Although freshwaters cover less than one percent of the earth's surface, they are among the most species-rich habitats on our planet. But rivers and lakes are affected by a rapid decline in biological diversity. The reasons for this are water and land use concepts in which the protection of freshwater biodiversity is not sufficiently taken into account.
The Alliance for Freshwater Life (AFL) was officially launched during the World Water Week in Stockholm in August 2018. The AFL is an international network of currently 23 partners supported by five pillars: Research; data and synthesis; public relations and education; nature conservation; politics. The AFL was initiated by researchers of the IGB, among others. The AFL is a commitment for all participants from research, nature conservation and politics to bundle their expertise and put the topic on the political and societal agenda.
