Photo: Steve Calloway Executive Director World Space Conservation
Nature-based solutions are amongst the most cost-effective ways to protect against flooding. Every 1$ spent to restore wetlands, conserve watershed areas, results in direct flood reduction benefits.
A watershed is a land area that collects and directs rain, snowmelt, and runoff into a single body of water, such as a stream, river, or wetland. Watersheds sustain life, these water bodies supply our drinking water, provide habitat to numerous plants and animals, and the enjoyment of swimming or fishing. Unfortunately, 40-50% of our nation’s waters are impaired, due to pollution, erosion, and degradation. This impairment causes loss of ecological functions such as the ability to absorb water, increasing flooding issues, and the ability to properly filter pollutants from stormwater resulting in more toxins getting into our waters. Watershed conservation is an economical way to avoid costly flood damages, minimize erosion, and filter stormwater, in some areas, the benefits are 5x the cost. Therefore, it is important to protect the health of our watersheds.
The World Space Watershed Conservation Program focuses on connecting communities and government in addressing the negative impacts threatened or impaired watersheds have in our everyday lives and how nature-based solutions of restoring wetlands, conserving watersheds, and protecting ecological areas enhance the hydrology, connectivity, geomorphology, and biology of watersheds, improving the functional relationship within the ecosystem resulting in natural flood defenses and cleaner water.
Air pollution is another growing global concern with significant impacts on human health and environment. In 2024 World Space Conservation founded the Breathe of Clean Air Program, a program that utilizes nature-based solutions to contribute significantly in reducing air pollution for a healthier future. In 2024 it was found that 39% of the U.S. population lives in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution. This is an increase of 11.7 million people from the previous year. Our goal at World Space is to lower those numbers by protecting and restoring ecosystems for air quality with our innovative Breathe of Clean Air Project
Our Breathe of Clean Air Project contributes significantly to healthier air quality by creating, managing, and restoring natural ecosystems that naturally filter pollutants like carbon monoxide, particulate matter, ozone dust, and nitrogen oxides through a ecological process of absorbing these substances, and acting as a natural purifier by taking in the pollutants and releasing clean air into atmosphere.
Together we can improve local communities by addressing air and water quality and the benefits managed ecosystems, like forests, wetlands, and prairies, have in our everyday lives, and the air we breathe.
For more information about our vital projects and programs visit https://worldspaceconservation.org and save the date to visit with the innovators, organizers, and operators of World Space Conservation at the HBA spring Home Show March 15-16 2025 at the STL athletic Center, 2300 Hitzert Court in Fenton, MO