A Wetland Podcast

Policy, Practice, People interview

Wetland City Accreditation with María Angélica Mejía

https://www.linkedin.com/in/biodivercities/

Wetland Cities Accreditation homepage https://www.ramsar.org/our-work/activities/wetland-city-accreditation

Wetland Cities Network https://wetlandcity.org

Thank you María!

Apolinar's Wren field recordings by:

Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela and Felipe Velasco on Xeno-Canto.org.

https://xeno-canto.org/1152018

https://xeno-canto.org/571626

Many thanks to you both.

Water Margin

Waders: Prairie Water Stories by Dominique Ferraton. Financial support from SK Arts. Listen to the series as it comes out on https://www.dominiqueferraton.ca/waders.html

New items

CBD

https://sdg.iisd.org/events/2026-un-biodiversity-conference-cbd-cop-17/ https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2026/parallel-meetings/gbf-pavilion-water-and-biodiversity

UNEP, FAO, SCBD Restoration Report

https://www.unep.org/en/news-and-stories/story/un-report-shows-nature-being-restored-unprecedented-scale

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Coral reef threat

https://iucn.org/press-release/202610/virtually-all-coral-reef-ecosystems-face-high-risk-collapse-50-years-iucn-red

Nairobi Flyways Declaration

https://www.birdlife.org/the-nairobi-flyways-declaration/

IKI grants open

Medium grants https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/find-funding/medium-grants/medium-grants-2026/

Large grants https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/find-funding/large-grants/large-grants-2026/

Benson Mogaka RIP

https://lnkd.in/p/ek8iWqvg

Signposts. Longer and feature items, not in the podcast.

WaterLANDS mountain wetland restoration https://ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/bencroy-mountain-wetland-restoration_en

EU Water Framework Directive being bypassed for 'strategic projects' https://mailchi.mp/7e5f9e8e2261/eeb-speaks-to-eu-agriculture-ministers-5757663?e=8352acb7c9

The Caspian Sea has been shrinking for decades. Now, a new island has emerged https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/07/the-caspian-sea-has-been-shrinking-for-decades-now-a-new-island-has-emerged

UK & Ireland, State of Our Rivers report https://theriverstrust.org/state-of-our-rivers

Observing Coastal Life: Notes from a Field Researcher's Diary https://mssrf.org/stories-of-change/observing-coastal-life-notes-field-researchers-diary

Bright spots in peatland conservation, rewetting, and restoration https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-026-02433-8

On the International Day of the Girl Child, a South African social scientist looks back on her journey as a champion of water and inclusion https://www.iwmi.org/news/dear-younger-me/

A Wetland Podcast is produced as a personal project by Connor Walsh, not reflecting any employers. Find out more on https://www.patreon.com/c/Awetlandpodcast or email [email protected].

A Wetland Podcast for September 2026.

Links to general update stories

Convention on Wetlands Scientific and Technical Review Panel: https://www.ramsar.org/meeting/29th-meeting-scientific-technical-review-panel

Women Change Makers: https://www.ramsar.org/news/call-nominations-women-changemakers-world-wetlands

UN Water Conference: https://www.unwaterconferenceuae.com/en

Wetlands @ Risk https://europe.wetlands.org/wetlands-risk-home/

Eswatini AEWA MOP: https://www.unep-aewa.org/news/eswatini-host-aewa-mop10-2028

Sabangau peat fires: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyqw44w142o

https://borneonaturefoundation.org/firefighting-and-prevention/the-connected-nature-of-wildfires/

European Peatland Initiative: https://europeanpeatlandsinitiative.com/news/

Power to the Peatlands conference : https://sites.google.com/view/power2peatlands2026/networking-dinners

The Water Margin this month again comes from Aporee.org, where Tomáš Šenkyřík shared this South Moravian dawn chorus: https://archive.org/details/aporee_69216_80390

Signposts

Why Are Rivers So Mathematical? https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-are-rivers-so-mathematical-20260810/ (Quanta)

How greed is turning Spain into a desert https://youtu.be/y8tAx-itHUc?si=hh25JCP_grcmaHS5 (DW)

‘Wonderfully Swiss, slightly mad’: This IT guy swims to work while cleaning Zürich’s waterways https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/05/wonderfully-swiss-slightly-mad-this-it-guy-swims-to-work-while-cleaning-zurichs-waterways (Euronews)

As catches dwindle, Congo River fishermen turn to plastic waste https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20260913-as-fish-catches-dwindle-congo-river-fishermen-turn-to-plastic (RFI)

“Zimbabwe should establish environmental courts to save wetlands” https://enviropresszim.com/zimbabwe-should-establish-environmental-courts-to-save-wetlands/ (EnviroPress)

July-August 2026 Research Journal Roundup https://www.iwmi.org/news/july-august-2026-research-journal-roundup/ (IWMI)

My name is Connor Walsh, I produce A Wetland Podcast as a personal project, not representing any employers.

