WWF engages with a number of partners to help promote environmental sustainability and make organisations aware of their ecological footprint.

Freshwater ecosystems are one of their main concerns, so the link with FISA will be a key element of their efforts in this area.

They hope to make environmental impact a significant criterion in bidding for sports events.

World Rowing and its rowers will become ambassadors of WWF's Freshwater programme, using media platforms to get across the importance of clean water, and will also use its global events, from Munich to Plovdiv, to communicate the freshwater message.

World Rowing President Denis Oswald said: "Rowers have an intimate and intense relationship with water.

"Naturally, they are interested in ensuring that the water bodies on which they row are protected and maintained, not just for their own use, but for the many other groups and communities who also rely upon it.

"We are convinced that this strategic alliance with WWF International is the most effective way that we can help raise global awareness for of the need to preserve this most precious resource."

Stuart Orr, manager of the global freshwater programme at WWF International, added: "The rivers and the lakes where competitions are held are an integral part of a much larger, often threatened, ecosystem.

"To be able to work in an innovative way with FISA allows us to be able to reach new key audiences who have a direct link with water, and thus help us to deliver on our conservation goals."

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