FISA and WWF set new standards in conservation through sport

For immediate release
Lausanne 06 October 2014

The World Rowing Federation, FISA, and WWF have announced an extension of their strategic alliance for the promotion of Clean Water.

The alliance, created in 2011, will now go through to 2019. Stuart Orr, Manager, Global Freshwater Programme, WWF International, describes it an unprecedented move for WWF.

“This is the longest strategic alliance with a sports federation that we have formed to date,” said Orr. “It is a direct reflection of the work World Rowing has done so far in the promotion of Clean Water and the ideal match that WWF has found with World Rowing.”

FISA president Jean-Christophe Rolland said, “I am really pleased that we have renewed our Clean Water partnership with WWF.  Over the past three years, we have shown that our sport is a powerful means of communication for the vital resource of Clean Water. It also reinforces the commitment we made three years ago that rowers take the environment seriously and will do everything they can to contribute to protecting our water ecosystems.”

This extension of the alliance means that WWF and World Rowing will now focus attention on developing an action-orientated project. The primary goal will be to create the capacity to train future generations of fresh water managers, while also contributing to an important conservation project.  In parallel with this project, World Rowing will continue to educate rowers and fans to apply environmentally-sustainable practices in the use and management of water. World Rowing will also continue to introduce and apply new best practices in sustainable sports event management at regattas worldwide.

About WWF:
WWF is the world’s largest and most respected independent nature conservation organisation with more than 5 million supporters and a network active in more than 100 countries across all continents. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

• conserving the world’s biological diversity
• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

About World Rowing:
The World Rowing Federation, FISA (from the French, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron) is the governing body of the sport of rowing. It is empowered by its 142 member National Rowing Federations, the National Olympic Committees and the International Olympic Committee to govern the sport of rowing.

For more information, please see:
www.panda.org/freshwater
www.worldrowing.com/environment/

World Rowing contact: Matt Smith, Executive Director: matt.smith@fisa.org
WWF contact:               Niki Parker, WWF International: nparker@wwfint.org