The web presence is all free on Patreon.com/AwetlandPodcast, and you can email [email protected].

UNCCD COP17 Water Day: https://enb.iisd.org/convention-combat-desertification-unccd-cop17-daily-report-25aug2026 and https://www.unccd.int/media/52275/open

Drought Resilience Investment Facility: https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/press-releases/cop17-launches-drif-first-global-finance-instrument-drought-resilience

Drought decision postponed: https://enb.iisd.org/convention-combat-desertification-unccd-cop17-28Aug2026 and https://www.wetlands.org/zero-progess-on-combating-drought-at-cop17/

World Water Week https://www.worldwaterweek.org

The System Change Lab Freshwater Lab: https://systemschangelab.org/freshwater and https://www.wri.org/update/global-freshwater-assessment-finds-action-failing

EAAFP giving away Song Meter and bird GNSS tags: https://eaaflyway.org/song-meter/ and https://eaaflyway.org/satellite-tracker/

GHG figures for floating wetland in a wastewater lagoon: https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2026/aug/floating-wetland-study and https://www.rmit.edu.au/research/impact/floating-wetlands-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emission-in-wastewater-lagoons

Water Margin

Chippewa island move, as introduced by VT Physics to her 2.1 million followers. See her video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-fHIQFiFaI&list=LL&index=1 Drone footage of the island move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2AG6LAOBYo

This week another island appeared and disappeared, on remote sensing as well as distant views, in Western Canada: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/floating-island-williston-lake-bc-9.7324586

Signposts, some interesting visual wetland reporting from elsewhere, not in the podcast

Mangrove photography awards https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/jul/24/mangrove-photography-awards-2026-in-pictures

Indigenous knowledge indicates a wetland lost to the sea and an ancient cave home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqXsV9t7IDU

Most of the Maldives may be unliveable in 50 years – but these kayaking islanders aren't giving up https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/10/most-of-the-maldives-may-be-unliveable-in-50-years-but-these-kayaking-islanders-arent-givi

I produce A Wetland Podcast as a personal project, not reflecting any employers. Email me about it, [email protected], find out more for free on Patreon.com/awetlandpodcast.

No feature interview on Policy, Practice, or People this time, but that will return!

Thank you this month to Hyeseon Do, Seong-oh Suh, and Seongbo Kim for their contributions.

News items:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eaaf-eaafp-unesco-ugcPost-7487107863614717952-J7j4/ https://www.unesco.org/en/world-heritage/committee-2026

https://www.linkedin.com/company/unesco/posts/?feedView=all

Wildfire at Ghar el Melh

www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/7/26/heatwave-drives-major-wildfires-across-north-africa#flips-6402178802112:0.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tunisia-contains-forest-fire-in-bizerte-after-16-hour-battle/4006029

Flooding at Valdivia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Y0ZAh07kI

Red Alert available

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mediterranean-alliance-for-wetlands_the-red-alert-system-mediterranean-alliance-activity-7480233760945537024-76jU

N'Djamena Declaration https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2026/07/15/african-water-forum-from-vision-to-action

Wetland greenhouse gas primer

https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(26)00144-2

Global Mangrove

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wetlands-international_worldmangroveday-activity-7485717840512135169-2Ynw

Green Water Africa

https://letstalkaboutwater.org/green-water-africa-short-film-competition/

Sukundimi Walks Before Me

https://docedge.nz/events/sukundimi-walks-before-me/

https://www.sff.org.au/program/event/sukundimi-walks-before-me/

Ramsar Day with the Kia Tigers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VvbBx4jEv0

Ramsar Regional Centre – East Asia http://rrcea.org/

Find out more about A Wetland Podcast https://www.patreon.com/Awetlandpodcast or email [email protected]

People and wetlands: Love a Tree Foundation in Sri Lanka is an exemplar of a people-first wetland charity.

Thank you to educator Narmadha Dangampola and Founder Madhu Dissanayake for their time.

