild Alaska salmon, which reachedstore shelves in June 2001.

2,086
2,000

858

1,000

0

AfricaAsia

EuropeLatin
America

North
America

Conservation Campaigns
PolicyWWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Species

SUSAN LIEBERMAN, Director of the Species Programme, summarizes WWF’s approach to species conservation and highlights recent and forthcoming work.
uccessful conservation of key
species benefits not only thethousands of lesser known
plants and animals with which
they co-exist but also humancommunities that depend on these
species and habitats for theirlivelihoods. By adopting this approachthroughout its 41-year history, WWF
has a proven track record insustainable development, providing
other organizations, governments andcommunities with working examples
of how to achieve development goals
without cost to biodiversity.

S

Two major threats to sustainable
development are illegal, unsustainable,or unregulated wildlife trade and habitat
loss. Addressing these threats forms thecore of WWF’s Species Programme
activity. WWF is working to stop thecommercial overexploitation of some of
the world’s most threatened animals,
including tigers, rhinos, and marine
turtles, and to ensure the conservation
Speciesof other species subject to illegal orunsustainable harvesting and trade, suchas toothfish, sharks, and big-leaf
mahogany. To achieve these goals,
WWF engages with governments,
industries and communities in both sitebased conservation and international
treaties, in particular CITES (theConvention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora).
New species are being discovered all
the time, yet at the same time species
are disappearing at a faster rate thanever. In June 2002, two monkey
species new to science were found in
Brazil's Amazon rainforest. The
scientists responsible for the discovery
say there are likely to be other species
within the rainforest that are unknown
to science. This find highlights theurgent need to save the Earth’s most
biologically diverse ecosystems. By
continuing efforts to secure a future forsome of the most inspirational andecologically important wildlife,
WWF’s Species Programme is able tomaximize its conservation impact, as
well as gain the support necessary tofinance this work. Our “flagship”
species are thus the giant panda,
African and Asian elephants, Africanand Asian rhinos, tigers, the great apes
such as gorillas and orang-utans,whales, and marine turtles.
To preserve individual species WWF
has adopted a landscape – or ecoregion– approach, ensuring that as well asprotecting core populations of
threatened animals, their habitats arealso protected. One such landscape is
Tesso Nilo, an extensive tract of
tropical forest in Sumatra, which WWF
hopes will soon be declared a National
Park by the Indonesian government. A
focus on the development of healthy,
secure elephant populations, as well as
tigers and rhinos, has driven theimplementation of sustainable
landscape management.

Marine turtles are another good
example of how WWF looks to protect
populations of wildlife while taking an
ecoregional approach to conservation.
Wide-ranging, highly migratory oceangoing animals, turtles are found in alarge number of ecoregions. Marine
turtles are truly in the global commonsand are not native to any one country.
The Canary Current and Mesoamerican
Caribbean Reef ecoregions, forinstance, harbour six of the world’s
seven species, which form an integral
part of the complex pattern of marine
life that make the ecoregions soimportant in a global context. In theWest Madagascar marine ecoregion
WWF is promoting turtle conservation
as an essential part of sustaining
coastal community life. Monitoring of
turtle populations over a long period
has shown rising numbers of nesting
leatherbacks and loggerheads. WWF is
now looking to involve tourists andtourism operators in conservation
activities, develop educational

45

Species

programmes, train sea turtle
specialists, and improve local law
enforcement.
Much of the work of the Species
Programme is designed to reachfruition by 2010. Stepping stones in2003 will consist mainly of new
precedents for the international
fisheries and timber trades through the
CITES listing of at least one fish (e.g.
toothfish and/or basking or whale
shark) and one tree (e.g. big-leaf
mahogany) of economic importance. A
lot of this work hinges on theNovember 2002 CITES meeting inChile, where other priority issues will
be fisheries and CITES, hawksbill
turtles, elephants and ivory trade, andwhales. Elsewhere, law enforcement
actions will be pursued to eliminate
illegal trade in at least five species ofglobal concern, including tigers, snow
leopards, Asian and African elephants,
Asian and African rhinos, Tibetan
antelope, and musk deer. The Species
Programme will also lead thedevelopment of a major global

46

Targets and examples of progress in 2002
Flagship species: By 2010, populations of key species of global concern are stabilized or increased andtheir critical habitats safeguarded.
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■

Agreement with the Chinese government to establish Qinling Panda Reserve
Training programmes to mitigate human-elephant conflict in Africa
Increases in African populations of black rhinos and white rhinos
At the 2002 International Whaling Commission WWF helped ensure pro-whaling nations were unable toresume commercial whaling
Relocation of shipping lanes in Canada’s Bay of Fundy to reduce risk of right whale/ship collisions
WWF’s successful campaign to encourage Pacific island nations to declare their Exclusive Economic
Zones (EEZ) as whale sanctuaries
Finalization of a new strategy for reduction in cetacean by-catch
Development of national legislation to protect marine turtles in Latin America and the Caribbean
Finalization of a new Action Plan for the conservation of tigers.

Wildlife trade: By 2010, at least ten species of global concern are no longer endangered byoverexploitation.
■ WWF was instrumental in the commissioning of CITES Appendix II listing proposals for whale shark andtoothfish submitted by proponent countries for the November 2002 CITES meeting, and the successful
submission of an Appendix II listing proposal for big-leaf mahogany■ Led advances relating to CITES and marine fisheries■ Through CITES, raising awareness of poaching of snow leopards.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Black rhinos, here in Ngorongoro Crater,
Tanzania, increased to over 3,000 across
Africa in 2001.
WWF-Canon / Michel Terrettaz

campaign on marine turtle
conservation. Another goal is to stop
forest loss and conversion in Tesso
Nilo and to secure its future as a
National Park. And work will be
undertaken in both Africa and Asia toreduce conflict between people andelephants.
Nurturing WWF’s reputation as aninternational centre of species
conservation expertise is part of theSpecies Programme’s endeavour. The
programme draws on the knowledge
and experience of WWF offices andecoregion programmes around theworld to provide a solid base for theconservation of species in an
increasingly competitive and complex
world.

Africa and Madagascar
Africa hosts four of WWF’s “flagship”
species groups: black and white rhinos,
African elephants, four of the world’s
six species of great apes, and marine
turtles. Conservation programmes are
Speciesalready in place for rhinos, elephants,
and apes, with turtles in preparation.
The WWF African Rhino Programme
is committed to the protection andmanagement of the continent’s
endangered populations of black rhinos
and white rhinos and to strengthening
national and international measures fortheir conservation. The programme
focuses principally on Kenya,
Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe,
while WWF has also joined aconsortium to implement the SADC
(Southern Africa Development
Community) Rhino Conservation
Programme.
During 2002, WWF continued its
support to rhino conservancies in
Zimbabwe, despite the ongoing
political instability that has impacted
considerably on the work. Politicallymotivated invasions by squatters into
conservancies led to widespreadsnaring and disruption of conservation
activities. One positive development
during this crisis, however, was the

stance by senior politicians strongly
supportive of wildlife-based land usesin the conservancies, but withresource-sharing to support theinvading families. This firm
recognition of conservancies, aftersome years of conflicting official
attitudes, gives encouragement that theobjective to increase rhino numbers
will not be compromised throughmajor loss of habitat, despite a certain
amount of subsistence cultivation
starting in some sections of theconservancies. The situation remains
unstable.
Significant conservation achievements
included completion of Kenya’s
National Black Rhino Strategy, incollaboration with the Kenya Wildlife
Service, and development of a

National Black Rhino Conservation
Strategy for Namibia, in collaboration
with Namibia’s Ministry ofEnvironment and Tourism and the
SADC Rhino Programme. Overall, thepopulations of the black rhino and thewhite rhino have shown healthy
increases. Intensive conservation
efforts have helped the black rhino toincrease from an estimated 2,704 in1999 to 3,100 in 2001. The number ofwhite rhinos rose from 10,405 in 1999
to some 11,600 in 2001. These areencouraging trends but there is stillmuch work to be done, especially withthe small endangered population ofnorthern white rhinos.
WWF’s African Elephant Programme
was established in 2000 and supports
seven projects (see overleaf). In

47

Species

WWF’s African Elephant Programme
Building on 41 years of experience in elephant conservation, WWF launched a new African ElephantProgramme in 2000. Its objective is straightforward: to guarantee a future for this most spectacular of
mammals.
By June 2002, there were seven projects underway:

addition, WWF has continued to assist
a number of protected areas whichharbour large populations of elephants,
including Comoé and Tai National
Parks in Côte d’Ivoire, Korup and Lac
Lobeke National Parks in Cameroon,
Dzanga-Sangha Reserve in the Central
African Republic, Minkebe Forest andGamba Protected Area Complex in
Gabon, Selous Game Reserve andTarangire National Park in Tanzania,
and Gashaka Gumpti National Park in
Nigeria.
WWF has been working with partnerorganizations to develop the African
Great Apes Programme (see page 51)
which got underway in mid-2002. One
long-standing project that forms partof the new programme is theInternational Gorilla Conservation
Programme (IGCP) which conserves
mountain gorillas in DRC, Rwanda,
and Uganda. WWF support has helped
to increase the population by 11 percent over the last 12 years – asignificant feat given the civil unrestin the region during this time. The

