Wetlands International

What Wetlands International does

Wetlands International is a global not-for-profit membership association, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Ede, Netherlands, dedicated exclusively to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. The organization operates through a network of 18 country offices spanning Africa, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Latin America, employing 101-250 staff and supported by a Specialist Groups network of over 2,000 expert scientists. Its core deliverables include the International Waterbird Census (IWC, running since 1967), the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC, since 1987), and a suite of geospatial monitoring tools — Global Mangrove Watch, the Critical Site Network Tool, the Waterbirds Populations Portal, and the Wetland Atlas — built on satellite remote sensing, citizen science data collection platforms, and longitudinal species-population databases. The organization also delivers field-level conservation and restoration projects, including the Mangrove Capital Africa program (targeting 1 million hectares), peatland restoration in Mongolia and Scotland, and climate-resilient flyway initiatives.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through project-based grants from governments and private donors, supplemented by annual membership dues from national governments and NGOs, and individual donations routed through channels including PayPal, Mollie, and the dedicated Waterbird Fund. The organization serves four primary customer segments: national governments and NGOs (policy advocacy and membership), international conventions including the Ramsar Convention, AEWA, and CMS (technical advisory), private-sector companies with wetland dependencies such as Boskalis, LVMH, Greenchoice, and Permian Global (corporate sustainability partnerships), and individual volunteers engaged through citizen-science censuses. Its distribution is direct — field project implementation and policy engagement supplemented by free public access to monitoring tools and publications. Notable strategic anchors include its International Organisation Partner status with the Ramsar Convention, founding Partner role in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, and Technical Committee seat at AEWA, which collectively embed it in the global wetland governance architecture.

Name

Wetlands International

Legal name

Wetlands International

Website

https://www.wetlands.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wetlands International is a global not-for-profit dedicated exclusively to wetland conservation and restoration, operating 18 country offices and serving governments, conventions, corporations, and citizen-science volunteers through monitoring programs and field projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wetland Conservation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF), Wetlands, Peatlands & Mangrove Restoration (Blue Carbon Restoration) (EUABABAG)

Keywords

• Wetland conservation services
• Citizen science monitoring
• Migratory waterbird conservation
• Wetland restoration programs
• Conservation data platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Ede

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Project-based funding: Most of the organization's work is funded on a project basis by governments and private donors. The organization receives grants and funding for specific conservation and restoration projects.
2. Membership dues: Members (national governments and NGOs) contribute annually through dues to the Wetlands International Association
3. Donations: Individual donations received through online platforms including PayPal and Mollie iDeal payments, as well as dedicated funds like the Waterbird Fund

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wetlands International delivers global wetland conservation and restoration services through field project implementation, policy advocacy, and technical expertise to governments, NGOs, and international conventions. It operates the world's longest-running citizen science waterbird monitoring programme (International Waterbird Census since 1967, Asian Waterbird Census since 1987) and provides free public geospatial data tools including Global Mangrove Watch, Critical Site Network Tool, Waterbird Populations Portal, and Wetland Atlas.

Product overview

Wetlands International operates a portfolio of interconnected conservation tools and citizen science programs. The core offerings include the International Waterbird Census (IWC) as the global umbrella monitoring program, with regional programs like the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) coordinated with partners such as the Bombay Natural History Society. These are complemented by mapping and data tools including Global Mangrove Watch, Wetland Atlas, Waterbird Population Estimates Portal, and the Critical Site Network Tool. The organization also maintains a Specialist Groups Network of over 2,000 expert scientists across 14 thematic groups, and supports conservation through the Waterbird Fund for capacity building. The products work together to enable wetland assessment, waterbird monitoring, and conservation planning from local to international levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Waterbird Census (IWC): Global citizen-science programme supporting the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide, coordinated by Wetlands International.
• Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)
• Global Mangrove Watch
• Waterbird Fund
• Waterbirds Populations Portal
• Critical Site Network Tool
• Wetland Atlas
• Mangrove Capital Africa

