Rivers are essential to the prosperity and health of the earth, supporting high rates of biodiversity compared to other ecosystems and providing livelihoods for millions of people.
FOUNDING MEMBER
90% of the world’s population lives within walking distance of a river system.[1]. Environmental challenges such as climate change and pollution impact river ecosystems and river communities first and worst. They face increased pollution, droughts, floods, fishery collapse, and potential waterborne diseases.
These challenges are being confronted head on by innovative people around the world who are using their passion for river conservation to drive real change. The actions of so many have inspired Dow to co-create Rivers Are Life as a platform to help highlight, conserve and restore some of the world’s most important, yet overlooked, environments. Together, Dow and Rivers Are Life aim to support 1,000 projects, big and small, to make a collective global impact on river ecosystems.
And we welcome other like-minded organizations to join us on this journey.
[1] How Close Do We Live to Water? A Global Analysis of Population Distance to Freshwater Bodies – PMC (nih.gov)
Dow’s role as founding member of Rivers Are Life is rooted in its interest in protecting and restoring river ecosystems. Alongside reducing carbon emissions, the restoration of river ecosystems is an integral element of improving community and environmental health in the face of climate change. Dow believes that we all share a collective responsibility to preserve and protect these precious global resources.
By supporting local projects that focus on conserving marine resources and deploying them in a sustainable way, Dow and future members of Rivers Are Life can drive downstream progress on several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, helping to solve the climate and carbon crisis and enabling a healthier, more sustainable planet.