48■ Conservation of forest elephants in the Mont Nlonako-Makombe-Ebo forest block, south-west Cameroon– WWF is working with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to survey elephant populations andestablish new protected areas.
■ Mitigating human-elephant conflict in the Mara ecosystem, Kenya – the Durrell Institute of Conservationand Ecology, with Kenya Wildlife Service, is testing methods for mitigating human-elephant conflict incommunities bordering the Masai Mara.
■ Exchange visits between West, Central and Southern African range states to share experiences in
elephant conservation and management – WWF is working with the Zimbabwe Department of National
Parks & Wild Life to enhance the exchange of ideas, approaches and lessons learned between range
states.
■ Assessing domestic ivory markets in West Africa – TRAFFIC is conducting a study on three domestic
ivory markets in West Africa to assess their impact on elephant conservation.
■ Using modern methods and tools to mitigate human-elephant conflict in selected sites in Africa – IUCN’s
African Elephant Specialist Group is training wildlife managers and local communities in humanelephant conflict mitigation around ten WWF project sites.
■ The conservation of elephants in a new protected area in Mozambique – WWF provides equipment andtraining for elephant anti-poaching operations in the proposed Quirimbas National Park, and trains staff
and local communities in human-elephant conflict mitigation.
■ Supporting the development and implementation of the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) –TRAFFIC is developing an analytical framework for assessing the data and information in ETIS, and istraining Tanzanian wildlife managers in its application.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Young bull African elephant – WWFseeks to ensure a future for the species.
WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

Virungas Environmental Programmearound Virunga National Park in DRC
has run an education programme on
mountain gorillas and has also helped
to resettle families away from thegorillas’ Sarambwe forest home. OtherWWF projects are conserving habitats
for western lowland gorillas (e.g. in the
Dzanga-Sangha, Lobeke, NouabaleNdoki, and Minkebe protected areas)and chimpanzees (e.g. in Tai and
Gashaka-Gumpti). In DRC, WWF has
also helped Milwaukee ZoologicalSociety to conduct surveys of bonobos
and other large mammals, train park
staff in survey techniques, and carryout public awareness activities.
While preparing the new conservation
programme for Africa’s marine turtles,
WWF has continued to support efforts
to slow the decline in turtle numbers.
This has been particularly successful
along the coast of northern KwaZuluNatal and southern Mozambique,where recent counts of egg-laying
turtles revealed 437 loggerheads and
126 leatherbacks; the latter figure wasSpeciesthe highest number yet recorded forleatherbacks in the survey area.
Amongst other highlights, four turtle
breeding sites have been identified
along 200km of coast in Gabon.
Protecting places such as these frompoachers will form a central part of the
new programme, along with research
into turtle nurseries.
Complementing two other turtle
conservation networks along theAtlantic coast of Africa, a new regional
network – “Tortues Marines d’Afriquede l’Ouest” – has been formed byrepresentatives from the six countries
covered by the Western African Marine
ecoregion: Cape Verde, Gambia,
Guineau Bissau, Guinea, Mauritania,
and Senegal.
In the coming year, special emphasis
will be placed on conservation actionsin the Western African Marine andEastern African Marine ecoregions,and in the Western Indian Ocean,
especially Madagascar.

Asia and the PacificMonitoring, anti-poaching
enforcement, provision of alternative
income schemes such as ecotourism,
developing conservation action plans
for flagship species, and investigations
into wildlife trade and consumption
were the main areas of WWF’s work in
the Asia/Pacific region during 2002.
Following efforts by WWF and
TRAFFIC, the government of Laosagreed to work towards CITES
membership. This leaves Bhutan,
Solomon Islands, and Cook Islands as
the region’s only remaining nonCITES countries. In Thailand, 60
CITES and customs officials received
training in preventing illegal wildlife
trade, while Nepal established a CITES
unit within its Department of National
Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
Increased anti-poaching efforts arebearing fruit. In Bhutan, the illegal
taking of musk deer, pheasants, fish,and medicinal plants has gone down by
half. Poaching of Javan rhinos inIndonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park
appears to have ceased altogether –which is good news for the four young
rhino calves found in August 2001.
New initiatives, such as the pilot
community-based monitoring andpatrolling programme in Pingwu,
China, are aimed at enhancing longterm species conservation. Australia isalso involving indigenous communities
in species conservation, for example
through an Aboriginal Rangers
Conference for green turtle
management.
Significant headway was also made forturtle conservation in Indonesia where,by the start of 2002, the taking of turtle
eggs was reduced by 25 per cent, andtrade in the species reduced by morethan half; annually over 20,000 turtles
used to be traded in Bali, the heart ofIndonesia’s turtle trade. Much of thissuccess is due to enforcement of laws
on domestic consumption and sale ofturtle meat and eggs, and support for
turtle conservation from community
and religious leaders and traditional

49

Species

Protecting rhinos – game guards on
patrol in Royal Bardia National Park,
Nepal.
WWF-Canon / Soh Koon Chngvillagers. A further fillip came inJanuary 2002 when the Indonesian
Hindu High Council declared the useof turtles in religious offerings as not
obligatory, and called on Hindus torespect turtle protection laws. This
followed efforts started in 1996 by
WWF with religious leaders, including
a signature campaign in which many
Hindu high priests and traditional
leaders declared their support for turtle
conservation in Bali. Elsewhere, thefirst Turtle Conservation Trust Fundwas established in Thailand withprivate funds.
Whales received a big boost whenseveral island nations in the Pacificdesignated their Exclusive Economic
Zones (EEZ)) as whale sanctuaries.
The Cook Islands were the first to takeaction, followed in May 2002 by
Papua New Guinea, Niue, French
Polynesia, and Samoa. The total areaof EEZ whale sanctuaries in the Pacificis now close to 12 million km2. More
Pacific countries are expected todesignate whale sanctuaries in due

50NGOs to strengthen local enforcement.
A decree issued by the governor of
Jambi province, for instance, requires
district authorities to control thehunting and trading of tigers.
Conservation efforts received a further
boost in March 2002 when Thailand’s
Ministry of Health refused permission
for 30 companies to sell 78 different
traditional medicines containing tiger
bone and other endangered species.
This was a significant achievement for
WWF Thailand’s “Wildlife Trade
Awareness” campaign.

second phase. The translocation ofrhinos continued in Nepal with a totalof 25 rhinos now moved from Chitwan
National Park to Bardia National Parkand Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve.
The translocations, started in 1986,
have helped in the revival of the onehorned rhino. Asian elephants,
however, have not fared as well overthe past 18 months. Reports werereceived of elephants killed in
Cambodia for their tusks and otherparts, and in Assam, India, where in amatter of 70 days, 31 elephants were
found poisoned to death. The latter
incident is a critical example of theneed to solve human-wildlife conflicts– increasingly rife across Asia as
people fight with animals for living
space. An “e-petition”, run throughWWF’s on-line Panda Passport, helped
initiate a meeting between WWF andAssam’s Chief Minister at which
actions were agreed to find those
responsible for the poisoning.

In 2002, the Asian Rhino and ElephantAction Strategy (AREAS) entered its

One of the greatest threats to the longterm conservation of species is humancourse. Indonesia has also signalled its
intention to follow suit.
Species Action Plans have beendeveloped by WWF for tigers, Asianelephants, Asian rhinos, and giant
pandas, and WWF-Indonesia and
WWF-Malaysia are developing one fororang-utans. The plans look at theunderlying causes of species loss andoffer solutions to overcome them. A
new project in the Qinling Mountains,
a critical area for panda conservation,is looking at ways of establishing andmanaging “corridors” linking forested
areas which have become fragmented
as forests have been cleared. The
project hopes to identify and secure
new panda reserves between which
pandas can roam freely, allowing
genetic exchange between different
groups of animals.
Although killing tigers is illegal underIndonesian law, the number of
Sumatran tigers, estimated in 1999 at
fewer than 500, continues to dwindle.
WWF has been working with local

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

WWF’s African Great Apes Programme
Africa is home to four of the six species of great apes: easterngorilla, western gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo. All four are listed
by IUCN as Endangered. Two subspecies of gorilla are listed as
Critically Endangered: the mountain gorilla (about 650 individuals
surviving in two populations) and the cross river gorilla (probably
less than 250 in eight fragmented populations).

The subject of renewed conservation
efforts – a mountain gorilla in Virunga
National Park, Democratic Republicof Congo.
WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

poverty. Increasingly, conservation
planning therefore identifies alternative
income sources, such as ecotourism
development. A community-based
ecotourism scheme in China’s
Wanglang Reserve won acceptancefrom the local community as a key
source of income, proving that panda
conservation and social and economic
development can go hand in hand. A
similiar initiative is underway inIndonesia's Ujung Kulon National
Park, and in Bhutan WWF has drafted
a national ecotourism strategy. WWF
has also contributed to tourism plansfor Bardia, Chitwan and Kanchenjunga
National Parks in Nepal.
Not all ecotourists are lucky enough toencounter wildlife close up. Imagine
the excitement, therefore, whenparticipants in a WWF-Hong Kong
dolphin tour witnessed the birth of a
Chinese white dolphin. Only about 150of these dolphins are found in Hong
Kong waters, where they face threats
from pollution, reduced foodabundance resulting from overfishing,Species

Africa’s great apes face a number of threats:
and frequent marine developments.
Another critically endangered dolphin,
the North Island Hector’s dolphin of
New Zealand, has suffered a setback
after making some gains. A ban on setnetting imposed by the New Zealandgovernment in the dolphin’s known
range would have significantly reduced
the accidental capture of dolphins.
However, the decision was overturned
by a judicial review instigated by thefishing industry. WWF is pressing thegovernment for adequate measures toprotect the world’s smallest and rarest
marine dolphin.