Products and services

• International Waterbird Census (IWC) Global waterbird monitoring programme coordinating waterbird counts worldwide, enabling conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds. Involves thousands of volunteers across continents and is the largest and longest-running faunal monitoring programme in the world.
• Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) Regional citizen-science programme under the global IWC initiative, supporting conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds across the Asia-Australasia region. Operates across 27 countries with counts at over 6,705 sites historically.
• Global Mangrove Watch Free online mapping and monitoring platform that tracks mangrove extent and changes globally using satellite imagery and remote sensing data. Used by governments, researchers, and conservation organizations for mangrove conservation planning.
• Wetland Atlas Comprehensive geospatial mapping tool providing wetland extent data and spatial analysis for conservation planning. Freely accessible online for use by governments, researchers, and conservation organizations.
• Waterbird Population Estimates Portal Online portal providing population estimates for waterbird species globally, supporting international conservation frameworks and serving as a comprehensive database of waterbird population data.
• Critical Site Network (CSN) Tool Web-based decision-support tool providing information on critical sites for migratory waterbird species across the African-Eurasian flyway. Accesses multiple independent databases and analyzes information at biogeographic population level. Developed under the Wings Over Wetlands project.
• Specialist Groups Network Network of over 2,000 expert scientists and specialists providing technical advisory role through 14 specialist groups covering species such as cormorants, cranes, ducks, flamingos, pelicans, storks, waders, and wetland restoration.
• Waterbird Fund Global fund channeling dedicated resources to fill geographic monitoring gaps, strengthen local capacity, and support remote wetland counting efforts for waterbird conservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,705 sites monitored in 27 countries through Asian Waterbird Census (1987-2007)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ramsar Convention on WetlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWetlands International is an International Organisation Partner (IOP) of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, providing technical expertise and support for wetland conservation globally.
• East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner of the EAAFP; serves on Management Committee and Technical SubCommittee; provides core waterbird and wetland information and technical advice through Asian Waterbird Census and Conservation Status Review.
• Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes on the Technical Committee of AEWA; developed flyway scale projects including Critical Site Network Tool, Conservation Status Reviews, African-Eurasian Waterbird Monitoring Partnership, and Wings Over Wetlands partnership.
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose working relationship with CMS; provides core waterbird and wetland information and technical advice; chairs Flyways Working Group and participates in American Flyways Task Force.
• Partners for ResiliencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance between Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Red Cross Netherlands, Wetlands International, Red Cross Climate Centre, Care Netherlands and Cordaid that helps communities build resilience to natural hazards aggravated by climate change and environmental degradation.
• Ecoshape Building with Nature ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-private partnership that aims to stimulate sustainable coastal engineering, making use of natural protection provided by ecosystems. Brings together Ministries in Indonesia, consultancy agencies, knowledge institutes, dredging companies and local communities.
• Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking together with dredging contractor and marine services provider Boskalis to enhance coastal wetland habitat that provides blue carbon storage.
• GreenchoicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dutch sustainable energy company Greenchoice to accelerate and support climate change mitigation by protecting and restoring wetlands that yield climate, biodiversity and community benefits.
• Permian GlobalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with carbon certification specialist Permian Global since 2013 to safeguard and restore carbon-rich wetlands.
• Global Peatland InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member and active collaborator in the Global Peatland Initiative; works with various organisations, academic bodies, and investment firms to scale up finance for peatland landscape recovery.
• BirdLife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wings Over Wetlands project and Climate Resilient Flyways initiative; collaborated on major climate impact study predicting waterbird population changes.
• African Union Great Green Wall InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partnership to drive forward the vision of 'Blue Lifelines for a Secure Sahel' in collaboration with CARE Netherlands, International Alert, and International Water Management Institute.
• Global Resilience PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership to tackle water and food security and the intersect with human security.
• Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint coordination of Asian Waterbird Census in India alongside Wetlands International South Asia since 1987.
• eBirdmajorTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with eBird for waterbird census data collection; counts recorded on eBird can be shared with Asian Waterbird Census account.
• International Waterbird Census networkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 80+ organisations that coordinate the International Waterbird Census nationally, representing national agencies and monitoring organizations across Africa and Eurasia.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): One of the largest global conservation organizations, with active freshwater and wetland programs. Functions as a broad incumbent with substantially greater funding, brand recognition, and regional field presence than Wetlands International, though with overlapping donor pools and policy advocacy.
• Conservation International: Global conservation NGO focused on biodiversity hotspots, ocean, and policy. Comparable to Wetlands International in operating model (project funding, multilateral partnerships, science-led advocacy) but broader in scope and substantially larger in scale.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Global conservation organization operating field programs across multiple continents and managing large zoo and aquarium assets. Comparable to Wetlands International in conservation science and field program delivery, but with substantially greater scale and a broader taxonomic/geographic scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation organization by revenue and assets, working on land, freshwater, and ocean conservation. Operates at significantly greater scale than Wetlands International, with overlapping interest in wetland restoration, blue carbon, and corporate partnerships, but is a broad incumbent rather than wetland-specialist.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global authority on the status of the natural world and conservation policy, including the IUCN Red List. A broader incumbent in the conservation NGO space; works across all ecosystems rather than exclusively wetlands, but shares overlap in policy advocacy, scientific assessment, and multilateral convention engagement.

Direct peers

• Ducks Unlimited: Largest wetland conservation organization in North America, focused on waterfowl habitat conservation and restoration. Directly comparable mission to Wetlands International, with similar wetland restoration, waterfowl monitoring, and government partnership models, though operating primarily in the Americas.
• BirdLife International: Global partnership of national bird conservation organizations focused on bird and habitat conservation. Direct peer to Wetlands International, with overlapping work on waterbird monitoring, flyway conservation, and IWC/AWC collaboration through shared Specialist Groups and joint climate impact studies.
• Fauna & Flora International (FFI): International conservation NGO working on species and habitat protection across multiple biomes. Comparable to Wetlands International in scale, governance model, and project-based funding approach, though broader in scope than wetland-only focus.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): UK-headquartered wetland and waterfowl conservation charity operating wetland visitor reserves and running waterbird monitoring. Most direct thematic peer to Wetlands International, sharing the wetland-exclusive mission, waterbird expertise, and visitor engagement model, though WWT is primarily UK-focused.

Regional players

• African Wildlife Foundation: Africa-focused conservation NGO headquartered in Kenya, working on landscapes and wildlife across the continent. Comparable to Wetlands International in regional focus (East Africa) and NGO structure, but with a broader mandate beyond wetlands and primarily operating in Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wetlandsint

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wetlands International