IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee

Overview and description

Description:

The IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee (FCC) was established in 2010 in order to urgently address the global freshwater biodiversity crisis.

Group leadership

Dr Topiltzin CONTRERAS MACBEATH

Co-Chair

Former Minister of Sustainable Development for the Government of the State of Morelos in Central Mexico. For the past 36 years he has been Professor of ichthyology and Conservation Biology at the Autonomous University of the State Morelos, in central Mexico, where he is head of the Conservation Biology work group. His main research interests are thus related to freshwater ecosystems and endangered fish species conservation. He is involved in many international organizations: he is a founder and Regional Coordinator for Mesoamerica of the IUCN/SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group; he is Co-Chair of the IUCN/SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee and serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Species Survival Commission at IUCN. He is also representative for Latin America of the International Association of Protected Areas (IAPA) based in China.

Former Minister of Sustainable Development for the Government of the State of Morelos in Central Mexico. For the past 36 years he has been Professor of ichthyology and Conservation Biology at the ...

Dr Ian HARRISON

Co-Chair

Ian Harrison obtained his Ph.D. in systematic ichthyology at the University of Bristol, UK. He has conducted research on marine and freshwater fishes from several parts of the world.

More about the FCC

The mission of the Freshwater Conservation Committee is to raise the profile of freshwater biodiversity through:

Coordination of freshwater species conservation activities through the SSC, to highlight emerging patterns and to ensure that increasing attention is given to issues concerning freshwater biodiversity conservation;
To make recommendations to the SSC based on the work of the FCC;
To ensure freshwater species conservation issues are aligned within the SSC and the wider IUCN;
To assist the SSC by providing authority and credibility in its engagement with policy processes and major freshwater-related events;
to raise awareness and increase the profile of the freshwater biodiversity crisis.