Find out more: https://loveatreefoundation.org/

General updates

Mona Khalil killed https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-j-spalding_monakhalil-orangehouseproject-seaturtles-share-7474140018408701952-wXgp/ https://www.spnl.org/mona-khalil-a-guardian-of-sea-turtles-a-defender-of-hima-and-a-friend-we-will-never-forget/ https://www.facebook.com/greensoutherners/posts/pfbid0Sr3cP6ox7pJqjAfKpa8MR95C7tZCvANi5p8CsbhAApFpeEFhFw4Zs9Ko53hd8gSjl

Atlantic Africa intersectional toolkit https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/iki-media/publication/toward-a-gender-responsive-creaf-project-a-toolkit-for-project-activities-new6a33f355dd07f837753671/

Bits 'n' peatlands

EU https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alfawetlands_restorationforfuture-horizoneurope-peatlands-activity-7474849217765896192-SY_t

Ireland https://courthousenews.com/irelands-turf-cutting-tradition-singled-out-as-flouting-nature-law/ & https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/24/documenting-irelands-vanishing-boglands-they-hold-millennia-in-their-layers & https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-musonda-mumba-aa09611_ramsar-wetlandswednesday-peatlandsmatter-ugcPost-7475626905988374534-cOhQ/

Global Peatlands Initiative https://peatlands.org/event/global-peatlands-initiative-4th-partners-meeting/

Youth engagement in WASH innovation https://knowledge.unicef.org/wash/resource/youth-engagement-wash-innovation-ecosystems-insights-pathways-participation-influence

Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary https://www.ramsar.org/news/thats-century-india-names-its-100th-wetland-international-importance

Save the Waves film festival: https://www.savethewaves.org/filmfest/?gf_protect_submission=1#gf_1

Water Margin

Matías Muñoz recorded this Elachistocleis panamensis and Túngara frog Engystomops pustulosus on Barro Colorado Island in Panama three years ago. I found it on the splendid Xeno Canto. https://xeno-canto.org/1012400

What is happening to wetlands in Trump's America? Professor Royal C. Gardner tells us.

VIsit Koforidua, Apenkwa, Ghana, and meet Samuel Kudjodzi.

Plus wetland news (links below).

Apologies that every voice in this episode is male – I'll try not to let that happen again.

A Wetland Podcast is a personal project not reflecting any employer. More: https://www.patreon.com/Awetlandpodcast

Updates

Standing Committee of the Convention on Wetlands: https://www.ramsar.org/meeting/67th-meeting-standing-committee

Youth engagement paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70302 and https://relationalthinkingblog.com/2026/03/20/plain-language-summary-youth-networks-are-key-but-overlooked-actors-in-environmental-governance/

OECM Platform: https://www.oecm.info/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/harry-jonas_oecm-platform-ugcPost-7450489981338341377-VJkI?

Whitley Awards: https://whitleyaward.org/awards/

World Migratory Bird Day: https://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/#2026

World Saltmarsh Day: https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/world-saltmarsh-day

People, Police, or Practice

Professor Royal C Gardner: https://www.stetson.edu/law/faculty/home/royal-gardner.php

List of MEAs the USA left in January 2026 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-international-organizations-conventions-and-treaties-that-are-contrary-to-the-interests-of-the-united-states/

More on his book: https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/05/15/author-interview-royal-gardner-waters-of-the-united-states-potus-scotus-wotus-and-the-politics-of-a-national-resource/

Water Margin

Meet Samuel Kudjodzi https://earth.fm/recording-expeditions/the-centre-for-soundscape-ecology-multimedia-training-program-ghana/

https://www.instagram.com/csem_official/ And hear more of the recordings: https://aporee.org/maps/?what=wetland&limitBounds=on&fromYear=2025&fromMonth=04&fromDay=30&toYear=2026&toMonth=04&toDay=30&fromHour=00&fromMin=00&toHour=00&toMin=00

Other stories you might have missed

Chennai reservoir plans spark protests, warnings:

https://www.dw.com/en/chennai-reservoir-plans-spark-protests-and-warnings/video-76914064

WaterNSW criticised for ‘appalling’ decision after hundreds of turtles left to die in wetlands: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/21/water-nsw-criticised-for-appalling-decision-after-hundreds-of-turtles-left-to-die-in-wetlands

Volunteers work to save eels trapped in mud of dried-up Pukepuke Lagoon: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/592456/volunteers-work-to-save-eels-trapped-in-mud-of-dried-up-pukepuke-lagoon

eNGOs being squeezed in Brussels: https://reporterre.net/C-est-une-chasse-aux-sorcieres-la-droite-europeenne-veut-reduire-au-silence-les-ONG

Drought drives elevated antibiotic resistance across soils: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-026-02274-x.epdf

Multiple development banks launch 'Water Forward' initiative: https://live.worldbank.org/en/event/2026/spring-meetings-water-forward

Plus wetland updates for April 2026.

Jennifer George is the Chief Executive of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). She talks about partnership, honouring your past, diverse voices, and memorable experiences.

Find out more about EAAFP: https://eaaflyway.org

Huge thanks to Jennifer George and Minjae Baek at the EAAFP Secretariat.

The Water Margin is a boardwalk over the Sanya River in Hainan, China, in 2017.

A Wetland Podcast is a personal project by Connor Walsh, not reflecting any employers. Find out more on https://www.patreon.com/Awetlandpodcast including links to the news stories discussed.