Europe and the Middle East
WWF’s work on illegal wildlife tradein Europe is led by TRAFFIC Europe,
the joint WWF-IUCN programme
which specializes in combating illegal
wildlife trade.
One of the best-known products that
TRAFFIC focuses on comes from alarge prehistoric fish: the sturgeon.
Sturgeons can grow to 6m in length,■ Illegal hunting and trade – the precise levels of hunting are
unknown but between 3,000-6,000 apes may be killed each year
in Africa to provide meat.
■ Habitat degradation and fragmentation – logging in West andCentral Africa continues to reduce ape habitat. In addition, thepresence of loggers and logging roads increases poaching.
■ Disease transmission – apes are susceptible to many of thesame viruses and parasites as humans and have suffered as aresult. For example, in Gombe National Park in Tanzania humandiseases such as scabies, pneumonia and gut parasites caused
an almost 40 per cent decline in a chimpanzee population.
■ Human-ape conflict – with increasing human expansion, people
and apes are coming into conflict more regularly. Many apes raidcrops and are sometimes killed as a result.
To address these threats, WWF has launched a new African Great
Apes Programme. Its goal is to improve the conservation status ofat least two populations each of eastern gorilla, western gorilla,
chimpanzee, and bonobo. Activities include protection andmanagement, capacity building in range states, gaining community
support for ape conservation, policy and legislation, trade, andeducation and awareness. In addition, WWF will continue to provide
support to ongoing ape conservation projects (see under Africa andMadagascar).

51

Species

weigh up to 1,200kg and live for 150
years. The largest populations of the
fish live in Russia and someneighbouring countries. The product,
highly prized all over the world, iscaviar. Dubbed “black pearls”, caviar
comprises the unfertilized eggs ofsturgeons. The main exporting
countries are Russia and Iran, and themain importers are France, Germany
and Switzerland. Since the opening up
of Russia’s markets, illegal harvestingof caviar has increased dramatically.
Today, TRAFFIC estimates that a
reduction of catches by 80 per centwould be needed to stabilize sturgeon
populations and secure a future for thefish.
To combat illegal trade in caviar,
TRAFFIC has been drawing up alabelling system that extends from theprocessing plant to retail outlets.
TRAFFIC was looking for a move by
CITES to make the labelling system alegal requirement. After lobbying hard
to convince the main players, the draft
resolution put to CITES members

52

contained wording to make the system
operational. WWF is hoping for apositive response. Work on the groundby TRAFFIC Russia includes
provision of information and training
for local authorities and businesses
along the Caspian Sea and the Amur
River, the border between Far Eastern
Russia and China.

and important coastal areas such as
Piltun Bay. In conjunction with otherNGOs, WWF succeeded in curtailingseismic surveys by two oil companies
that were shown to be driving thewhales away from feeding areas. The
proposal is being considered by bothfederal and regional governments.

WWF and TRAFFIC also carry out
work to protect plants. Anotherproposal for the CITES conference
aimed at better protection for tropical
hardwood trees such as big-leaf
mahogany. The proposal includes
development of easy-to-use recognition
systems to enable customs authorities
to differentiate between internationallyprotected tree species.

Also in the Russian Far East, WWF,
together with the Wild LifeFoundation, instigated the first Russian
regulations for ecological corridors in
the region of Khabarovsky Kray. The
regulations restrict land use interritories where it is difficult toestablish protected areas. The
Maiminsky ecological corridor links
two key habitats of the Amur tiger,
enabling the tiger to migrate freely.

In other work, WWF has drafted a
proposal to establish a marine
protected area for a population ofaround 100 grey whales off north-east
Sakhalin in the Sea of Okhotsk in the
Russian Far East. The reserve willprotect the whales’ feeding grounds

In the Ligurian Whale Sanctuary in the
Mediterranean Sea, WWF undertook
electronic tagging of whales using
satellite and radio-transmitters. The
area is an important feeding ground for
18 species of whale. Despite thesanctuary, however, the cetaceans are

threatened by increasing maritime
traffic and pollution. The new researchis part of the “Cap Ligures” scientificprogramme launched in 1999. One ofits primary objectives is to better
understand the behaviour ofMediterranean whales. Informationfrom the study will help to shapeproposals for managing the sanctuary.

Latin America and the
Caribbean
Habitat loss remains the greatest threat
to the survival of plant and animal
species in Latin America and the
Caribbean. As well as its work toensure the survival of forest,
freshwater and marine habitats, WWF
is concentrating on two species ofregional importance – marine turtles
and mahogany. At the same time,
initiatives are also underway to protect
other threatened species such as themonarch butterfly and the vaquita
porpoise.
Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Mahogany ‘Swietenia macrophylla’in the rainforest of Manu
National Park, Peru.
WWF-Canon / André Bärtschi

macrophylla) represents one of themost important economic resources
originating in the forests of Latin
America. With the goal of ensuring thelong-term stability of mahogany, WWF
has joined with Conservation
International, IUCN and TRAFFIC toset an agenda for mahogany
conservation from the standpoint offorest management and international
trade. WWF has played a key role indiscussions with the timber industry inBrazil regarding ways to resolve illegal
logging, much of which targets
mahogany. In Peru, WWF hasadvanced the cause of sustainable
forest management by successfully
implementing the Peruvian forest law
in Madre de Dios and Ucayali. The
law requires management plans basedon 40-year logging rotations and
5,000-50,000ha concessions, many ofwhich hold the last commercially
viable populations of mahogany in theAmericas.
In 2002, plans to expand protectedareas in the Peruvian Amazon –Speciesthrough a Gift to the Earth campaign– will go a long way to ensuring thegenetic viability of maintaining standsof mahogany. On the forest
management side of the issue,
significant achievements are expectedin northern Guatemala andAmazonian Peru that would expand
the coverage of FSC-certified forests
over the natural range of the species.
Such a move will increase the flow ofcertified mahogany into the markets
of North America and Europe. On the
demand side, focus will fall on
legislation concerning procurement
policies that favour certified woodover non-certified wood. Suchlegislation is currently being
considered in New York City, which
consumes large quantities of tropical
hardwoods, particularly mahogany
and Guyanese greenheart, in its city
constructions. With an eye to the
CITES meeting in Chile, WWF
played a key role in helping
Nicaragua submit a proposal for the
inclusion of mahogany on CITES
Appendix II.

53

Species

Some of the world’s largest and mostpristine nesting beaches for marine
turtles are located within the LAC
region, the oceans of which containsix of the seven species. The issues
and circumstances surrounding marine
turtle conservation are diverse, which
is why WWF has drawn up a regional
marine turtle action plan. Part of thisplan involves local users andcommunities in efforts to protect
turtle habitats. WWF is also
addressing threats such as the illegal
harvesting of green turtles in the Gulf
of California and Galápagos, andhawksbill turtles in the Caribbean, formeat, eggs and shells, and theincidental death of turtles caught incommercial fishing nets. In 2002,
WWF and many partners throughout
the Caribbean argued against a
proposal before CITES to reopeninternational trade in hawksbill shells
and their products. If approved, thiswould result in a major setback ofglobal efforts to ensure the survival of
the species. In addition, WWF andother NGOs are working to influence54

turtle conservation strategies under
the newly formed Interamerican
Convention on Sea Turtles.
At a local level, in Peru WWF
undertook an aggressive environmental
education and communications
campaign among the local Pisco
Paracas population and restaurant
owners. Nationally, WWF played a keyrole in setting up a working group formarine turtle conservation and inmoving forward legislation to protect
turtles. In Colombia, WWF is
supporting the development of anational strategy for marine turtle
conservation. The greatest efforts havecome in the Guyanas where WWF has
led the development of a five-year
Comprehensive Marine Turtle
Conservation Program, which includes
protection of the largest concentrationof leatherbacks in the world.
WWF is committed to protecting
monarch butterflies and thebiological phenomenon of theirmigration to overwintering sites in

Mexico. Despite the recent massive
mortality of an estimated 250 million
monarch butterflies as a result ofstorms in the Sierra Chincua and El
Rosario wintering colonies,
significant advances have been made.
The WWF-designed Monarch
Butterfly Conservation Fundcompensated landowners in the
Monarch Butterfly Reserve for thecancellation of logging permits. This
new scheme will provide economic
incentives to gradually transformland use and the economy of the areafrom one based on unsustainable
logging to one of conservation andsustainable forest management,
ensuring the integrity of the butterfly
population in a 54,000ha reserve.
Some US$15 million are still needed
to secure the programme and WWF

is approaching the governments ofCanada, Mexico and the US for
support. Mexico has so farcontributed US$250,000.
Also in Mexico, WWF and a group of
Mexican and international NGOs,
government agencies and academic
institutions launched a campaign tosave the highly endangered vaquita
porpoise. Only 567 individuals arethought to remain in the upper Gulf
of California. Excellent coverage ofthe campaign in national newspapers
and on radio and television news
prompted a call to WWF from the
Mexican Environment Ministeroffering his assistance. By mid-2002,
the campaign had raised more than
9,000 letters sent to President Fox
calling for action.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Monarch – some US$15 million areneeded to secure the conservation
programme for the butterfly.
WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer

North America

reduce turtle by-catch.

A successful proposal by WWF andothers submitted to the IMO to movethe shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy
is expected to reduce collisions
between right whales and ships – thesingle biggest threat to this criticallyendangered species – by as much as 80
per cent.

WWF-Canada and WWF-US joined
forces to develop a bi-national
conservation programme for some of
the most intact prairie ecosystems of
the Northern High Plains. As well as
supporting a number of unique andrecently discovered plant communities,
the region is also important for
declining species such as mountainplover, sage grouse, swift fox, blacktailed prairie dog, and black-footed
ferret. WWF is working with theNorthern Plains Conservation
Network, consisting of more than 20
NGOs, to develop a conservation planfor the region.

