Wetlands International – Indonesia Programme
History of Wetlands International
We have been working on wetland protection since 1954. Only after a fusion of three regional organisations in 1995, our name became Wetlands International.
We started working in 1954. In those days, we were called the the International Wildfowl Inquiry and we were focused on the protection of waterbirds. Later, our name became International Waterfowl & Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB). Our scope became wider; besides waterbirds, we were also working on the protection of wetland areas.
Later, similarly working organisations emerged in the Americas and Asia: Wetlands for the Americas (WA) and the Asian Wetland Bureau (AWB). In 1992 the three organisations started to work closely together. In 1995 the working reletion developed into the global organisation Wetlands International.
Organisation Profile
WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL is a global organisation concerned with the promotion of the conservation and wise use of wetlands, has a non-profit/charitable status, and overseen by a global Board comprising representative of member countries, International organisations and wetlands experts.
Wetlands International was created in October 1995 when a new global force for wetland conservation was created, following the decission of three existing International “Wetlands” organisation to integrate. The founders are Asian Wetland Bureau (working in Asia – pacific region), International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau (Europe and Midle East region), and Wetlands for the Americas (American region). This integration draws together, and will build upon, the strenths and achievements of the three founding organisations, which date back more than 40 years. In Indonesia, Wetlands International operates since early 1980s under the Cooperative arrangement with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. During our last 20 years cooperation programme numbers of activities have been carried out, including site potential surveys, wetlands rehabilitation, public awareness and policy – institutional strengthening.