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About Us

Wetlands International is the only global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. We are deeply concerned about the loss and deterioration of wetlands such as lakes, marshes and rivers. Our vision is a world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide.

Wetlands International  Malaysia is dedicated to maintaining and restoring wetlands— for their environmental values as well as for the services they provide to people. We work through our network of offices, our partners and experts to achieve our goals. Most of our work is financed on a project basis by corporations under their CSR programme, research institutions, government agencies and through foreign grants.

A network organisation—working locally and globally

Our head office is based in the Netherlands and we draw support from a network of offices around the world. We work at field level to develop and mobilise knowledge, and use this practical experience to advocate for better policies.

Our Core Values

We maintain the following core values:

  • Our work is globally relevant
  • Our work is based on sound science
  • We work through partnerships and with a wide range of sectors
  • We respect traditional values and knowledge
  • We respect human rights and aim to contribute to gender equality
  • We work in a transparent and accountable way

Our vision

A world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide.

Our mission

Our mission is to inspire and mobilise society to safeguard and restore wetlands for people and nature.

Applying our mission to our daily work:

  • We carry out activities to conserve and restore wetlands and wetland species, like the highly endangered peat swamp fishes of Ayer Hitam, Johor. We conduct regular site monitoring programmes, raise awareness among the people living around these wetlands about their values and enable stakeholders and governments to conserve and manage the wetlands.
  • We help communities conserve and restore wetlands for the services they provide, such as drinking water, fish, reeds for building materials, etc. We also advise local governments and organisations on the sustainable and wise use of wetlands.
  • We collect data and information to make information clear and understandable and to  quantify the role of wetlands in water management. For example, wetlands can play a role in water purification and in mitigating floods and droughts. We advise governments on how to integrate wetland management into water resource management programmes at the catchment (or basin) scale.