“Exchanges such as the Africa-Pacific Learning Exchange are an exciting opportunity to capitalise on BIOPAMA’s 12 years of support to biodiversity conservation in Eastern and Southern Africa.” said Christine Mentzel, BIOPAMA’s Regional Programme Development Manager at IUCN. The Africa-Pacific Learning Exchange (APLE) brought together BIOPAMA grantees, protected area managers and policy makers from across two regions for the first time.

Held in June 2024, the Tech4Nature Summit aimed to bridge the gap between technology and nature conservation. The event emphasised the critical role of digital technology, such as AI, cloud computing, and IoT, in monitoring and protecting biodiversity. Experts and stakeholders gathered to discuss the implementation of these advanced technologies in environmental conservation efforts.

The addition of new sites, and the continued effectiveness of the management and commitment of the custodians of the relisted sites on the IUCN Green List documents fair and successful nature conservation, demonstrating the way in which the world can mark ongoing progress toward achieving the 2030 goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework.  

IUCN, the official advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, recommends the addition of four new sites to the prestigious World Heritage List for their outstanding natural value in Brazil, China, France and the UK. IUCN also recommends the extension of an existing serial site along the east coast of China. 

In conjunction with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, IUCN monitored over 40 natural sites, many of which continue to face significant threats, including from climate change, infrastructure developments and armed conflicts as well as concerns and allegations of human rights violations.

IUCN will advise the 46th session of the Committee, taking place from the 21 to 31 July in New Delhi, India. The Committee makes all final decisions. IUCN also supports the organization of the 6^th World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum.

Over the past decade, the role of natural ecosystems in both mitigating and adapting to climate change has been increasingly recognised, and protected areas identified as critical tools in climate response strategies.

The State of Protected and Conserved Areas (SOPACA) report launch event at the Africa Regional Conservation Forum also included a presentation on IUCN’s new Act30 initiative to support countries in achieving Target 3 through geospatial data and concentrated dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

The PCA workshop in Sydney, funded by BIOPAMA, emerged as the focal point of the trip. It addressed critical objectives such as understanding biodiversity targets, promoting protected areas' significance, and introducing tailored capacity-building tools. 

The Indonesia Coral Bond, an innovative financing instrument launched by the World Bank, seeks to enhance ocean biodiversity and manage over 5 million hectares of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Indonesia.

Germany is supporting the new Global Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) Implementation Hub of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with 19 million euros in funding. At this year’s Oslo Tropical Forest Forum, the Federal Environment Ministry is working to accelerate the global restoration of degraded forest landscapes and reduce deforestation.

This paper builds on earlier work that informed voluntary guidance on equitable governance of protected and conserved areas that was endorsed by CBD Parties at COP14 in 2018, reflecting some important advances in guidance and tools and key changes in the context between the era of Aichi Target 11 of the
CBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and that of the 30x30 target of the GBF up to the year 2030.

The ocean’s seabed harbours a range of mineral reserves containing valuable metals and compounds. But under international law these resources have been designated “the common heritage of mankind”, a designation backed up by the body responsible for both preserving and allowing their use, the International Seabed Authority.

After 10 years of negotiations, Peru’s Council of Ministers approved the creation of the Grau Tropical Sea National Reserve. To Peruvians, it is a much-awaited marine protected area, as it’s one of the most biodiverse stretches along the country’s coastline.

This Technical Report Series guideline provides a decision-making framework for managers to develop biodiversity monitoring programmes in protected areas and other effective area-based
conservation measures. 

This photo exhibition captures local conservation actions from grantees in the field during the BEST 2.0+ and BIOPAMA programmes. It highlights projects from 7 regions in 31 countries worldwide.

Deep seabed mining could negatively impact human rights on many levels, in spite of how its remoteness and depth can make many people feel disconnected from consequences. 

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