Freshwater is one of Earth's most precious resources. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), our Earth's freshwater habitats—lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and aquifers—house an incredible proportion of the world’s biodiversity. More than 10% of all known animals and about 50% of all known fish species call our freshwater habitats home. But how do our Great Lakes stack up when looking at global trends in freshwater systems?
As the world’s leading conservation organization, the WWF works in nearly 100 countries to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. This includes safeguarding the world’s freshwater resources and landscapes to support biodiversity and human livelihoods.
As global lead scientist for freshwater, Jeff Opperman works across the WWF network and with external partners to direct research that can strengthen conservation strategies and integrate science into freshwater programs and projects. Opperman has written for a number of publications, including the New York Times, and is currently a regular contributor to Forbes.
Join us for the 2024 State of the Great Lakes as Jeff Opperman discusses the values of freshwater systems to people, cities and economies, and what the world can learn from our Great Lakes and Northeast Ohio.
Speaker
- Jeff Opperman
Global Freshwater Lead Scientist, Global Science, World Wildlife Fund