Only by teaching careful, effective conservation and propagation programmes will we preserve the world's forests. And only by making the public aware of the problems and the reasoning behind environmental decisions will progress be made. Many WWF initiatives are practical demonstrations of what can be done. They encourage people living in or near wetlands to adopt working methods that bring great environmental benefits, such as avoiding erosion, siltation, and pollution. WWF has also help ed set up wetland management authorities that deal with important social matters such as schooling, health care, and transport - of particular concern in remote areas.
Public awareness plays an enormous part in wetland conservation.
The more we know about a subject, the better we understand it and the more familiar we become with the issues and arguments. In the wetland regions themselves, public awareness leads to people influencing decisions on how their neighbourhoods are managed. In tourist areas, for example, or where licensed hunting is allowed, rewards can be substantial - even more so when they are ploughed back into community projects.