WCC 2020 Res 008 - Activity Report

FCC members have also lead in the initial development of an inter-commissional Task Force on dams (as a product of Res 134) that will address several aspects of operative statement 3, including:
- work with civil society, communities, indigenous groups, the private sector and others to identify, restore and protect free-flowing rivers or stretches, and their associated ecosystems...;
- balance development by enacting durable legal protections and enhanced governance for rivers
- support protection and restoration of rivers and their associated ecosystems;

With reference to operative statement 1 (promote the inclusion of river protection and connectivity within the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the monitoring of Sustainable Development Goal Target 6.6); members of the SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee have continued to work with IUCN members (eg, TNC, WWF, WI) to ensure rivers are properly included with GBF targets 2 and 3. This included contributing to a WCPA report on Designing and Managing Protected and Conserved Areas to support Inland Water Ecosystems and Biodiversity. These actions also address operative statements 2d (encourage countries to support protection and restoration of rivers and their associated ecosystems) and 3f (support protection and restoration of rivers and their associated ecosystems)

With reference to operative statement 2b (support learning exchanges, innovation and adoption of durable protection and governance models for rivers and associated ecosystems (WCPA, Water Programme)); members of the SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee continue to sit on the Global River Protection Coalition (website link below), which is focused on learning exchanges and development of initiatives, and publication of results of work on durable river protections; and Resolution 008 provides guidance for these actions.

With reference to operative statements 3c and 3 f (‘restore rivers or stretches, and their associated ecosystems, in which sufficient connectivity and flows could feasibly be restored; and support protection and restoration of rivers and their associated ecosystems’); Freshwater Conservation Committee is represented in the working groups of the Freshwater Challenge, which aims to restore 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030 (see link below). FCC Co-chair Ian Harrison has been the co-chair of the Technical Assistance working group of the Freshwater Challenge, which aims to give guidance to countries on planning, implementing, and reporting on freshwater restoration projects.