Conservation News

Axolotls — the cute and charismatic creatures made famous by the video game “Minecraft” — are in a free fall. But a new study is offering a glimmer of hope.

May 1, 2025

A new study is ringing alarm bells for freshwater species, finding nearly a quarter are at risk of extinction.

January 14, 2025

‘It’s easy to take water for granted’: How one self-professed pessimist keeps fighting for the future of freshwater ecosystems.

October 7, 2024

A Mexico City lake and its canals are the only place on Earth where the axolotl lives. But over the years, it has been drained, polluted and crowded with predatory invasive species — severely endangering the salamander. A new effort aims to change that.

December 6, 2023

This week, the United Nations holds its first global freshwater conference in nearly 50 years. In the years since, the global population has doubled — yet the challenges facing the health of, and access to, freshwater resources have been largely overshadowed by the climate and biodiversity crises.

March 22, 2023

From roaring rivers to seasonal springs, freshwater is essential to life on Earth. Yet these ecosystems — and the species within them — tend to be overlooked, receiving only a fraction of the attention and funding dedicated to nature conservation.

January 17, 2023

In case you missed it: As climate change drives sea level rise, and more extreme droughts and floods, understanding the world’s water patterns is increasingly important. Luckily, scientists are coming up with new ways to adapt. The latest: satellites.

January 3, 2023

In case you missed it: Around the world, rivers have been treated like repositories of trash and toxic runoff — some so heavily polluted that they caught on fire. Now, cities from Australia to Europe to North America are turning to nature to restore their waterways.

December 12, 2022

Three countries — Angola, Botswana and Namibia — share the precious freshwater resources of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin, an oasis in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.

November 17, 2022

In China, “engineered wetlands” are helping villages decontaminate their water by moving it through traditional infrastructure — such as shallow septic tanks — and into natural ecosystems such as marshes, plants and soil that absorb pollutants.

August 24, 2022

In case you missed it: Millions of salmon commute up Alaska’s Yukon River every fall in search of safe places to spawn. But as waters begin to warm, their populations have slumped to all-time lows.

August 22, 2022

Growing up in Kenya on the edge of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, Leonard Akwany always felt most at home in nature. Long days fishing and birding with friends forged a special connection to the lake, eventually leading to a career focused on protecting it.

February 10, 2022

Conservation News spoke to a Conservation International freshwater scientist about the key differences between the climate crisis and the water crisis — and why we must tap into different solutions for each.

January 29, 2021

Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts.

November 12, 2020

Conservation News spoke with Conservation International’s Colleen Sorto about how when it comes to water and human health, where your water comes from can be just as important as how you use it.

June 17, 2020

Here’s a roundup of recent science published by Conservation International experts.

April 16, 2020

In the Caribbean Islands, nations are turning to nature to mount an effective defense against extreme weather impacts.

October 13, 2017

This concept could literally revolutionize the way nature is protected.

July 13, 2016

The health of the world’s mountains is not set in stone.

March 15, 2016