2030 goals set in our Strategic Intent. On behalf of the whole organisation, we would like to thank the COmON Foundation for their trust in Wetlands International and the support provided. In 2021, we said goodbye to several members: Kathy MacKinnon, our Vice-Chair, who retired after nine years of service; Carlos Saavedra due to ill health; and Ulrike Sapiro due to her appointment in a new position. Our thanks go to them for the support, enthusiasm and inspiration that they provided to Wetlands International. We were also delighted to welcome Miguel Jorge, who was appointed as a new member to the Council and Board at the end of 2021. Finally, December 2021 marked the end of my own term as Chair of Wetlands International, a function which I have held with enormous pride since 2015. I was delighted to hand over the baton to Jan Ernst de Groot who has taken over as Chair of the organisation. I would like to wish Jan Ernst and other members of the Supervisory Council and Board of Association all the best in helping Wetlands International succeed in its mission to inspire and mobilise society to safeguard and restore wetlands for people and nature. I will be cheering loudly from the sidelines.
FROM THE SUPERVISORY COUNCIL André van der Zande, Chair (retired December 2021)
Although 2021 was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, Wetlands International ended the year in a much stronger position than we could have hoped for in January. I believe this was due to a combination of wetlands being taken seriously as a key part of the fight against climate change and biodiversity collapse, as well as the skill and resilience of the organisation’s staff in adapting to new ways of working and continuing to achieve results despite the limitations. The Council and Board of Association met regularly in 2021, keeping close contact with the CEO and Management Team through online meetings. Fortunately, restrictions had eased sufficiently by November, allowing us to meet in-person in Maastricht, Netherlands. The location of this meeting enabled members to see at first hand the effects of the devastating floods that hit the region in July 2021 and how wetland restoration in the Geul valley could reduce future risks through increasing
the ‘sponginess’ of the landscape. This is a prime example of the role that wetlands play in building resilience against climate change. Our thanks go to our partners ARK and Stroming who guided us on this field visit. In addition to its responsibility to oversee the implementation of the organisation’s strategy, annual accounts and the annual review, the Council and Board of Association provided guidance to the CEO and Management Team on a range of key issues. These included a plan to build visibility and influence, strengthen strategic partnerships engaged in our initiatives, create a dedicated fundraising team, and review the organisation’s business model. Members were pleased to see the recognition that the organisation is receiving at the international level, with high profile roles at the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in June, and at the Glasgow Climate COP in November where the role of peatland restoration received a major boost. We were delighted to receive confirmation that the Dutch Postcode Lottery awarded a three-year grant to the organisation, that will build on the results achieved with their support from 2018-2020. The past year also saw a highly significant deepening of our relationship with the COmON Foundation, who were already supporting our work on mangrove restoration (To-Plant-Or-Not-To-Plant initiative), organisational development, and in a partnership with Commonland - to test and promote the 4 Returns framework for landscape recovery. In December, the COmON Foundation decided to make Wetlands International a key grantee which will enable us to accelerate our action towards the
André van der Zande hands over the baton to Jan Ernst de Groot who has taken over as Chair of the Supervisory Council.
Wetlands International Supervisory Council
Angelique van de Beeten Member (Treasurer)
Jan Ernst de Groot Chair (joined in 2021)
Eliot Taylor Member
Kazuaki Hoshino Member
Maggie White Member
Hastings Chikoko Member
Miguel Ángel Jorge Member (joined in 2021)
André van der Zande Chair (retired in 2021)
Kathy MacKinnon Vice-Chair (retired in 2021)
Ulrike Sapiro Member (retired in 2021)
Carlos Saavedra Member (retired in 2021)
Adrie (A.N.) Papma Member
Field visit in Limburg, Netherlands to see at first hand the impact of the devastating floods that hit the region in July 2021.
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Wetlands International Annual Review 2021
Wetlands International Annual Review 2021
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