IUCN July 2024 ENG

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.

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The IUCN Member magazine, Unite for Nature, is available in English, French and Spanish, and is published twice a year by Think, on behalf of IUCN.

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IUCN editorial lead

lain Stewart (IUCN Director, Membership and Commissions Support)

IUCN editorial board

Martin Austermuhle, Ann-Katrine Garn, Kedar Gore, Rehema Kahurananga, SungAh Lee, Chris Mahon, Sarah Over, Fauza Namukuve, Sean Southey, Liz Thompson

Editor Tom Ireland

Group Editor Emily Rodway

Art Director John Pender

Sub Editor Camilla Elwes

Executive Director

John Innes, john.innes@ thinkpublishing.co.uk

www.thinkpublishing.co.uk

© International Union for Conservation of Nature

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Cover image: Scimitar Oryx by Roland Seitre / Nature Picture Library I"\ MIX

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UPFRONT

2 NEWS

Study shows positive impact of conservation actions, report calls for more Nature-based Solutions, and more

5 60 YEARS OF THE IUCN RED LIST

The power of IUCN's most well-known conservation tool

6 GOOD NEWS MAP

Stories of positive change from around the globe

10 EXPERT ANALYSIS

IUCN's impact at COP28 in Dubai

limaseni

REGULARS

MEMBER PROFILES

12 Under the Pole

13 Population, Health and Environment

Ethiopia Consortium

22 Jordan's Ministry of Environment

23 The City of Paris

24 SPOTLIGHT ON ...

Prepare for World Conservation Congress at your Regional Conservation Forum

28 GLOBAL EVENTS

Dates for your diary in 2024

FEATURES

8 'EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE'

IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar

14 CAN LAW HELP US

SAVE THE PLANET?

Legal action on climate

change is starting to find regular success ili

18 CARING FOR CONSERVATIONISTS

Managing mental health in an era of environmental change

20 'IUCN EQUALS HOPE'

Oceanographer :;;

Sylvia Earle on her remarkable career

A crucialyear for our Union

My first six months as Director General of IUCN have been an inspiration. I have felt the power of our Union through the actions of all our Members around the world, whether they be governments, Indigenous Peoples' organisations or non-governmental organisations. Every action, big or small, has an impact and helps us achieve a better planet and improve the wellbeing of people.

I have also seen the energy and commitment of the IUCN Secretariat working in our offices around the world, and of our seven Commissions with their 16,000 expert volunteers, who generate knowledge and policy advice, willing to serve a cause and a vision.

Every IUCN Member organisation and expert brings different views and ways of doing things. It's amazing to see how different people around the globe approach challenges and opportunities under one common mission. I feel honoured to be trusted with being part of this incredible organisation. IUCN'svery nature is testament to the fact we are all interconnected, and can only solve the planetary crisis confronting us through working together, united in the need for innovative solutions and urgent action.

This year is very important for such action, with countries meeting for several international environmental conventions -on biodiversity, climate change and desertification. Already, IUCN has attended the Conference of the Parties on Migratory Species. We are a strong voice at these international conventions where we unite for nature, but we will not change the world only by attending global conferences. We have to work with countries and communities, and our Members are best placed to do that. We have to build up from the local to the international and go from the international to the local. It's a two-way street.

This year, IUCNwill hold nine Regional Conservation Fora, meeting with our Members all over the world. There, we will build the path IUCNwill follow in the approaching years. We will work on the next steps for our Nature 2030 Programme in this new quadrennial cycle, aligning it with our upcoming 20-year strategic vision. This year, we will also celebrate 60 years of the IUCN Red List,the conservation work that has come from it, as well as the partnership that underpins this world-renowned tool.

Seeing the organisation through the perspective of Director General over the last six months has been inspiring and very fulfilling. It tells me we can continue to achieve great things -at a moment when the planet needs IUCN. Together, we will show the world what we are capable of as a Union.