In the first study anywhere in theworld of leatherback turtles intemperate waters, satellite-tagging ofmales, which do not show up on
tropical nesting beaches, will help toreveal their patterns of movement andbehaviour. It is hoped that the
information gained will aid efforts to

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
Expenditure on Species Conservation FY 2001
16,00014,00012,000
9,939

10,000

8,000

7,609

7,779

6,000

4,000
2,902
1,513

2,000

0

0

AfricaSpecies

2,280

Asia

EuropeLatin
America

North
America

Conservation Campaigns
Policy55

Climate Change

JENNIFER MORGAN, Director of the Climate Change Programme, provides an overview of WWF’s recent efforts to fight climate change and the challenges that lie ahead.
he impacts of climate change
on biodiversity threaten
much, if not all, of WWF’s
mission. Scientists warn thatthe increase in temperatures, coupledwith more intense weather events, areplacing coral reefs, arctic and montane
areas, and forests at very serious risk.
WWF’s Climate Change Programme isworking across the world to reducethat risk by leveraging commitmentsfrom governments, business andindustry, the financial sector and the
public to bring about deep cuts in theemissions of greenhouse gases thatcause global warming.

T

There are four components which
together form an unprecedented
international programme working inover 30 countries and internationally tosave the planet from climate change:pressing for positive changes tointernational and national policies,
heightening the awareness andimproving the performance of business56

and industry, mobilizing the public totake action, and documenting theimpacts of climate change andmitigating those impacts.
Against the odds, 2001 ended with thesuccessful conclusion of the Kyoto
climate treaty, due in no small part todogged campaigning over four years
by WWF. The outcome was all themore remarkable in that it wasachieved in the face of opposition by
the US administration and the oil, coaland car industries. WWF believes thatthe treaty provided a small first step in
combating climate change. Its entry
into force, even without the UnitedStates, will send a clear signal to theglobal market and policy-makers thatbinding climate action is required. This
will also bring pressure on the US tojoin the rest of the world. The treaty
contains mandatory commitments
requiring most of the industrialized
world to start cutting back on global
warming pollution. It also lays afoundation for the deeper reductions incarbon dioxide emissions over coming
decades needed to prevent the worst
projected impacts from becoming
reality.
WWF’s first task in 2002 was toensure Kyoto was turned into
international law. The “Go for Kyoto”
campaign needed to persuade a “hitlist” of up to 25 industrialized nations
to ratify the treaty. The campaign
combined direct lobbying and themobilization of WWF’s global networkof activists to call on prominent
government leaders to discharge their
responsibilities. This was especiallytrue in Japan, the European Union andRussia. By mid-2002, entry into force
looked likely, with the eyes of theworld focused on the RussianFederation following a promise by
President Putin that Russia would
ratify the treaty.
With Kyoto on course, WWF shifted

its focus away from the United
Nations’ climate negotiations towards
implementing cuts in carbon pollution
by policy-makers, business andindustry, and the financial sector. The
Climate Change Programme is now
working to ensure that industrialized
nations make substantial reductions intheir domestic emissions of CO2, themain global warming gas, by 2010,
and to promote the use of energy
efficiency and clean renewableenergy in the developing world. A
major effort is concentrated on
reducing CO2 emissions fromelectricity generation – the single
largest cause of global warming andthe sector where emission reduction
options are most readily available andcost effective.
WWF offices are working nationally toachieve aggressive policies, while theprogramme is assessing where pressure
can be applied internationally foremissions reductions. Success depends

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Targets and examples of progress in 2002
Emissions reductions in industrialized countries: By 2010, a 10 per
cent reduction below 1990 emissions in industrialized country carbon
dioxide emissions.

on ensuring that effective power sector
policies are introduced, that decisions
by business and industry and by
financial institutions lead to lower
carbon emissions, and that consumers
use their spending power to benefit
power companies pursuing a lowcarbon future. WWF is aiming for aninternational agreement to increase theshare of new renewable energy to 10
per cent by 2010; this would send aclear signal to markets that renewableenergy is a serious source for today
and the future.
WWF’s “Climate Savers” programme
continues to grow. Working withcompanies that agree aggressivecommitments to reduce theiremissions, Climate Savers
demonstrates that climate business isgood business. Six companies have
now joined – IBM, Johnson &Johnson, Nike, Collins Pine, Polaroid,and Lafarge. Our work to garnerbusiness support for the Kyoto climate
treaty was also highly successful, withmore than 180 companies enlisting.
Climate Change

In June 2002, WWF adopted a new
tack with the start of a campaign topromote clean, “green” electricity tobusinesses and public institutions in
the five nations that together accountfor three-quarters of the European
Union’s power production: France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK (seepage 60).
Influencing investment decisions ispivotal to curbing rising carbon
emissions. In response to the Kyoto
treaty’s Clean Development
Mechanism, which offers credits toindustrialized countries that set up
pollution-reduction projects indeveloping countries, WWFestablished a new scheme to ensurethat the market favours sound andeffective projects. In leadingindustrialized countries, WWF isengaging fund managers to ensure thatgovernments are aware of the financial
risks of investing in projects with highcarbon emissions and to steer them
towards low- and zero-carbon
investment options.

■ Finalizing the Kyoto Protocol and setting it well along the pathway
of entry into force■ Lafarge, Nike, and The Collins Companies join the Climate Savers
programme■ Launch of a website with Ben and Jerry’s that gave people in theUS, western Europe and Japan the opportunity to pledge to takeaction to reduce their own carbon footprint and send a politicalmessage to politicians■ Support for renewable energy in the EU (Renewable Energy
Directive) and the US (renewable portfolio standard in the US
Senate energy legislation).
Solutions in developing countries: By 2010, initiatives should beunderway in thirty developing countries to implement solutions leading
to a significant reduction in carbon intensity, in particular from the
combustion of fossil fuels.
■ Sustainable energy trade mission to the EU by the Philippines
Minister of Energy and a delegation of companies, organized byWWF, which helped to raise investment support for renewableenergy projects in the Philippines and raised the international profileof the country as a destination for sustainable energy investors.
National impacts management plans and strategies: By 2010, fifty
countries are implementing adaptation strategies in key
ecoregions/biomes and sectors of their economies on the basis ofnational plans for the reduction of vulnerability to climate change.
■ First field test of adaptation strategies begun in American Samoa
through a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The
project aims to discover what role freshwater river basins, throughnutrient runoff, and protected area status might have on limiting
bleaching of coral reefs■ Research in the north-west Pacific to determine if floodplain
protection and condition can offer salmon protection from warming
Pacific waters.

57

Climate Change

City traffic, such as here in the streets of
Bangkok, Thailand, contributes to the 23
billion tonnes of carbon dioxide entering
the atmosphere every year.
WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

WWF continues to lead the field in
documenting and publicizing theimpacts of climate change on
biodiversity. A new analysis by WWF
revealed that habitat changes resulting
from global warming could lead to acatastrophic loss of species in one-fifthof the world's most vulnerable natureareas, ranging from the equator to thepoles. Another study showed that
global warming is taking a dramatic
toll on the Arctic and the polar bears
that live there. The website linked tothe study (www.panda.org/polarbears)
was recommended by leading media
organizations in the UK and the US.
Publicizing the impacts of global
warming remains a key element ofWWF’s work. However, because theworld is committed to significant
levels of warming over the coming
decades, WWF is developing a newarea of work aimed at reducing thevulnerability of nature and economies
to the inevitable impacts of climatechange. The first step involves the
preparation of an adaptation manual58

for field conservation professionals, tobe combined with a series of pilot
projects.
Our first field test of adaptation
strategies began in American Samoa
through a grant from the US
Environmental Protection Agency. The
project will examine the role that landbased watershed condition (throughnutrient run-off) and protected area
status have on limiting the scope ofcoral bleaching. These studies may
demonstrate that it is possible to offersome protection to coral reefs from thedeleterious effects of coral bleachingby creating marine protected areas
and/or protecting watersheds. And in
the north-west Pacific, WWF isworking with University ofWashington researchers to determine if
floodplain protection/condition canoffer salmon any protection fromwarming Pacific waters. Using El Niño
years as a proxy for long-term changes
in North Pacific temperature regimes,
we are examining the success of
salmon from streams with and without

intact floodplain habitat. The study will
examine data gathered over many
years, focusing primarily on the US
states of Oregon and Washington, andthe Canadian province of British
Columbia.

Asia and the PacificWWF’s work on climate change in
Asia and the Pacific revolves aroundpressing countries to reduce CO2
emissions, for example from theburning of fossil fuels such as coal,and encouraging the development of
national plans to cope with the impactsof climate change.
Low-lying countries will be affectedmost by sea-level rise caused by global
warming. At particular risk are coral
reefs in the South Pacific, Indonesia
and the Philippines which arevulnerable to “bleaching” – so-called
because large areas of coral die andturn white. In Indonesia, WWF isusing such occurrences as an indicatorof the ecological and economic

impacts of climate change. A rapid
response team is on standby waiting to
document mass bleaching of reefs withthe aim of understanding thephenomenon and raising awarenessamong local governments,
communities, and the media of theneed to take preventative action.
Similarly in the South Pacific, WWF isworking to strengthen Pacific Island
countries’ understanding of the impact
of climate change on biodiversity.
There is already wide political andpublic acknowledgement that climatechange is having an impact, so thefocus here is to help governments

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Working with business and industry
Changes in corporate practice are essential to achieve measurable progress in tackling global warming,
moving to renewable energy systems and clean technologies, phasing out toxic chemicals and ensuring
sustainable use of commodities such as timber, fish and agricultural products. Although corporations areoften part of the problem, they should undoubtedly be part of the solution. According to the Institute of Policy
Studies (1995), of the world’s top 100 economic entities, 51 were corporations and only 49 were countries.
WWF believes that corporate engagement is a key to transforming markets, to changing domestic andinternational law and to adopting and promoting a shift of the sector to sustainable development and to bestpractice.
develop appropriate adaptation
measures and ensure that the Pacificvoice is heard in global fora. Of
particular concern in the region is therefusal by some industrializedcountries, such as Australia, to ratify
the Kyoto climate treaty and cut backon CO2 emissions.
WWF is acknowledged by theJapanese government as an opinion
leader on climate change. As such, theorganization was invited to participate
in the drafting of a National Emission
Scenario as a member of thegovernment’s Study Committee. India,
a major emitter of greenhouse gases, isbeing encouraged by WWF to look at
its obligations under the Kyoto treaty.
With this in mind, WWF met withgovernment officials, policy-makers,
economists, and environmentalists in aworkshop in May 2002 to draw up
policy recommendations for limiting
climate change impacts. In Nepal,
WWF signed an agreement with the
Ministry of Population andEnvironment for closer collaboration
Climate Change

