CEM signed an MoU with The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) to collaborate in demonstrating the fundamental role that ecological restoration plays in reversing ecosystem degradation, protecting biodiversity, enhancing the delivery of ecosystem services, fostering equitable and sustainable development, and contributing to mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Willem Ferwerda -B&EM Thematic Group leader- gave lectures on creating business cases on ecosystem restoration at the Reporting 3.0 2019 Conference – Implementing Thriveable Transformation and the Saline Futures Conference Addressing Climate Change and Food Security. The presentation can be seen on video, here (starts at 00:54 min.). He also participated in the think tank of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Furthermore the thematic group was present at the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North and Central Asia in July. 

Under Commonland, thematic group co-leader Simon Moolenaar set up a pilot website to create exchange between parties on working on business cases on ecosystem restoration, check: www.4returns.earth.

The publication of the 2nd edition of the International principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) was recently launched in Cape Town-South Africa at SER’s 8th World Conference on Ecological Restoration. You can find the publication and more information about it here. CEM and some of its members have contributed in different moments of the construction of these principles and standards. CEM Chair Angela Andrade said of this publication “It is a key contribution to achieve the goals of UN decade on Ecosystem Restoration.”

CEM’s Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group (ERTG) continues its monthly webinar series on the 3rd Friday of each month from 12 to 1 pm Eastern EDT. The series is open to all IUCN and CEM members, and restoration enthusiasts and practitioners around the globe. We would like to extend an invitation to register and participate. The objective of the webinar series is to provide a forum for IUCN and CEM members to gain insight and knowledge about ecological restoration and to provide opportunities for networking and direct engagement. Please join us for the rest of the calendar year 2019. 

October: Regional Update: Ecological Restoration in West Africa: Accomplishments, Challenges and Opportunities (Abraham Ekperusi, Lecturer, Nigeria Maritime University)
November: Technical Guidance: Emerging issues in Sourcing Seed and Native Plant Materials for Ecological Restoration (Tom Kaye, Executive Director and Senior Ecologist at the Institute for Applied Ecology)
December: New Initiatives: Strategic Planning for 2020 and the UN Decade of Restoration (Cara Nelson, Brock Blevins).

ER TG is currently collecting ideas for guest presenters for the 2020 Calendar year. If you have a restoration activity that fits in the themes of the series, please email Brock Blevins or Cara Nelson to learn more.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Supporting Biocultural Diversity, Sustainability and Society, edited by Maureen Reed and Martin Price, was published by Earthscan (Routledge) in September.  It includes many contributions from CEM members, particularly those of the Thematic Group on Biosphere Reserves.  The book has 25 chapters, divided into three sections.  It starts by outlining the origins and history of UNESCO’s MAB Programme and its Biosphere Reserves (BRs), showing how they contribute to advancing sustainable development. The second section documents the evolution of BRs around the world, including 15 national case studies, from all of the five UNESCO world regions. Each case study demonstrates how conservation, sustainable development and the role of scientific research have been interpreted locally. The book concludes with seven chapters that discuss thematic lessons to help understand the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainability science, providing a unique platform from which lessons can be learned. This includes how concepts become actions on the ground and how ideas can be taken up across sites at differing scales.

Angela Andrade, Chair of CEM, describes the book as “A much needed publication about the relevance of Biosphere Reserves as nature-based solutions that implement emerging and key concepts for our planetary challenges – such as governance and cultural practices for ecosystem management – in a continuous search for ecosystem resilience”.

Further information about the book is available in this site where you can also order copies at a 20% discount if you enter the code FLR40 at the checkout!

The NbS Global Standard is in its phase of public consultation. The Global Ecosystem Management Programme (GEMP) and CEM are very interested in having feedback about its process. The public consultation is open until the 14th of October in the IUCN Global Standard page via an online survey in English, French and Spanish. 

The RLE team was present in ICCB with several events. One short course: Which ecosystems are threatened? Applying the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems to identify ecosystems at risk (led by Irene Zager); Symposiums: Hotspots of diversity and natural capital: assessing risks to Asian ecosystems (with N. Murray, J. Rowland, D. Keith and C.Lee), and Challenges and opportunities for tracking trends in species and ecosystems for reporting towards national and international biodiversity targets (led by Emiliy Nicholson); and discussion group: Which ecosystems are threatened? Advances from the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems database (by Irene Zager). 

CEM South America Region is organizing a workshop on Nature-based Solutions: Experience exchange during the 3^rd Latin American and Caribbean Protected Areas Congress. The event will focus on presenting the principles proposed by IUCN for the implementation of Nature-based Solutions as well as experiences developed by diverse organizations in the region. This event seeks to promote discussions about a concept which is still under construction. Wednesday 16 October, Maranga room 16:40-18:40, 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Protected Areas Congress, Lima-Perú.