Dr GrethelAguilar IUCNDirector General

PANORAMA launchesnewweb platform

A new and improved web platform has been launched to showcase and amplify over a thousand replicable solutions that address biodiversity conservation and sustainable development challenges.

PANORAMA,an initiative between 12 partner organisations, including IUCN, has been running for over a decade and currently features detailed case studies of over 1,400 successful interventions, which can range from specific local projects to research or techniques. By documenting and sharing success stories in a standardised format, PANORAMAenables practitioners worldwide to tackle similar challenges in their respective contexts.

Reportcalls formore

Nature-based Solutions

Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for an Accelerated Climate Transformation (ENACT)Partnership's report says the world must better align its actions tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. It also calls on governments to use more Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to address these crises.

The State of ENACT NbS Goals Report: Year One Roadmap - published in March during the Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)in Kenya -is the first from the year-old ENACTPartnership.

The ENACTPartnership was launched by Egypt and Germany at COP27in 2022, and includes member states such as Canada and the Republic of Korea. It aims to use Nature-based Solutions to enhance protective measures against

Its revamped web platform introduces several key enhancements aimed at improving user experience and increasing the visibility of contributions. With a dynamic map tool and enhanced filtering options based on thematic groups and geographical regions, users can now navigate solutions more intuitively, discovering relevant case studies with ease.

A new community section puts the spotlight on the people behind the solutions and aims to deepen peer connectivity.

The relaunch supports the initiative's mission to document and promote replicable solutions across diverse

climate change for at least one billion vulnerable people, secure up to 2.4 billion hectares of ecosystem integrity, and safeguard and restore carbon-rich ecosystems to mitigate climate crisis damage.

The report stresses governments must make NbS mainstream and support the development of tools tracking their effectiveness, mobilise resources for developing countries, and prioritise funding for women and Indigenous Peoples.

It also cites Canada's $315m increase in its climate change investment and

thematic areas, such as restoration, climate change adaptation and species conservation, providing practical solutions to move towards a healthier planet.

Visit panorama.solutions/en

three-year partnership with IUCN to develop Nature-based Solutions as an approach countries should follow.

"Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation significantly threaten human equality and well-being. It's no longer tenable to address these crises separately," says Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General. "The report offers an important reminder that sustainable development requires holistic approaches and collaboration."

Read 'TheState of ENACTNbS Goals Report:Year OneRoadmap'at IUCN.org/enactNBSreport

Act30 conservation initiativelaunches

Act30 is a new initiative striving to conserve at least 30% of the planet's land and water by 2030.

Launched in December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, Act30 is co-designed and co-delivered by IUCN,the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, and technology company Esri to address the current gap where only 15%ofland and 7.4% of oceans are protected under official laws.

Utilising IUCN's Green List Standard -recognised as the global benchmark for quality conservation -and Esri's mapping tools, Act30 champions

the conservation knowledge of Indigenous Peoples to design alternative biodiversity approaches.

Act30 will support the 190 governments committed to the '30x30' target of protecting 30% of the planet for nature by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, by helping them design conservation strategies suited to their heritage, culture and ecosystems.

So far, Act30 has worked with 14 initial priority countries to begin forming conservation strategies. More countries will begin their plans throughout 2024. Visit act30.org

StudyshowsiITlpactsof conservationactions

The first-ever comprehensive analysis of conservation actions has found that most interventions have a decidedly positive impact on wildlife and ecosystems.

The systematic review, published in cc the prestigious journal Science,provides the strongest evidence to date that z conservation actions are successful, and d for the transformational scaling-up " required to meet global targets.

Researchers from IUCN,its Members, § and several UK universities performed a Vl meta-analysis of data from 186 different

conservation studies. They found that in the majority (two thirds) of cases conservation had a positive impact, reversing or slowing biodiversity loss, compared to estimates of what would have happened without action. Results were consistent across different scales and types of intervention and in different ecosystems.