WWF’s policy is to enter into business and industry relationships which deliver conservation on the groundand contribute to the attainment of the organization’s mission, while endeavouring to protect and enhance
the WWF brand, independence and integrity. WWF will work with most companies when the company
demonstrates a real commitment to the principles of sustainability. Three of the most important of WWF’s
own guiding principles for engagement are mutual respect, transparency and WWF’s right to criticize; WWFand the corporate partner will not agree on all things all the time. Agreeing to disagree in a transparent
framework has been a key factor in sustaining relationships that are beneficial to both partners.
WWF’s approach to working with business is constructive and solutions-oriented. It is both collaborative in
its methods and challenging in its objectives. And it is always forward-looking; WWF works with companies
to help them change the way they do business.
WWF International’s Business and Industry Unit aims to encourage and facilitate a coordinated andstrategic approach by the global WWF Network to business and industry relations by:■ supporting the development and implementation of global programme-led partnerships■ supporting the development of the network’s capacity to address business and industry issues andencouraging engagement in an informed and coordinated way (e.g. risk assessments), and■ developing innovative, strategic partnerships with a wide
range of influential actors to help achieve WWF’s global
conservation targets.

Under the Conservation Partnership with WWF, Lafarge, a world leader inbuilding materials, has made a major commitment to reducing its carbon
dioxide emissions by 10 per cent below 1990 levels, by 2010.

59

Climate Change

Reef fish – increasingly at risk where
corals die from bleaching caused by
global warming.
WWF / Catherine Holloway

on urban and pollution issues;
polluting vehicles in the Kathmandu
Valley have already been banned.
Much of WWF’s climate change workin the region is taking place in China,
where the focus is on greater use ofrenewable energy. Studies ofrenewable energy options and training
for renewable energy enterprises,
including a study tour by Chinese
industry leaders to Europe, have been
undertaken. A campaign to promote“green” electricity is at the planningstage and will include engaging themedia to make the link between water
shortages and climate change. In
Thailand, WWF is helping to reformthe power sector, promoting policies
and economic incentives thatencourage energy saving and efficiency
and renewable sources of energy
generation.
In addition to assessing impacts ofcoral bleaching on Tubbataha reef in
the Sulu Sulawesi Seas, WWF in thePhilippines is also helping the country

60

to establish itself as a regional leader
in renewable energy technology. This
included a study tour to Europe led by
the Philippine Energy Secretary.

identify those companies willing tochampion actions against climatechange and prompt change within theindustry.

Europe and the Middle East

WWF is currently gathering support
from EU member states for the
Emissions Trading Directive. This
offers the potential for both a viable
alternative to the flawed Kyoto
emissions trading system and a strong
incentive to cut CO2 emissions
domestically in the EU. WWF isworking to get the Directive agreed by
the European Parliament by mid-2003.

In addition to successfully promoting
ratification of the Kyoto climate treaty
by European countries, in particular
the EU which ratified the treaty inJune, WWF’s efforts in Europe havefocused on measures to improve theenvironmental performance of thepower sector. Globally, WWF plans toassess the 10-15 largest powercompanies in Western Europe, Eastern
Europe and Russia, North America,
Australia, and key countries in Asia.
The performance of these companies(e.g. carbon dioxide emissions, nuclear
power, renewable energy generation)
will be used to generate “scorecard”
ratings of power sector companies.
WWF will also be sending open lettersto companies inviting their support for
WWF’s “Clean Power Agenda” orparts of it. This will help WWF to

The Climate Change Programme hasentered into a working relationshipwith leading construction company
ABB. With ABB support, WWF isworking on a draft Directive on cogeneration of power in the EU. WWF
views co-generation, combining
natural gas-fired power stations withsolar and other energy sources, as a
cost-effective means of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. WWF iscollaborating on the proposal with

COGEN Europe, the European Trade
Association for the Promotion of
Cogeneration based in Brussels. WWF
hopes that the first draft of the
Directive will go before the European
Council and Parliament before the endof 2003.
In cooperation with otherenvironmental NGOs, WWF hasestablished the European Green
Electricity Network (EUGENE) withthe objective of defining an ecostandard for “green” electricity. Under
the scheme, electricity generated fromrenewable sources would carry an
ecolabel and will be available toWWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Conserving ecoregions – the forests of New Guinea
During 2002, WWF released a new analysis revealing that habitat changes resulting from global warming could lead to a catastrophic loss of
species in one-fifth of the world's most threatened nature areas, ranging from the equator to the poles. In addition to working to reduce greenhousegases, WWF is developing a new area of work aimed at reducing the vulnerability of nature and economies to the inevitable impacts of global
warming. The first step involves the preparation of a manual advising nature conservation managers on how to adapt management regimes to achanging climate. By looking ahead, the effects of climate change may be reduced and hard-won conservation achievements saved. This isparticularly important for the Global 200 ecoregions, such as the Forests of New Guinea.
New Guinea is the world’s largest and biologically richest tropical island, supporting the largest remaining intact block of tropical rainforest in the
Asia/Pacific region. These forests, and their extensive freshwater systems, are the lifeblood for 6.5 million people, more than four-fifths of whom live avillage-based subsistence lifestyle. The forests host an extraordinarily diverse and unique wildlife, including some 25,000 plant species, most of themunique, almost 800 bird and 147 mammal species, many found nowhere else. Most recognizable are the fabulously colourful birds of paradise, as
well as many other organisms which reach their greatest diversity here, including orchids, tree-dwelling marsupials, pigeons, and reef fish.
New Guinea is divided politically between the nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the east and the Indonesian province of Papua (formerly Irian
Jaya) in the west. Almost all land in PNG is held in customary ownership while state control of land in Papua is now recognizing some communal
ownership of resources. Taken together, this is one of the poorest regions on Earth, with desperate needs for improved health, education and income
options. Under the UK Department for International Development’s (DfID) poverty alleviation programme, and in partnership with local communities
and organizations, WWF is helping to deal with these issues by shaping new economic options that protect the environment, supporting conservation
areas and encouraging a more integrated approach to decision-making on resource management that respects community values.
Of the seven Global 200 ecoregions in New Guinea, WWF is focusing on the great river basins of the Sepik, Mamberano, Kikori, Fly and Digul
Rivers as well as the Birdshead peninsula of Papua. Building on the successes of earlier work across the TransFly savannahs ecoregion linking
PNG, Indonesia and Australia, a process of ecoregional planning across the whole island of New Guinea was begun in 2001. With a range ofpartners, WWF is helping to spearhead a more integrated and expansive approach to conservation and resource management which has alreadyresulted in:
■
■
■
■
■

a new resource centre – the Pacific Ecoregions Centre – for large-scale planning in Madang, PNG
signing of a Tri-National Wetlands Agreement for cooperation between PNG, Indonesia and Australia
commitments to river basin management in PNG
endorsement by the PNG government of ecoregions as the basis of large-scale resource planninga multi-stakeholder process to sustainably manage and capture revenue from the valuable trade in gaharu – large evergreen trees prized fortheir fragrant wood and oil■ high-level exchange visits between PNG and Papua on ecoforestry.

Climate Change

61

Climate Change

companies and consumers wanting toswitch to cleaner, renewable sources.
WWF is promoting environment
friendly electricity to businesses andpublic institutions in five countries –France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the
UK – that together account for threequarters of the European Union’s
power production.

Latin America and the
Caribbean
Awareness continues to grow in Latin
America and the Caribbean regarding
current and potential future impacts ofclimate change, and the Kyoto climate
treaty, particularly the Clean
Development Mechanism. Climatechange is also becoming an integral
part of WWF’s conservation activities
in the region. For example, in Brazil it
is one of the variables taken into
account in the planning of new
protected areas. However, before
WWF can move forward with pilot
projects that address climate change inentire ecoregions (such as the Amazon

62

River and Flooded Forests or Valdivian
Temperate Rainforests ecoregions),
there is a need to build more
understanding of the subject and thecapacity to address it, both within andoutside the organization. As well as
making the necessary investments,
over the next year and beyond WWF
will be studying the possibilities of
forming alliances with other NGOs,
research institutes, and business andindustry, participating in regional
networks, and preparing Clean
Development Mechanism projects.

North America
Over the last year, WWF’s climate
team, in partnership with CanadianNGOs, looked at the barriers
preventing Canada’s ratification of the
Kyoto climate treaty. This included
comparing the US and Canadianenergy-efficiency programmes tochallenge the notion that nonratification by the US would have a
harmful effect on the Canadian
economy, as well as exploring theWWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

A new report supported by WWF named
climate change as the main threat topolar bears as their Arctic home melts.
WWF / Fritz Pölking

likely benefits to Canada of ratifying
the treaty, particularly where forests
and agricultural lands are concerned.
In other work, WWF supported a studyof climate change impacts on polar
bears, seals and ice edge in Hudson
Bay, part of ongoing research intoways of mitigating the effects ofclimate change on the Arctic. The
report, Polar Bears at Risk, reviews
the threats faced by the world’s 22,000
polar bears and highlights climatechange as the main threat to theirsurvival. As Arctic temperatures rise,
longer ice-free periods limit the time

the bears have on the ice to hunt,leading to greater mortality, especiallyamong cubs. A new WWF website –www.panda.org/polarbears – contains
extensive information about polar
bears and their Arctic domain, andincludes satellite-tracking of two
female bears as they roam the ice packin search of prey.
Two new North American companies,
Nike and The Collins Companies,
joined the Climate Savers programme,
increasing its credibility as a means of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions
from business and industry.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
Expenditure on Climate Change FY 2001
1,918

2,000

1,750

1,500
1,195

1,250

1,000

750

500
274
250
34

21

Africa

Asia

226

0

0

Climate Change

EuropeLatin
America

North
America

Conservation Campaigns
Policy63

Toxics

CLIFTON CURTIS, Director of the Toxics Programme, summarizes WWF’s work over the last year to curb the spread and use of dangerous, life-threatening chemicals.
ver the last 50 years,
evidence has been mounting
on the threat posed bysynthetic chemicals to thehealth and well-being of wildlife andpeople. Wherever scientists look, theyfind the impact of toxic chemicals. No
person, species, or region of the Earthcan escape the reach of these insidiouspollutants. Contamination frompersistent synthetic chemicals is apervasive problem that will takeenormous effort, resources, andcreativity to address effectively.