The region is also organizing an event to share experiences on the Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) in Latin America and its implications for decision taking and effective management of biodiversity. Results of assessments in different countries in the region will be presented and emphasis will be made in the application of RLE for decision taking and biodiversity management. Tuesday October 15th, Cajamarquilla room 16:40-18:40, 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Protected Areas Congress, Lima-Perú.

NIDM (Centre for excellence on Climate Resilience) in collaboration with Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan; Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun; CSIR National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur and IUCN Commission on Ecosystems Management (CEM) organized one day workshop on “Nature Based Solutions for Climate Resilience” on 5th August 2019 at YMCA Auditorium, Delhi. The workshop aimed at understanding the opportunities and challenges of Nature Based Solutions for climate resilience and disaster risk reduction with a special focus on Indian mangroves. The event provided a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogues, bringing together researchers, professional and managers in the domain. Around 30 participants including representatives from UNESCO C2C WII, IGES (University of Tokyo, Japan), ICUN, CSIR-NERI, Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM- MoEF&CC), NDMA, WTI, WFF-India, TERI-SAS, IIT Bombay and others actively contributed to the discussions during the workshop. Considering the huge support that mangrove forest provides to coastal ecosystem and communities particularly during extreme events, the workshop highlighted the current state of mangroves ecosystems in India and helped in delineating an institutional framework and a roadmap for strengthening Indian mangroves ecosystems through ground efforts of conservation and restoration for climate and disaster resilience in the country.

Blog post By Shalini Dhyani
After 15 days of marathon discussions on  every aspect of reducing deforestation and degradation risks in light of climate change and drought-proofing the world, UNCCD COP 14 ended in New Delhi, India last week. The drought was the centre stage of COP 14 due to its massive impact on food security of millions dwelling across drought-affected areas. Understanding and addressing the crucial concern on increasing drought risk for the entire world, especially for many African and Asian countries will be quite a challenge

The results of the CEM Mountain Day 2018 are published and available in the CEM South Asia webpage. The event was jointly organised by GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Almora at New Delhi in December 2018 and succeeded in bringing together experts from these domains and capture their view points. The Himalaya is an important region for ecological security of India and much beyond. However, the region is equally known for its sensitivity to perturbations (anthropogenic and natural), which is  impacting the Himalayan ecosystem  and its people.  Considering the gravity of implications, following three priority issues were delibrated during the CEM Mountain Day 2018. These include, (i) Migration a result of lack of livelihood opportunities; (ii) Water and Biodiversity as critical resources; and (iii). Waste as fast emerging challenge. 

Tamer Khafaga -CEM Regional Chair for West Asia- presented in the International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) in Kuala Lumpur in July about Hyper-arid Wilderness Areas as Natural Capital and the Environmental Challenges they face – A Dubai Emirate Perspective. This work is done jointly with CEM member Brigitte Howarth. 

The call for candidates is open until November 1st for the Young Professionals Award.  Please contact Liette Vasseur for more information about the Young Professional Award or to present candidates.

CEM Young Professional Deepu Sivadas is reactivating the Young Professional Network (YPN) blog. Please contact Deepu if you are interested in posting news in this young network space of communication.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is where the world comes together to set priorities and drive conservation and sustainable development action. IUCN’s 1300+ government, civil society and indigenous peoples’ Member organisations vote on major issues, action which guides humanity’s relationship with our planet for the decades ahead.

Regional Fora
6-8 Nov – ARO, Islamabad, Pakistan

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Do you work, study, or do research in conservation? The Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS) would like to learn about your #lifeinconservation, and the challenges and rewards you face, through this 8-minute online survey available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. This information will inform efforts to support the welfare of those in conservation: https://livedataoxford.shinyapps.io/lifeinconservation/

At the end, you’ll be able to see some of your results compared to others who have taken the survey. More details can be found by following the survey link or searching for #lifeinconservation on Twitter.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has opened this vacancy announcement for a consultancy on Global Land Outlook writer/editor. It will be open until November 1st.

An inter-commission initiative to be held during the 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Protected Areas Congress in Lima-Perú in the #NatureForAll pavillion. The objective of this event is to socialize joint actions in the region recognizing the urgent regional scenario and the capacities and initiatives of those who are part of the Union for effective incidence. The event has as a common goal, strengthening the One Programme approach of IUCN, and seeks to identify viable agreements for joint actions. For more information please contact Camila Perez of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC). 

CEM created the Luc Hoffmann Award to recognize individuals that demonstrate initiative and environmental leadership within their communities.  The Award is to be granted to a member of the Commission who has demonstrated exceptional initiative in ecosystem management. CEM leaders and members are asked to nominate those that qualify. Nominations are open until November 1st, 2019. Please contact Birguy Lamizana for further information. You can find the call for nominations here. 

You can nominate CEM members who are: 

• volunteering their time to support the conservation and management of ecosystem,
• showing environmental leadership and setting inspirational examples, not only for their direct surroundings, but for the country, region and the world.
• having contributed to solving an issue or filling in a gap in providing, guidance/tools for ecosystems restoration, preservation and sustainable use/management.