The paper, ThePositiveImpactof ConservationAction,provides a strong evidence base for the transformative "scaling up conservation" changes

proposed in IUCN's20-year vision, and may help scientists refine methods where conservation actions did not work

Partnershipprotectsmigratoryanimals

The new Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity, which aims to ensure ecological connectivity is maintained, enhanced and restored in areas critical to migratory species, was announced on 14 February.

The initiative, launched in Uzbekistan at the latest meeting of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, sees the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Connectivity Conservation Group joined by organisations including the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and more.

MarineSTAR metric revealed

IUCN has announced the Marine Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR)metric, which provides users with the means to measure if their actions can help halt biodiversity loss and reduce species extinction risk in oceans and seas.

First announced by IUCN in 2021 for use in terrestrial areas, the STAR metric utilises data from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™to quantify risks to biodiversity and species.

The Marine STARfeatures data on 1,646 marine species. It enables organisations to better understand if their actions are meeting targets like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's aim to conserve 30% of land, waters and seas by 2030. Read moreat bit.ly/STARmetric

NEWASSESSMENTOFTHREATS TOGLOBALMANGROVES

A new study by IUCN'sRed List of Ecosystems has classified the world's mangroves in 35 provinces, and assessed the threats and risk of ecosystem collapse in each region.

This new global assessment shows that 50% of mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse. In the absence of additional conservation efforts, it is estimated that over 23,000 km 2 of mangroves will be submerged by 2050. The carbon and disaster risk losses of this alone amount to approximately $36 billion

The report concludes that sea-level rise

is the main threat to mangroves worldwide. The assessment also found that the risks of mangrove loss are different across regions and provinces.

For example, the loss of protection for people from coastal disasters is most severe in the Sunda Shelf and South China Sea, while the loss of fishing supported by mangroves would be most felt in the southern Gulf of Guinea and Tropical Northwest Atlantic. Carbon losses and the protection of buildings would be most impacted in other regions.

157, 1_00 species

currently have been assessed by the Red List

44,016 species are threatened with extinction, and 28% of all assessed species are at risk of extinction

The Red List aims to assess more than

160,~00 species 20,000+ species experts

have been involved in Red List assessments, from 169 countries and territories

• Educational organisations

in Chad, the scimitar-horned oryx

(Oryx dammahJ recently moved from 'Extinct in the Wild' to 'Endangered'.

A new Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area has been created, bringing four million acres of southwest Florida under the protection of the USA's National Wildlife Refuge System.

Jamaican coral reefs have been described as being their "most vibrant since the 1970s" by marine biologists who have been painstakingly restoring corals via nurseries. Jamaica lost 85% of its corals to natural and manmade disasters in the 1980s and 1990s.

More seabirds are now nesting on the small British island of Lundy than at any time since the 1930s. Its cliffs are now home to 40,000 birds, including Manx shearwaters as well as puffins and storm petrels, up from just a few thousand in the early 2000s.

The Scimitar-horned oryx, declared Extinct in the wild _ by IUCN in 2000, has been upgraded to Endangered, thanks to a global conservation effort which has resulted in 510 calves

33 Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) have been established across a vast region of the northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea. The IMMAs will help inform environmental impact assessments in the region and aid the creation of marine protected areas.

An €11 m One Health Initiative, involving IUCN and national and international partners from all five Central Asian countries, is taking action to promote ecological balance and prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases in the region .

China and Russia have established a joint research lab focused solely on the conservation of Siberian tigers in eastern Russia and northeastern China.

•The Republic of the Marshall Islands has established a 'Blue Fee', which uses a percentage of profits from tuna markets to fund biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation efforts.

A $30m initiative supported by IUCN will boost climate and economic resilience for 275,000 people across the Indian Ocean region, through Nature-based Solutions and marine conservation.

A collaboration between Wild Africa Fund and Alliance Media Africa has created Africa's biggest-ever billboard campaign -reaching 52 million people in 12 countries -highlighting the need to protect Africa's wildlife.