O

WWF's Toxics Programme is meetingthe toxics challenge head on at national
and international levels. Having
successfully challenged governments
to adopt the Stockholm Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs) Convention
in 2001, we are pressing those samedecision-makers to ratify that global
agreement expeditiously, enabling its
early entry-into-force. Excellent
progress has been made in promoting

64

ratification during the past year. WWF
will continue to champion that effort in2003 and work to ensure effective
implementation, including adequate
funding for developing countries andtransitional economies. In addition, theToxics Programme is enhancing ouroutreach to business and industry tosecure their commitment to reduce andeliminate POPs.
Benefiting from WWF's groundbreaking role in bringing attention tohormone-disrupting chemicals, many
scientists have concluded that synthetic
compounds have already harmed many
wildlife populations and humans byinterfering with the development of thebody, including the brain, and by
undermining the ability to learn, tofight off disease, and to reproduce.
WWF scientists in Canada, the US andthe EU have been alerting people tothe threats they pose, helping decisionmakers to appreciate and respond tothese contaminants. In the EU andelsewhere, this evidence will aid inWWF's efforts during 2003 to promote
the enactment of environmentallysound chemicals management
strategies and to engage companies toreduce their use of hormone disrupting
chemicals.
Already, WWF has achieved a historic
success when, at the IMO in October
2001, the world's shipping nations
adopted a new global convention on
chemical anti-fouling paints. The
chemicals – organotins such as
tributyltin (TBT) – are used on ships'
hulls to prevent barnacles and othermarine organisms from attaching andare among the most toxic everdeliberately released into the marine
environment. At the same time, WWFannounced the creation of the "2003
Group", which involves
environmentally responsible shipowners whose fleets are alreadyorganotin-free. With the IMO
resolution urging industry to stopusing, selling and marketing organotins– giving a clear message that thesechemicals are no longer acceptable –the "2003 Group" provides anopportunity for the shipping industry toadhere to the spirit of the newconvention and stop using organotins
before the convention is due to become
legally binding in 2003.
The international community has madesignificant progress in addressing toxic
chemicals issues, but much more needs
to be done to protect life on Earth fromthese dangerous compounds. The
pervasive and global nature of thethreat underscores the urgency ofcontinued and heightened action in
addressing toxic chemicals-related
issues. With projects underway inlocations around the world, from
Bering Sea communities to Colombia's
northern Andes, and from Pakistan's
Indus River Delta to the Florida
Everglades, WWF will continue to be
actively engaged, using science-based

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

The WWF-initiated Africa Stockpiles
Programme is gaining momentum to rid
the continent of 50,000 tonnes ofdangerous, out-of-date pesticides.
Pesticide Action Network-UK

initiatives to inform and drive policy
reforms at all levels of governance.

Africa and Madagascar
An innovative, on-the-groundpartnership to address threats fromobsolete pesticide stockpiles in Africa
is gaining momentum. The WWFinitiated Africa Stockpiles Programme(ASP) brings together the resources
and talents of intergovernmentalorganizations, international aid
agencies, environmental NGOs and thepesticides industry. Designed to clean
up existing stockpiles and prevent their
future recurrence, the project isestimated to cost US$250 million over
15 years, contributing to poverty
alleviation as well as a moresustainable development for national
and local economies. Clean-up
operations in several countries are set
to begin in mid-2003. Financial
support from the GEF and theCanadian government, with
contributions of time and further
resources by WWF, the World Bank,
Toxics

UNEP, the African Union, Pesticide
Action Network and others, areenabling the development of acomprehensive, effective programme.
Nonetheless, to ensure the long-term
success of the project, substantial
funds still need to be raised, leveraging
GEF support with that of government
aid agencies and others.

Asia and the PacificWWF in Pakistan is leading theorganization’s work to eliminate theproduction and use of toxic chemicals
in the Asia/Pacific region, where anumber of advances have been madeover the last 18 months.

Targets and examples of progress in 2002
Elimination: By 2007, eliminate or reduce at least 30 of the mosthazardous industrial chemicals and pesticides, with special
emphasis on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and endocrine
disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
■ Progress toward ratification and entry into force of the Stockholm(POPs) Convention■ The decision by the International Maritime Organization to phaseout organotin anti-fouling paints.
Informed decision-making: By 2007, scientific, educational andregulatory initiatives will be firmly in place, enabling decision-makers

In Indonesia, WWF convinced a large
mining company to be openly
responsible over the impact of minetailings on the vegetation and wildlife
of a mangrove forest. WWF also
persuaded the company not to dump
toxic material into local river systems.
In the Philippines WWF joined withindustry leaders, shipping owners,(governments, industry, consumers) to make informed choices about
toxic chemicals and their alternatives.
■ Introduction in the United States of the “Hormone Disruption

Research Act of 2003”■ Development of a European Union Chemicals Strategy.

65

Toxics

resort owners, national and local
government agencies, and other NGOs
to sign a Memorandum ofUnderstanding committing all parties
to cooperate in mitigating oil spills andtheir effects in Balayan Bay. Amongthe signatories were Shell, Caltex, thePhilippine Coast Guard, Philippine
Ports Authority, and Friends ofBalayan Bay, a resort association. A
GIS-aided oil spill response system forthe area was also successfully piloted.
In other efforts, WWF continued toadvise on management of solid waste
and pollution. In Sagarmatha andKanchenjunga National Parks in
Nepal, for example, where waste
management is a major component of
the tourism plan, clean-up efforts
resulted in the collection and disposalof 1,000kg of rubbish. A competition
organized for high schools in Thimphu,
Bhutan, saw the collection of 11,300kg
of plastic waste and 15,000kg of
biodegradable waste. And in Pakistan,WWF developed a community-basedmunicipal solid waste management66

system for 750 households in a lowincome urban area – a model which
will be replicated in other urban areas.

Europe and the Middle East
The EU is beginning to take on global
responsibility for chemicals
management and legislation by trying
to produce a far-reaching strategy, theprinciples of which can be used aroundthe world, to reduce currently
uncontrolled exposures to toxic
chemicals. In this, WWF is keenly
supporting the Directorate General for
Environment in the European
Commission and working hard in theexpert/technical drafting groups. WWF
is also lending support to Members of
the European Parliament who arebacking the initiative. At the sametime, WWF will highlight theinadequacies of the current law, theresulting dangers posed by chemicals
that have not been tested for theirsafety, and the irresponsible behaviourof the chemical industry in putting
humans and wildlife at risk.

The new legislation, when completed,
will help with phasing out the
production and use of persistentorganic pollutants and other harmful
bioaccumulative substances throughout
Europe, along with chemicals withendocrine-disrupting properties. WWF
has played a key role in lobbying for“global responsibility” with respect to
toxic chemicals, but the battle is far
from won; the US and the Far East(along with certain EU states) are not
yet totally supportive of the newpolicy.
WWF is the only environmental NGO
currently pressing to ensure that new,
low-dose studies on the impact of theendocrine disrupter Bisphenol A on
wildlife are properly considered in the
EU’s review of this chemical. A majorindustrial chemical, Bisphenol A is aproven endocrine disrupter that has
been shown to affect wildlife
development at low levels. The present
review could potentially restrict its use
in the EU, encouraging thedevelopment of safer alternatives. The

WWF work on this process is also
setting a benchmark for how risk
assessment of chemicals can be donein a precautionary way.

Latin America and the
Caribbean
As industrialization and urbanization
have become more widespread in Latin
America and the Caribbean, so theissue of toxics has grown inconsequence. WWF’s work to reduce
the harmful effects of toxics on humanand wildlife populations is also
gathering pace in the region.
In Colombia, WWF has been studying
toxics issues that may affectbiodiversity conservation in the
Northern Andes. The organization is
also looking at threats posed by aerial
fumigation of illicit crops and has
influenced US foreign policy regarding
environmental impact analyses. In
Guyana, as part of the Guayanan
Forests Environmental Conservation
Project, WWF is working with local

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Conserving ecoregions – North-East Atlantic Shelf
WWF’s Toxics Programme is working to reduce the number of toxic
chemicals threatening the world’s ecoregions, for example
combating chemical runoff from land-based activities which entercoastal systems and oceans, affecting coral reefs and fisheries. In
the North-East Atlantic, WWF is collaborating with OSPAR, theConvention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of theNorth-East Atlantic, to phase out highly persistent polybrominatedbiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) – fire-retardant chemicals added to plastics
in a wide range of products – which build up in body tissues.

