Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC

What Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC does

Fundación Humedales, operating as Wetlands International LAC, is the Latin American and Caribbean regional office of Wetlands International, a global non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the organization maintains three regional offices in Argentina, Panama, and Brazil, and operates active programs across more than 14 countries in South and Central America. Its mission is to halt and reverse wetland degradation through inventory development, ecological restoration, participatory monitoring, and policy engagement with governments, academic institutions, and local communities.

The organization's core offerings are structured as conservation programs rather than commercial products. The flagship Corredor Azul Programme, launched in 2017, focuses on the Paraná-Paraguay wetland system — one of the world's largest wetland complexes — and is associated with 1,445,229 hectares under management plans. The High Andean Wetlands Programme, also launched in 2017, has restored over 260 hectares of peatland through community-based restoration and sustainable grazing practices. The organization owns and coordinates the Neotropical Waterbird Census (CNAA), a long-term, twice-yearly monitoring program spanning 14 countries, 300+ census sites, 2,000+ wetlands, and over 65,500 records since 1990. Additional offerings include wetland inventories (since 1994), peatland conservation and restoration, the Diplomatura en Humedales educational program, and field tools such as the Libreta Ganadera for sustainable livestock management.

Fundación Humedales operates as a non-profit foundation with no commercial revenue model. It is funded through institutional donors, foundation grants, and government partnerships — including the Canadian Wildlife Service, Dutch Red Cross, DOB ecology, and the Humanitarian Innovation Fund — and delivers its outputs at no cost through direct institutional partnerships and free publication. As a regional office of the Wetlands International global network, it participates in multi-stakeholder alliances such as Partners for Resilience alongside CARE International, the Nicaraguan and Dutch Red Cross societies, and CECON-USAC in Guatemala. The organization is governed by a board led by biologist Rubén Quintana as President, with Daniel Blanco serving as Regional Director Argentina.

Name

Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC

Legal name

Fundación Humedales

Website

https://lac.wetlands.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC is a non-profit conservation NGO serving Latin America and the Caribbean since 1986, providing wetland inventories, restoration programs, waterbird monitoring, and policy support to governments, academic institutions, and local communities across 14+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wetland Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

Keywords

• Wetland conservation
• Ecosystem restoration
• Waterbird monitoring
• Peatland conservation
• Nature-based solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Buenos Aires

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC is a non-profit conservation organization that preserves, restores, and monitors wetlands across Latin America and the Caribbean. It delivers regional programs including the Corredor Azul (Blue Corridor) for the Paraná-Paraguay wetland system, the High Andean Wetlands Programme, the Neotropical Waterbird Census (CNAA), wetland inventories for governments, peatland conservation work, and capacity-building tools such as the Libreta Ganadera and Diplomatura en Humedales.

