A Wetland Podcast

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, AwetlandPodcast@proton.me, 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 Declarationhttps://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 WetlandPodcast@proton.me

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.