Common seals hauled out on a sandbeach in the Wadden Sea, Netherlands –a species at risk from toxic pollution in
the North-East Atlantic.
WWF / Jan van de Kam

communities to monitor theenvironmental and health impacts ofmercury used in artisanal goldmining.
Preliminary results show significantly
high levels of mercury in local
inhabitants and fish sampled in bothSuriname and Guyana.
Following the Jessica oil spill thatpolluted some of the waters around the
Galápagos Islands in 2001, WWF hasdeveloped and is promoting adoption
by the Ecuadorian authorities of the“Galápagos Energy Blueprint”. The
blueprint aims at transforming
polluting energy systems currently in
use in the archipelago to clean,sustainable technologies.
Complementing two energy-related
initiatives already being implemented
by the Ecuadorian government, WWF
hopes the blueprint will help prevent
future man-made disasters that could
threaten the biological wealth of the
Galápagos Islands.
While it is clear that toxics affectecoregions, the full extent to which
Toxicsthis is so is unknown. It is important,
therefore, to gain a clearer
understanding of how the world’s mostdangerous chemicals, such as POPsand EDCs, which continue to be used,
are affecting the region’s biodiversity,
including human life. For this reason,
WWF is exploring ways to integrate a
toxics component into future work. An
early step will be a region-wide
assessment, or assessments focused on
individual ecoregions, to identify themost significant threats to biodiversity
posed by POPs and EDCs, and how
they relate to commercial andindustrial processes.

North America
WWF has led the campaign forreform of Canada’s pesticide
legislation. Alliances with farmers, a
successful court case which
entrenched the right of municipalities
to ban the use of pesticides locally,and strong messages aimed at the
public and politicians culminated with
the introduction of amendments to

The North-East Atlantic Shelf ecoregion is a collection of highly
productive marine ecosystems of critical importance for people andwildlife. The seas, including the shallow Wadden Sea, the North
Sea, the Irish Sea, and the deeper waters of the Celtic Sea, are richin marine wildlife – sharks, seals, whales, dolphins, and sea-birds –as well as commercially important fish stocks. There are highly
productive plankton and bottom-dwelling communities, kelp forests,
sea grass beds and even cold water coral reefs. Millions of
migratory waterfowl and waders depend on feeding and breeding
grounds along the sea coasts.
Despite its size, this fragile marine environment is at risk. Oncehighly productive fisheries face collapse, shipping lanes are some of
the most congested in the world, demand for non-renewable marine
resources such as oil, gas and minerals continues to grow, and theadjacent coasts support some of the most concentrated urban andindustrial developments in the world. WWF’s North-East Atlantic
Programme aims to protect and, where necessary, restore
biodiversity and maintain the natural productivity and status of themarine environment. Its special focus is on the land-sea interface
and land-based activities which affect the sea. By working withintergovernmental organizations, such as OSPAR, WWF has
obtained commitments to keep the ocean clean and to “green”
fisheries policy. Recent WWF successes include the protection of
hydraulic vents in the Azores (see page 34) and action to save theharbour porpoise.

67

Toxics

Canada’s Pest Control Products Act.
In the US, WWF continues to press
the government to ratify the
Stockholm Convention on persistentorganic pollutants.
Based on evidence of endocrine
disruption, or the need forprecautionary action in the absence ofsuch evidence, WWF has beenpressing the US Environment
Protection Agency to encourage
stricter controls on endocrinedisrupting pesticides, including
atrazine, lindane, endosulfan, and 24D. WWF is also gearing up its work
on toxics issues with the business
community.

In the Yukon-Kuskokwim region ofwestern Alaska, WWF worked withfive native communities to collect andanalyse sediment samples close to aformer military airfield that has a long
history of toxic spills and dumping ofchemical contaminants. The US Air
Force allocated US$650,000 for the
study which was used to develop theresearch design, train community
technicians to collect biologicalsamples, and analyse the data. AnotherWWF study, on the impact of POPsand EDCs on the health of wildlife in
the territory of Nunavut, blends
traditional knowledge with scientificanalyses and has received strong
community-level support.

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme
Expenditure on Toxics FY 2001
16,00014,00012,000
9,939

10,000

8,000

7,609

7,779

6,000

4,000
2,902
1,513

2,000

0

0

Africa

68

2,280

Asia

EuropeLatin
America

North
America

Conservation Campaigns
PolicyWWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Financial overview

WF relies on thegenerosity of
individuals as its major
source of funding. In
2001, 49 per cent of the organization’s
income came from this source.
Legacies and donations from trusts andfoundations amounted to 18 per cent.

W

A substantial part of WWF’s income isderived from government grants andaid agencies. Often, these funds –which in 2001 amounted to 22 per cent– are provided either as “matched”
funds made available only when WWF
itself raised a specific amount, or as“restricted” funds for use on one
specific project or in a particularcountry.
WWF also works in creative andinnovative ways with business andindustry to raise funds and spread theconservation message. These “mutual

WWF NETWORK INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FY 2001

benefit marketing” relationships
include licensing WWF’s panda logo
to companies in exchange for royalties.
Companies engaging in this practicebenefit through a visible link with theworld’s most recognizableconservation organization, while thenatural world benefits from the funds
raised.
Established in 1971 by HRH Prince
Bernhard of the Netherlands, WWF’s
1001: A Nature Trust comprises 1,000
individuals who have made substantial
financial contributions to WWF over
the years. The interest from the trust,the capital of which is currently morethan CHF18 million, helps meet WWF
International’s basic administration
costs. When vacancies occur in thetrust, new members are invited to join
for a contribution of USD25,000(CHF37,500).

Income US$329 million

Expenditure US$351 million

Individuals
49%

Conservation
54%

Governments andaid agencies
22%
Legacies
12%
Financial income
1.5%Royalties
5%$

Trusts and foundations
6%

Fundraising
14.5%

Administration
7.2%

Awareness
10.2%

Corporations
3%
Other
1.5%

Financial overview$
Education
9.1%

Conservation policy
5%69

WWF around the world

WWF International Senior Programme Staff

The WWF Network

Director General
Claude Martin

Eastern Europe/Central Asia Programme
Hartmut Jungius

Programme Director
Chris Hails

Western Europe
Dr Georg Schwede

INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
Ave du Mont-Blanc, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 364 9111
Fax: +41 22 364 5358
President: Chief Emeka Anyaoku

Forests for Life Programme
Chris Elliott

Latin America/Caribbean Programme
Dr Guillermo Castilleja

Living Waters Programme
Jamie Pittock

International Policy
Gordon Shepherd

Endangered Seas Programme
Simon Cripps

Governments and Aid Agencies
Timothy Geer

Species Programme
Susan Lieberman

Programme Services and Evaluation
Peter Dickinson

Climate Change Programme
Jennifer Morgan

Programme Audits
Sheila O’Connor

Toxic Chemicals Programme
Clifton Curtis
Africa/Madagascar Programme
Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu
Asia/Pacific Programme
Isabelle Louis
Europe/Middle East Programme
Magnus Sylven

70

BRAZILSHIS EQ QL 6/8, Conjunto E - 2° andar
71620-430 Brasilia
Tel: +55 61 364 7400
Fax: +55 61 364 7474
President & Chairperson:
Mr José Roberto Marinho
Chief Executive: Dr Garo Batmanian

AUSTRALIA
GPO Box 528, Sydney NSW 2001
Tel: +61 2 9281 5515
Fax: +61 2 9281 1060
President: Mr Robert Purves
Chief Executive: Dr David Butcher
AUSTRIA
Postfach 1, 1162 Vienna
Tel: +43 1 488 170
Fax: +43 1 488 1729
Chairperson: Dr Helmut Pechlaner
Chief Executive: Dr Günther Lutschinger
BELGIUM
Boulevard Emile Jacqmain 90, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 340 09 99
Fax: +32 2 340 09 33
President & Chairperson: Mr Guido Ravoet
Chief Executive: Mr Xavier Ortegat
BHUTAN
Post Box 210, Chubachu, Thimphu
Tel: +975 2 323 528/316
Fax: +975 2 323 518
Representative: Mr Kinzang Namgay

BOLIVIA
P.O. Box 1633, Santa Cruz
Tel/Fax: +591 3 3115041
Representative: Mr Roger Landivar

CANADA
245 Eglinton Ave East, Suite 410
Toronto, Ontario M4P 3J1
Tel: +1 416 489 8800
CEO Fax: +1 416 489 3418
Fax: +1 416 489 3611
Chairperson: Mr Michael de Pencier
Chief Executive: Mr Monte Hummel
CAUCASUS
M. Aleksidze str. 11, 380093 Tbilisi
Republic of Georgia
Tel: +995 32 33 0154/55
Fax: +995 32 33 0190
Representative: Dr Giorgi Sanadiradze
CENTRAL AFRICA
Immeuble Panda, Bastos B.P. 6776,
Yaounde, Cameroon

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003

Tel: +237 221 70 83
Fax: +237 221 42 40
Representative: Mr Laurent Magloire Somé
CENTRAL AMERICA
Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigacióny Enseñanza, Turrialba
7170 Catie, Costa Rica
Tel: +506 556 1383/ 1737/ 2528
Fax: +506 556 14 21
Country Representative: Ms Sylvia Marin
CHINA
Room 901, The Gateway, No.10 Yabao Road,
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020
Tel: +86 10 856 36538
Fax: +86 10 856 15731
Representative: Mr Jim Harkness
COLOMBIA
Carrera 35 #4A-25 Fernándes Benítez
San Fernando, Cali, Valle
Tel: +57 2 558 2577
Fax: +57 2 558 2588
Representative: Ms Mary Lou Higgins
DANUBE/CARPATHIANMariahilferstrasse 88a/3/9
1070 Vienna , Austria
Tel: +431 52 45 470
Fax: +431 52 45 470 70
Representative:
Mr Jonathon Hornbrook, ad interim
DENMARK
Ryesgade 3 F, 2200 Copenhagen N
Tel: +45 35 36 36 35
Fax: +45 35 24 78 68
Chairperson: Mr Johan Schroeder
Chief Executive: Mr Kim Carstensen
EASTERN AFRICA
PO Box 62440, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 2 577 355
Fax: +254 2 577 389
Subregional Representative:
Dr Samuel Kanyamibwa

