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IUCN Global Youth Summit on nature to be held online from 6 to 16 April
More than 10,000 young people will connect and exchange ideas online at the first-ever International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Youth Summit, from 6 to 16 April. The outcomes of the Summit will be presented to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France, in September 2021, helping engage and empower the voice of youth in nature conservation around the world. The Global Youth Summit will address topics including the relationship between people and nature, climate change, marine and freshwater conservation, technology and innovation, and rights, governance and social justice. The event will feature three high-level intergenerational dialogues, 60+ youth-led workshops, dozens of informal networking sessions, body awareness…
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African elephant species now Endangered and Critically Endangered – IUCN Red List
Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African forest elephant is now listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Before today’s update, African elephants were treated as a single species, listed as Vulnerable; this is the first time the two species have been assessed separately for the IUCN Red List, following the emergence of new genetic evidence. The IUCN Red List now includes 134,425 species of which 37,480 are threatened with extinction. “Africa’s elephants play key roles in ecosystems, economies and in our collective imagination all over the world.…
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COVID-19 fallout undermining nature conservation efforts – IUCN publication
The pandemic has significantly impacted nature conservation around the globe, including job losses among protected area rangers, reduced anti-poaching patrols and environmental protection rollbacks, according to a collection of new research papers published today by IUCN in a special issue of PARKS, the journal of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. "While the global health crisis remains the priority, this new research reveals just how severe a toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on conservation efforts and on communities dedicated to protecting nature. Let us not forget that only by investing in healthy nature can we provide a solid basis for our recovery from the pandemic, and avoid future…
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IUCN World Conservation Congress to be held from 3 to 11 September 2021 in Marseille
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the French government have agreed to hold the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 from 3 to 11 September 2021 in Marseille. The event, originally scheduled for June 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is increasingly recognising the inextricable link between biodiversity conservation and human and economic wellbeing, a connection made all the more visible by the COVID-19 pandemic. The IUCN Congress will be a key milestone for nature conservation and the development of a new global framework for biodiversity. The French government and IUCN remain steadfast in their commitment to these goals. As a reminder, the IUCN…
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European bison recovering, 31 species declared Extinct – IUCN Red List
The European bison (Bison bonasus), Europe’s largest land mammal, has moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened thanks to continued conservation efforts, according to today’s update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. With this update, 31 species also move into the Extinct category, and all of the world’s freshwater dolphin species are now threatened with extinction. There are now 128,918 species on the IUCN Red List, of which 35,765 are threatened with extinction. “The European bison and twenty-five other species recoveries documented in today’s IUCN Red List update demonstrate the power of conservation,” said Dr Bruno Oberle, IUCN Director General. “Yet the growing list of Extinct species is a…
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Climate change now top threat to natural World Heritage – IUCN report
Climate change is now the biggest threat to natural World Heritage, according to a report published today by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). A third (33%) of natural World Heritage sites are threatened by climate change, including the world’s largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, assessed as having a “critical” outlook for the first time. “Natural World Heritage sites are amongst the world’s most precious places, and we owe it to future generations to protect them,” said Bruno Oberle, IUCN Director General. “The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 3 reveals the damage climate change is wreaking on natural World Heritage, from shrinking glaciers to coral bleaching to increasingly…
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IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 postponed
In view of the sanitary situation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, France and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have decided to postpone the IUCN World Conservation Congress, which was to be held in January 2021 in Marseille. New dates for the event will be announced in due course. Both the Members’ Assembly and Forum components of the IUCN Congress will be held together at the new date. Furthermore, at its 100th meeting on 14 September, the IUCN Council decided that some decisions of the Members’ Assembly, such as on the IUCN Programme and Financial Plan 2021-24, which are normally taken during Congress, will be voted upon electronically…
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Farmers could substantially boost productivity by conserving soil biodiversity – IUCN report
By increasing the biodiversity of soils through sustainable practices, farmers could deliver substantial benefits for food and water security as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation, according to a new IUCN report published today. An annual increase of just 0.4% in the carbon content of agricultural soils, which is a key indicator of soil biodiversity, over the next 30 years could potentially boost global production of three major crops – maize, wheat and rice – by up to 23.4%, 22.9% and 41.9% per year respectively, according to the report. “The data in this report debunks the myth that nature conservation and global food production are a zero-sum game,” said…
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Six million Euros made available for conservation action to counter COVID-19 impacts
A total of six million Euros in emergency relief funding to address biodiversity conservation needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic is being made available by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the European Commission, and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). These European Union funds will be distributed through two complementary programmes managed by IUCN. They aim to alleviate the impacts of the pandemic on the management of protected areas and on threatened species. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how vulnerable conservation initiatives are to major disruptions. The pandemic has left local communities who protect wildlife struggling to make a living, and…
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Dr Bruno Oberle named IUCN Director General
The International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, has announced the appointment of Dr Bruno Oberle as Director General, starting today. He succeeds Inger Andersen who served as Director General from 2015 to 2019 and is now Executive Director at the United Nations Environment Programme. Dr Grethel Aguilar, Director of the Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, has been serving as Acting Director General since June 2019. “It is a great pleasure to welcome Bruno to IUCN,” said IUCN President Zhang Xinsheng. “He brings an impressive breadth of experience spanning over 40 years at a time when redefining our relationship with nature is more urgent than ever.…