When it comes to uniting under the banner of nature conservation and leading the urgent action that the world needs, there is no better organisation suited to the task than IUCN,according to its Director General, Dr Grethel Aguilar.

Although she was appointed to her current position as recently as last October, Dr Aguilar has a long history with the Union, initially representing the Costa Rica Environmental Law Centre as an IUCN Member, and serving on the World Commission on Environmental Law for eight years. In 2005, she became IUCN's Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and later served as IUCN's Deputy Director General with responsibility for Regions and Outposted Offices, as well as two stints as Acting Director General.

"The constitution ofIUCN is unique," she says. "We have governments, we have civil society, we have Indigenous Peoples organisations and we have experts. It is a very powerful Union."

Throughout all these years, Dr Aguilar has witnessed first-hand the passion of IUCN's regional and national committees,

the importance of Member organisations' work on the ground, the knowledge of experts that come from the Commissions, and the impact of attending international conventions as part of an IUCN delegation. This combination of knowledge and skills, as well as local and international action, allows IUCNto be a leader in tackling the challenges confronting humanity.

"We are at a crossroads where we cannot afford to make the wrong decision," she says. "The scale of the crisis facing the planet is of such enormity that we need to act correctly. The unique composition of IUCN ensures it is the perfect organisation to convene different voices and show the way."

A VISION AND A MISSION

At the IUCNWorld Conservation Congress in Marseille in September 2021,the Union adopted by democratic vote a programme of work for this decade, the Nature 2030

IUCN Programme. This Programme provides a call to action for people, land, water, ocean and climate.

For Dr Aguilar, this provides an important roadmap for the Union's work. "The Programme is clear," she says. 'You can open the Nature 2030 Programme and see everything the Members decided IUCN needs to focus on for this period. And in 2025, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, we will assess progress, strengthen the Programme and agree on a 20-year strategic vision for our Union."

Like IUCN's Director General, the Nature 2030 Programme is ambitious and, crucially, optimistic about the potential for a better world. "We have to believe everything is possible; that change is possible and that transformation is possible," emphasises Dr Aguilar.

"We human beings are responsible for the state of the planet today -but when I

"HUMAN BEINGS HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSFORM AND CHANGE-WE

"WE NEED TO KEEPTAKINGACTION AND STRENGTHENING

THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CONSERVATION"

wake up every day, I dorit think about the terrible condition of the planet -I think that we can solve the situation. Human beings have the power to transform and change -we have seen it so many times."

EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE

Born in Costa Rica, Dr Grethel Aguilar has 30 years of experience in nature conservation and sustainable development. As well as serving as a legal officer at her country's Environmental Law Centre, she also worked at Costa Rica's Association for the Protection of the Rivers as Executive Director. She has helped communities access clean water; advocated for environmental justice; supported Indigenous Peoples in obtaining rights to their natural resources; and championed gender equality in environmental governance.

Dr Aguilar remains passionate about the rights oflndigenous Peoples, and has pushed for the inclusion of their knowledge and experience in mainstream conservation policy. Likewise, she is forthright that there is still a long way to go before there is anything approaching true gender equality worldwide, including in the field of nature conservation.

"I have to say that women and girls are not where we should be. There is a lot to be done. It's true that in some countries we have advanced," she states. "Butwe cannot take it for granted that the job is already accomplished and things are great. In IUCN and around the world, all of uswomen and men -must continue advancing the mission of gender equality.

"Itruly believe that we need to keep taking action and strengthening the role of women and girls in conservation and, as a woman, I have a personal responsibility to do that, too. I got where I am by working hard and being supported by other women."

Looking to the present day, Dr Aguilar acknowledges the immense value of the high-level support she receives from IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak, as well as from the Union's Council with representatives from across the world. As Director General, she

appreciates working with conservationists, thought leaders and experts. Equally, she relishes the opportunity to engage with people from different sectors at very different stages in their lives and conservation journeys.

