Climate action and rowing waters

Rowing is a sport which should be very aligned with climate action. As water users we are very aware of variable water levels and weather patterns changing. I’m sure you have experienced a regatta cancellation due to high winds.

The World Rowing Federation is actively supporting three UN Sustainable Development Goals #13 on Climate Action, #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, and #14 Life Below Water. It also has a longstanding partnership with the WWF and the Healthy Waters Alliance around goals for clean water. Maike Betts is World Rowing’s Development and Sustainability Coordinator leading the 2025 programme.

Maike showcased some of the programme work at the World U19 regatta in Trakei, Lithuania where 225 trees were planted and education around peat wetlands for carbon capture ran alongside the regatta. This included a “Forest of Nations” tree planting, a BloomUp biodiversity pilot project and peatlands conservation and restoration education. Here’s her short video.

What can you do?

Group action to support healthy waters is very welcome. Local programmes can be supported by World Rowing – here are some ideas which you could lead with your rowing club.

• Create nature positive regattas and events (leaving them better than you found them)
• Local waterway clean-up days

Christine Cavallo is an ambassador for the Healthy Waters programme and she says

When we bring an event to a city anywhere in the world – make it nature positive and leave it better than we found it. 

The seabed cleanup which took place [in Genoa] pulling up plastics, metal, all of these things which are going to take thousands of years to degrade. Pulling them out of the ocean, removing them from that ecosystem is everything to me. I think this is a fantastic partnership and if we can keep coupling these things, we can scale this and keep making a huge impact wherever we show up. Christine Cavallo

Martin Helseth NOR is also an ambassador for the programme. He is focused on telling the positive stories around climate change, notably the Oslo Fjord marine wildlife reinstatement which he has observed as a free diver. He encourages us athletes to use our voices to support positive change.

Links to find out more

https://worldrowing.com/responsibility/sustainability/climate-action

https://worldrowing.com/2022/11/15/rowing-adaptation-in-a-time-of-climate-change

https://worldrowing.com/video/introducing-the-healthy-waters-alliance-a-world-rowing-and-wwf-initiative

https://worldrowing.com/video/world-rowing-wwf-seabed-cleanup-in-genoa