UN Water Conference

March 22-24, 2023 New York

The tri-national Ducks Unlimited Conservation Family of Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ducks Unlimited Inc. and Ducks Unlimited Mexico will attend the conference to advocate for the impact wetlands play on water quality and quantity.
Reach us at sustainability@ducks.org for more information about nature-based solutions and water conservation.

Where to find Ducks Unlimited at the UN Water Conference

Scaling Natural Infrastructure Solutions- 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nature Hub
Keynote: Adam Putnam, DU CEO and Francis Bouchard, Global Director, Marsh McLennan
Featured Case Study: DU Canada Nature Force, Mark Gloutney, Ducks Unlimited Canada National Director of Science, Education and Business Planning

Urban and Commodity Supply Chain Resilience on the Mississippi - 2 p.m. Wednesday, CDP North American Office
Panelist: Karen Waldrop, DU Chief Conservation Officer

Indigenous-led Water Conservation in Canada - 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, UN HQ Room 6
Featured Case Study: Boreal Program, Kevin Smith, Ducks Unlimited Canada National Manager of Boreal Programs

Sustainable Agriculture Water Use - 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nature Hub
Panelist: Adam Putnam, DU CEO

Ducks Unlimited Water Commitment

The three organizations have made a Water Action Agenda commitment to conserve, enhance and influence over 51 million acres of wetlands and uplands during the next five years. Read the commitment

 

 

Roughly half of the world's wetlands have been lost to human development.

Wetland habitats have a profound ability to protect communities against the impacts of climate change by reducing flooding, protecting shorelines, refilling groundwater and improving water quality.

Ducks Unlimited is the global leader in wetlands conservation, having protected or restored more than 15.5 million acres across all of North America since 1937. Municipalities, corporations, foundations, agribusiness and private landowners are turning to Ducks Unlimited for natural infrastructure solutions to lessen climate impacts.

Inland flooding

Excess water can be stored in floodplain wetlands until river levels fall and then are slowly released back into the river system. Communities are partnering with Ducks Unlimited to protect their residents and economies.
See how:

Water quality

As demands on our land and water resources increase, so does the number of pollutants transported through waterways. Unchecked sediments carried by water flowing down rivers harbor pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, harmful pathogens and toxic metals. As nature's kidneys, wetlands remove these pollutants from drinking water
See how:

Water Efficiency/Drought

In some parts of the country, wetlands play a vital role in recharging aquifers that are important for irrigation and drinking water. DU staff also work with rice producers to improve water use efficiency through precision-leveling of fields for more efficient water utilization, more efficient water control structures and on-farm water storage reservoirs.
See how:

Coastal resiliency

By the end of the 21st Century, communities in the northeast United States will face up to a 100-fold increase in threats from hurricanes causing high tides and damaging rainfall. And along the Gulf Coast, people have dramatically altered the hydrology of Louisiana's coastal marshes, increasing the vulnerability of both coastal communities and waterfowl habitats to the effects of intense storms. Restoring wetlands protects coastal communities and wildlife habitat.
See how:

Regenerative agriculture

Goal is not only to sustain what we have, but to improve soil, air, and water resources and a farmer's bottom line. Examples include cover cropping, precision nutrient management, and irrigation efficiency

Learn more about Ducks Unlimited's sustainability projects