Freshwater

Inland waters – such as rivers, lakes and other wetlands – are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are also the most threatened; almost one in three species is at risk of extinction and monitored populations of freshwater species have declined by 85% since 1970. The loss of these ecosystems has cascading effects on human livelihoods, cultures and our overall well-being.

This monograph first describes the popular types of accounting usually followed in case of freshwater resources. Second, it reviews some fo the successful examples of accounting done in select countries from all over the world and focuses on lessons learnt from doing such an exercise in a developing country like India. Third, the change in the quality of water over the period 1993-2003 has been computed for surface water and groundwater.

This report presents the results of a broad assessment of freshwater diversity in the Douro river basin in Spain and Portugal. The Douro river basin is the largest of the Iberian Peninsula, and an ecological region of great value due to the high diversity of ecosystems and the number of species. A total of 14 sites, either identified as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) or potential KBA sites, were surveyed for fish and macroinvertebrate species.

This report presents the results of a broad assessment of the freshwater diversity in four Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and some key additional sites in the Sebou river basin in Morocco.

L’Afrique occidentale est riche en biodiversité d’eau douce et en endémicité régionale, soutenant l’ensemble des populations mondiales de nombreuses espèces d’eau douce menacées, notamment les poissons, les mollusques, les libellules, les crabes, les crevettes et les plantes aquatiques. Ce rapport s’appuie sur une évaluation de référence régionale réalisée en 2009 ainsi que sur une évaluation des Zones clés pour la biodiversité (KBAs) d’eau douce en 2015.

Western Africa is rich in freshwater biodiversity and regional endemicity, supporting the entire global populations of many threatened freshwater species including fishes, molluscs, dragonflies, crabs, shrimps and aquatic plants. This report builds on a regional baseline assessment completed in 2009 as well as an assessment of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas in 2015.

Ecosystems are critically important components of Earth’s biological diversity and as the natural capital that sustains human life and well-being. Yet all of the world’s ecosystems show hallmarks of human influence, and many are under acute risks of collapse, with consequences for habitats of species, genetic diversity, ecosystem services, sustainable development and human well-being.

Fresh water : the essence of life is a beautifully and sometimes starkly depicted look at the current state of our Earth's freshwater ecosystems. This latest publication in the CEMEX Conservation Book Series will alert readers to key issues concerning fresh water: its resources, its uses (and abuses), and its future.