National Geographic Society and Chubb Select First Three Blue Boundaries Wetland Sites
The National Geographic Society and Chubb Charitable Foundation have chosen the first three freshwater wetland focus regions for their Blue Boundaries conservation program: Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala; the Lower Mekong Basin across Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; and the Mississippi River watershed. The multiyear program, launched in 2025, targets the ecosystems where land meets water, with the first Blue Boundaries Explorer cohort to be selected later this year.
The National Geographic Society and the Chubb Charitable Foundation have selected the first three freshwater wetland focus regions for their Blue Boundaries conservation program: the wetlands of Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala; the Lower Mekong Basin across Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; and the Mississippi River watershed in North America.
Announced April 16, 2026 from Washington, D.C., the selections kick off the first phase of a multiyear global initiative launched in 2025 that targets "transformational change at the intersection of land and water." Blue Boundaries is framed around three of Earth's most vital ecosystems — freshwater wetlands, coastal systems, and reefs — and its first-phase focus on freshwater mirrors the natural downstream flow of water through those systems.
Why Wetlands, and Why These Three
The First Three Blue Boundaries Focus Regions
- Wetlands of Southern Mexico, Belize & Guatemala — biodiverse stronghold for jaguars, howler monkeys, and greater flamingos; an irrecoverable-carbon reserve critical to global climate stability.
- Wetlands of the Lower Mekong Basin — spans Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam; supports one of the world's largest inland fisheries at 2.3 million tons harvested annually; hosts Asian elephants, Irrawaddy dolphins, and Malayan tigers.
- Wetlands of the Mississippi River — provides drinking water, agricultural and hydropower stability, and carbon storage; hosts 60% of North American migratory birds, plus beavers, river otters, and American alligators.
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests globally, according to the Society — which is why Blue Boundaries is anchoring its first phase here. Freshwater ecosystems, including wetlands, supply livelihoods and clean drinking water to billions of people, and freshwater and coastal wetlands together provide habitat for more than 40% of species globally.
"Wetlands are one of the most critical ecosystems globally, yet they're disappearing three times faster than forests. Protection and resilience for the people and nature that rely on these life-sustaining ecosystems is more important than ever before. These three selections reflect our program's commitment to illuminate and protect some of the most critical and at-risk ecosystems on our planet." — Ian Miller, chief science and innovation officer, National Geographic Society
How the Three Sites Were Chosen
In collaboration with outside experts and the program's newly formed science committee, the Blue Boundaries team started from a list of 37 high-potential locations and narrowed to three based on the program's impact goals and its four core scientific pillars: understanding and supporting biodiversity, creating a healthy carbon balance, strengthening natural resilience, and ensuring people and nature can thrive together.
The Blue Boundaries Science Committee
The advisory group will provide specialized knowledge and mentor the cohorts of National Geographic Explorers selected for Blue Boundaries. Current members include:
- Justin Brashares (chair) — UC Berkeley professor and member of the Society's Committee for Research and Exploration
- Katie Fiorella — Cornell University associate professor
- Jason Gulley — University of South Florida professor
- Ian Harrison — co-chair, Freshwater Conservation Committee at the IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Clint Willson — dean, Louisiana State University College of the Coast & Environment
- Margaret Peloso — senior vice president, Chubb Group
What Happens Next
The first Blue Boundaries Explorer cohort will be selected later this year through an invite-only peer-review process. Research and conservation projects funded in the three regions will focus on the program's scientific pillars, surface the role these ecosystems play for people and the environment, and advance habitat restoration and resilience strategies at a global scale.
About the Partners
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit that uses science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of the world. Since 1888, the Society has funded more than 15,000 grants across all seven continents and reaches roughly 3 million students each year through education offerings.
Chubb is a world leader in insurance, operating in 54 countries and territories. Parent company Chubb Limited (NYSE: CB) is a component of the S&P 500 index and employs approximately 45,000 people worldwide.
More information on the program is available at NatGeo.org/BlueBoundaries.