Product overview

Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC operates as a conservation NGO with multiple interconnected programs rather than a unified tech product platform. Its portfolio includes the Corredor Azul Program for the Paraná-Paraguay wetland corridor, the High Andean Wetlands Program, the Neotropical Waterbird Census monitoring initiative, Wetland Inventory technical services, Peatland Conservation efforts, educational programs like the Wetlands Diploma, and practical tools such as the Livestock Notebook. These offerings are delivered through publications, field programs, partnerships with governments and academic institutions, and do not constitute a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programa Corredor Azul (Blue Corridor Program) A regional conservation initiative preserving the health and connectivity of the Paraná-Paraguay wetland system as natural heritage for sustainable development and the livelihoods of communities living along the system.
• Programa Humedales Altoandinos (High Andean Wetlands Program) A conservation program improving the conservation status of High Andean wetlands through community-based restoration, more sustainable livestock grazing practices, and responsible peat extraction management.
• Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas (Neotropical Waterbird Census) A long-term waterbird monitoring program conducted twice yearly (February and July) across South American wetlands, involving hundreds of volunteers in 10+ countries and generating critical data for conservation designation.
• Inventarios de Humedales (Wetland Inventories) Technical support for creating wetland inventories, working with specialists, academic institutions, and governments since 1994 as key tools for wetland management and environmental land planning.
• Programa de Conservación de Turberas (Peatland Conservation) Conservation and restoration efforts for peatlands as key habitats for biodiversity, carbon reservoirs, and water regulation, including inventories, management plans, monitoring, capacity-building, and policy advocacy.
• Libreta Ganadera (Livestock Notebook) A practical tool for livestock producers in the Puna region to promote sustainable livestock farming practices compatible with High Andean wetland conservation.
• Restauración Lagunas de Guanacache Restoration of the Ramsar Site Lagunas de Guanacache, Desaguadero y del Bebedero in Mendoza, Argentina, restoring 10,000 hectares of wetlands over three years through sediment barriers and water accumulation works benefiting approximately 100 families and ~2,000 heads of livestock.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,445,229 hectares of wetlands protected with management plans along the Paraná-Paraguay system
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CONICET (Argentina)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina is a key research partner. Fundación Humedales and CONICET have entered into R&D agreements for sustainable cattle ranching and artisanal fishing projects in the Paraná Delta, combining scientific rigor with field conservation work.
• Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNR participates in the Provincial Wetlands Inventory of Santa Fe and collaborates on the Corredor Azul Programme, contributing academic expertise in wetland ecology and environmental planning to the partnership.
• Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNSAM is part of the interdisciplinary team developing Argentina's National Wetlands Inventory, contributing to the technical and institutional aspects of wetland characterization and mapping.
• Argentina Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MAyDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national Ministry of Environment is a key partner in the Corredor Azul Programme and the National Wetlands Inventory. Together with Fundación Humedales and the Directorate of Environmental Planning and Land Management, they co-produced the book 'El Corredor de Biodiversidad Delta del Paraná'.
• Parques Nacionales (Argentina)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArgentina's National Parks agency collaborates on protected area expansion and the Red de Reservas y Áreas Protegidas del Biocorredor Delta del Paraná, providing institutional support for wetland conservation within the national protected area system.
• Partners for Resilience (PfR) AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners for Resilience is an alliance of 5 Dutch NGOs and their national counterparts across 9 countries, focused on reducing vulnerability to natural hazards by integrating disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and ecosystem management. Wetlands International is one of the founding partners. Activities include eco-criteria development, community resilience programs in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and elsewhere, and policy advocacy.
• CARE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARE is a key partner within the Partners for Resilience Alliance, collaborating on integrated approaches to disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, particularly in Guatemala and other Central American countries.
• Cruz Roja Nicaragüense (Nicaraguan Red Cross)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on climate change adaptation programs in Nicaragua, including the implementation of microprojects such as eco-tourism initiatives and efficient cookstove programs, under the Partners for Resilience framework.
• INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Argentina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArgentina's agricultural technology institute participates in the National Wetlands Inventory and environmental land-use planning processes, contributing expertise on land management and agricultural practices.
• Aves ArgentinasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAves Argentinas coordinates the Neotropical Waterbird Census in Argentina as part of the international CNAA network coordinated by Wetlands International, contributing volunteer networks and ornithological expertise.
• CECON-USAC (Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on postgraduate courses on socio-ecological systems and community resilience in the Dry Corridor of Guatemala, as part of the Partners for Resilience Alliance.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNC collaborates with Wetlands International and Deltares on hybrid engineering approaches for coastal resilience in tropical mangrove regions, promoting nature-based coastal defense solutions.
• Deltares (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Wetlands International and The Nature Conservancy on coastal resilience research, particularly regarding mangrove ecosystems and hybrid engineering for tropical coastal defense.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BirdLife International: Global alliance of bird conservation organizations with overlapping waterbird and Important Bird Area (IBA) methodologies. Operates a much broader portfolio but competes for the same donor and Ramsar-related funding pool.
• IUCN: International conservation union that sets the Red List and global conservation standards. Operates overlapping Wetland and Water Commission work in the same geographies and holds adjacent influence on Ramsar policy.
• Conservation International: Global conservation NGO with significant LAC freshwater and biodiversity programs. Overlaps on Ramsar site protection, climate adaptation, and biodiversity finance work targeting the same donor base.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) LAC: Global conservation NGO with field programs across South American wetlands, including the Paraná-Plata basin. Comparable operational model combining science, policy, and field conservation in the same geographies.
• The Nature Conservancy (LAC): Global conservation NGO with a significant LAC presence and a partner of Fundación Humedales on hybrid engineering for coastal resilience. Operates a much larger portfolio and budget but overlaps on mangrove and wetland conservation.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) LAC: Global conservation NGO with active freshwater and wetland programs across Latin America. Competes for the same multilateral, corporate, and bilateral funding streams and overlaps on species and habitat monitoring.

Direct peers

• Aves Argentinas: Argentina's principal bird and habitat conservation NGO and a coordinating partner for the Neotropical Waterbird Census in Argentina. Operates in the same ornithological and wetland conservation niche with strong volunteer networks.
• Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina: Argentina's largest national conservation NGO (WWF affiliate). Operates on overlapping freshwater, wetland, and habitat conservation priorities with similar ministry-of-environment and provincial partnerships.
• Wetlands International: Global parent NGO of Fundación Humedales (the LAC regional office). Operates the same wetland conservation mission across Africa, Europe, and Asia with shared programmatic frameworks (CNAA, peatland conservation, waterbird monitoring).

Others

• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute and confirmed partner of Wetlands International on mangrove hybrid engineering and coastal resilience. Distinct delivery model (technical/scientific consulting) but operationally adjacent in LAC wetland projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fudaci%C3%B3n-humedales-wetlands-international-lac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fundación Humedales / Wetlands International LAC