Top-level athletes have an important communications platform at their disposal and can lead by example, making them key contributors to the Healthy Waters Alliance’s goals. By using this awareness-raising potential, they can help bring attention to the degradation of freshwater and coastal ecosystems, increase visibility of practical solutions, and drive greater public engagement and action. 

Appointing athlete ambassadors dedicated to the cause strengthens the movement. With the launch of the Healthy Waters Alliance, World Rowing have engaged Christine Cavallo (USA) and Martin Helseth (NOR) as the first World Rowing Healthy Waters Ambassadors, and are now looking to expand this into a global Athlete Ambassador Programme with representatives from each continent.

Athletes inspire action more effectively than generic messages, making initiatives more relatable and engaging. For example, Norwegian Olympian Martin Helseth led a powerful environmental initiative through the World Rowing – WWF Healthy Waters Alliance to inspire action across Norway’s rowing community. The project demonstrated how athletes can effectively engage the public and protect nature by addressing water pollution in the Oslo Fjord. The initiative includes two key phases: 

• Phase 1: Clean-Up Week (3–8 June 2025) – Timed with World Ocean Day, rowing clubs in Oslo conducted seabed dives, shoreline clean-ups, and environmental education to tackle local pollution. 
• Phase 2: Oslo Fjord Restoration Day (23 August 2025) – This phase will focus on habitat restoration and youth involvement, supported by the local NGO Marea.

Helseth’s leadership exemplifies how athlete ambassadors can lead grassroots environmental efforts with global impact, aiming to foster a new generation of nature protectors in rowing and beyond. 

The Healthy Waters Alliance connects the Rowing community with WWF communities worldwide to foster collaboration. Together, they co-create and jointly deliver local projects and initatives that protect and restore healthy waters through awareness and hands-on action, benefiting rowing, communities, and ecosystems. Working with WWF ensures that actions implemented by rowing communities are relevant from a nature conservation perspective. 

 Projects can be initiated by National Rowing Federations, clubs, athletes, event organisers, or WWF local offices. After contacting the Healthy Waters Alliance, through submitting their interest via an online form partners agree on a locally impactful project recognized by the Alliance. These projects focus on community engagement, nature restoration, waste reduction and other areas.  

  The rowing community benefits from the platform through access to educational workshops, working groups, global visibility of local projects, and healthier waters for rowing. In turn, WWF offices gain partners who help raise awareness on the freshwater & coastal ecosystems' crisis and promote solutions, while engaging with event organisers to drive visibility at major rowing events with wide media coverage. 

To measure the long-term effectiveness of training, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes are essential. Beyond collecting immediate feedback from participants, a holistic approach involves assessing the application of learned practices over time. 

Rather than merely counting the number of participants trained, the focus shifts to measuring the qualitative impacts of the training. This includes evaluating how the acquired knowledge translates into tangible outcomes such as increased productivity, improved resource management, and enhanced livelihoods. By systematically tracking these outcomes, the effectiveness of the training programme can be continuously assessed and improved.

Pilot testing of the training materials is an important step in refining and improving the content based on real-world feedback from various stakeholders, especially trainees and trainers. This process is enhanced through practical methods such as field visits and demonstrations, during which trainers showcase specific techniques. Trainees are then encouraged to apply these methods in real-life scenarios, allowing trainers to assess the applicability and relevance of the training content.

Through test training sessions, necessary adjustments and challenges can be identified—supplemented by anecdotal insights and direct feedback from farmers. This iterative approach ensures that the materials remain practical and relevant to local conditions, incorporate new knowledge, and adapt to changing environmental and market dynamics.

To effectively resolve wild beasts harming farmers, the Houhe Reserve invested 244,000 yuan, purchasing 63,000 meters of fencing nets for free distribution to communities, and issued 160 sets of prevention alarms; explored installing 5,000 meters of pulse electric fences; annually acquired 50,000-100,000 yuan in wildlife damage insurance, installing real "insurance" for residents' production and livelihoods. Through alarms, fencing nets, and electric fences, effectively warned of black bear presence, blocked bears from entering community areas, alleviating human-bear conflicts.

Thoughout the whole process, launch clean energy awareness campaigns, produce educational materials, and promote synergies with focus on sustainable businesses to support Community Scouts and enhance community wellbeing.

Coordinate joint patrols between Community Scouts and relevant departments (DNPW/DF) to monitor and safeguard the forest consistently.

Support communities to identify and organize volunteers committed to protecting the forest and catchment areas. Close collaboration with local authorities and local governmental structures such as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife or Department of Forestry (DNPW/DF).

Assess how many GVHs are located in the critical areas. Visit the local authorities to listen to their needs, concerns, and ideas for sustainable livelihoods linked to forest conservation.

Identify the mountain’s location, natural and human challenges, and its economic potential (e.g., tourism). Engage existing partners working on the mountain and collaborate to secure funding.