WWF around the world

EUROPEAN POLICY
36, Avenue de Tervuren - B121040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 743 88 00
Fax: +32 2 743 88 19
Representative: Mr Tony LongFINLAND
Lintulahdenkatu 10, 00500 Helsinki 50
Tel: +358 9 774 0100
Fax: +358 9 774 02139
President & Chairperson (Board):
Mrs Elisabeth Rehn
Chief Executive: Mr Timo Tanninen
FRANCE
188, Rue de la Roquette
75011 Paris
Tel: +33 1 55 25 84 84
Fax: +33 1 55 25 84 74
President: Mr Daniel Richard
Chief Executive: Mr Cedric du Monceau
GERMANY
Postfach 190 440
60326 Frankfurt/Main
Tel: +49 69 79 14 40
Fax: +49 69 61 72 21
Chairperson:
Mr Carl-Albrecht von Treuenfels
Chief Executive: Dr Peter Prokosch
GREECE
26 Filellinon Street, 105 58 Athens
Tel: +30 10 331 4893
Fax: +30 10 324 7578
President: Mr Thymio Papayannis
Chief Executive: Mr Demetres Karavellas
HONG KONG
GPO Box 12721, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2526 1011
Fax: +852 2845 2734
Chairperson: Mr Markus Shaw
Chief Executive: Ms Winnie Sek

HUNGARY
Németvölgyi út 78/b, 1124 Budapest
Tel: +36 1 214 5554/212 3041
Fax: +36 1 212 9353
Representative: Dr Ferenc Markus
INDIA
172-B Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003
Tel: +91 11 469 17 60
Fax: +91 11 462 6837
President: Mr Jamshyd N Godrej
Chief Executive:
Mr Ranjit C Nag, ad interim
INDOCHINA
International PO Box 151
Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84 4 733 8387
Fax: +84 4 733 8388
Representative: Mr Eric Coull
INDONESIAPO Box 5020 JKTM 12700, Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 576 1070
Fax: +62 21 576 1080
Chairperson: Mr Haroen Al Rasjid
Chief Executive: Mr Agus Purnomo
ITALY
Via Po 25/c, 00198 Rome
Tel: +39 06 844 9 71
Fax: +39 06 853 00 612
President: Mr Fulco Pratesi
Chief Executive: Mr Michele Candotti
JAPAN
Nihonseimei Akabanebashi Bldg.
3-1-14 Shiba, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0014
Tel: +81 3 3769 1711
Fax: +81 3 3769 1717
Chairperson: Mr Teruyuki Ohuchi
Chief Executive: Mr Michio Hino
MACROECONOMICS FORSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
1250 24th St NW

Washington, DC 20037-1175
Tel: +1 202 778 9752
Fax: +1 202 293 9211
Representative: Dr David Reed
MADAGASCAR
B.P. 738, Antananarivo 101
Tel: +261 20 22 34885
Fax: +261 20 22 34888
Representative: Mr Jean-Paul Paddack
MALAYSIA
49 Jalan SS23/15,
47400 Petaling Jaya , Selangor
Tel: +60 3 7803 3772
Fax: +60 3 7803 5157
Chairperson: YM Tengku Datuk Zainal Adlin
Chief Executive: Dato’ Dr Mikaail Kavanagh
MEDITERRANEAN
Via Po 25/c, 00198, Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 844 97227
Fax: +39 06 841 3866
Representative: Mr Paolo Lombardi
MEXICO
Ave. Mexico No. 51, Col. Hipodromo
Condesa
06170 Mexico, D.F.
Tel: +525 286 5631/5634
Fax: +525 286 5637
Representative: Mr Miguel Jorge, ad interim
MONGOLIA
c/o Hydrometeorological & Environmental
Dorjgurhem, Monitoring Agency Tuyachimeg
Khudaldaany Street 5, Ulaanbataar 46
Tel: +976 11 311 659
Fax: +976 11 310 237
Representative: Ms Junain Chimeg
NEPAL
Post Box 7660, Kathmandu
Tel: +977 1 410 942
Fax: +977 1 438458
Representative: Dr Chandra Prasad Gurung

71

NETHERLANDS
Postbus 7, 3700 AA Zeist
Tel: +31 30 6937 333
Fax: +31 30 6912 064
Chairperson: Dr Hans Wijers
Chief Executive: Mr Hans Voortman
NEW ZEALAND
PO Box 6237, Wellington
Tel: +64 4 499 2930
Fax: +64 4 499 2954
Chairperson: Mr Paul Bowe
Chief Executive: Ms Jo Breese
NORWAY
Postboks 6784, St Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo
Tel: +47 22 03 65 00
Fax: +47 22 20 06 66
Chairperson (Board): Dr Jorgen Randers
Chief Executive: Mr Rasmus Hansson
PAKISTAN
PO Box 5180, Lahore 54600
Tel: +92 42 586 2360
Fax: +92 42 586 2358
President: Brig Mukhtar Ahmed
Chief Executive: Mr Ali Hassan Habib
PERU
Casilla Postal 11-0205, Lima 11
Tel: +51 1261 5300/5301
Fax: +51 1463 4459
Country Representative: Mr Edgar Maravi
PHILIPPINESLBI Building, # 57 Kalayaan Avenue
Diliman, 1101 Quezon City
Tel: +632 433 3220-21-22
Fax: +632 426 3927
Chairperson: Mr Jaime Zobel de Ayala
Chief Executive: Mr Jose Ma Lorenzo Tan
POLANDul. Kaliska 1 m. 9, 02-316 Warsaw
Tel: +48 22 659 5540/659 2270
Fax: +48 22 824 0053
Representative: Mr Ireneusz Chojnacki

72

RUSSIA
From Europe:
WWF Russian Programme Office
Account No: WWF 232
P.O. Box 289, Weybridge
Surrey KT 13 8WJ, UK
From the US:
WWF Russian Programme Office
Account No. WWF 232
208 East 51st Street, Suite 295
New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: +7 095 727 0939
Fax: +7 095 727 0938
Representative: Dr Igor Chestin
SOUTH AFRICA
Private Bag X2, Die Boord
Stellenbosch 7613
Tel: +27 21 888 2800
Fax: +27 21 888 2888
Chairperson: Mr Ton Vosloo
Chief Executive: Mr Tony Frost

Fax: +46 8 85 13 29
Chairperson (Board): Dr Lennart Ahlgren
Chief Executive: Prof Lars Kristoferson
SWITZERLAND
Postfach, 8010 Zürich
Tel: +41 1 297 21 21
Fax: +41 1 297 21 00
President: Dr Hans Hüssy
Chief Executive: Dr Christoph Imboden
TANZANIAPO Box 63117, Dar es Salaam
Tel: +255 22 27 00077
Fax: +255 22 27 75535
Representative: Dr Hermann Mwageni
THAILAND
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang 12120
Tel: +66 2 524 6129
Fax: +66 2 524 6134
Representative: Dr Robert Mather

SOUTHERN AFRICA
P.O. Box CY 1409, Causeway
Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel/Fax: +263 4 703902
Subregional Representative:
Dr Harrison O Kojwang

TURKEYP.K.971, Sirkeci 34436, Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 528 20 30
Fax: +90 212 528 20 40
President: Mr Okan Tapan
Chief Executive: Mr Tansu Gurpinar

SOUTH PACIFIC
PMB, GPO Suva, Fiji
Tel: +679 331 5533
Fax: +679 331 5410
Representative: Mr Dermot O'Gorman

UNITED KINGDOM
Panda House, Weyside Park
Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR
Tel: +44 1483 426 444
Fax: +44 1483 426 409
Chairperson:
The Honourable Mrs Sara Morrison
Chief Executive: Mr Robert Napier

SPAIN
Gran Vía de San Francisco 828005 Madrid
Tel: +34 91 354 05 78
Fax: +34 91 365 63 36
President: Prof Dr Francisco Díaz Pineda
Chief Executive: Mr Juan Carlos del Olmo
SWEDEN
Ulriksdals Slott, 170 81 Solna
Tel: +46 8 624 74 00

UNITED STATES
1250 24th St. NW.
Washington, D.C. 20037-1193
Tel: +1 202 293 4800
Fax: +1 202 293 9211
Chairperson (Board):
The Honorable William Reilly
Chief Executive: Ms Kathryn S Fuller

WESTERN AFRICA
08 B.P. 1776, Abidjann 08, Côte d'Ivoire
Tel: +225 22 44 87 86
Fax: +225 22 44 87 74
Subregional Representative:
Mr Souleymane Zeba

WWF Associates
ARGENTINA
FUNDACION VIDA SILVESTRE
ARGENTINA
Defensa 251, 6° Piso, Dto.K
C1065 Buenos Aires
Tel: +54 11 4343 4086 / 4331 3631
Fax: +54 11 4331 3631 Ext. 24
President: Dr Héctor Laurence
Chief Executive: Mr Javier Corcuera
ECUADORFUNDACION NATURA
Casilla 17-01-253, Quito
Tel: +593 2 2503 385
Fax: +593 2 2503 385
President: Ms Andrea Mantilla
Chief Executive: Mr Xavier Bustamante
NIGERIA
NIGERIAN CONSERVATIONFOUNDATIONPO Box 74638, Victoria Island, Lagos
Tel: +234 1 2642 498
Fax: +234 1 2642 497
President: Chief Isoma P C Asiodu
Chief Executive: Dr Muhtari Aminu-Kano
VENEZUELAFUDENA
Apartado Postal 70376, Caracas 1071-A
Tel: +58 212 238 2930/1761/1793
Fax: +58 212 239 6547
President: Mr Enrique Sanchez
Chief Executive: Mrs Deborah Bigio

WWF’s Global Conservation Programme 2002/2003