She recognises the need for dialogue with young people. IUCN's role in that relationship is not just to inspire, but also to listen and learn. "Today,our most important mission is to inspire change and to work with the younger generations, to share with our teenagers, our children, that change is possible. There will be a time when they have to lead, and they therefore must believe that it is possible to create a better world," she says.

"I take the time to meet with delegations of young people," she explains. "I can see the future there. It's a bright future, it's a good future, it's a future that they're going to embrace.

''And for people like me who are not so young, we need to understand this is a two-way street. There is not only one way of doing things. We must respect the past, but we must be open to new and innovative possibilities. It is not just a case of us teaching them. I am willing to learn and listen, because by working as an

intergenerational coalition, we will learn from each other and end up stronger."

FUTURE FORWARD

As Dr Aguilar highlights in her introductory letter at the start of this magazine, 2024 will be a highly significant year for nature conservation and for IUCN's role in instigating and steering important change around the world.

She is also enthusiastic about the opportunity to engage with the Union's membership at the nine Regional Conservation Fora taking place this year (seepage 24), where IUCNwill gather insights from its membership to plan activities over the next four years and prepare for next year's World Conservation Congress. She also looks forward to welcoming Members to IUCN's "Home of the Union" at forthcoming international convenings, such as the multiple United Nations' Conferences of the Parties.

Considering her role as Director General of this global Union of 1,400 member organisations and 16,000 experts, Dr Aguilar concludes: "It is a big responsibility but it is also a wonderful privilege to support our Union. As Director General, I feel surrounded and supported by incredible people who are committed, knowledgeable and inspiring, and who want to realise the goal of a healthy planet, where people can thrive in harmony with nature."

Dr Aguilar with IUCN President

Buildingonthe COP28momentum

Dr SandeepSengupta,IUCN'sglobalpolicyleadon climatechange,outlinesthe Union'simpactat COP28 andthe importanceof drivingforwardkeymessages

To understand how high the stakes were for COP28,we need to start with the context. This was the first time that countries that had signed on to the Paris Agreement had come together to take collective stock and assess the progress of the goals set in 2015. Under the agreement, each country has its climate action plans, which are termed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),that they need to refresh every five years with an increasing level of ambition. It was really important that this first global stocktake worked, so that countries come back in 2025 with stronger NDCs. Indeed, these are essential for building global climate resilience and keeping the 1.5°Ctemperature rise target within reach.

MAKING OUR POSITION CLEAR

Much of IUCN'swork for COP28 happened before the conference even began. At the start of the year, our President and Director General set up a COP28working group with Members from the IUCN Council, including Commission Chairs. We met regularly to discuss our approach, had our position paper ready in September, then shared our key messages widely with our Members and constituents across the world. Our President, as the UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28, played a central role in highlighting our messages on nature and inclusion (see box below).

It is well known, at least within our community, that in addition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in other

Servingbothas IUCN Presidentand UN ClimateChangeHigh-LevelChampion,Razan

Al Mubarakhas beenexemplaryin giving voiceto natureand representingthe interests of IUCN Members.Throughherleadership, criticalenvironmentalissueswerecentralto the discussionsat COP28,whichledto significantadvancementsinthe global stocktake,includingthe explicitrecognitionof nature,a commitmentto endingdeforestation, andthe acknowledgmentof the vitalroleof indigenouspeoplesin climatesolutions. Theseachievements,partof the UAE Consensus,demonstratethe influenceof IUCN'scollectivevoiceinshapingimpactful globalenvironmentalpolicies.

sectors, healthy ecosystems and Nature-based Solutions can play a critical role in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation. Yet it is only since COP26in Glasgow that there has been formal international recognition that the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are interlinked and need to be tackled jointly. Going into COP28,we wanted to see this reinforced, particularly so that countries integrate nature in their 2025 climate plans and longer-term stategies.

We also wanted a much stronger commitment on climate finance, particularly for adaptation and Nature-based Solutions, and for previous promises in this area to be kept. A key message we reiterated was that much more of this finance needed to be made directly accessible to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. They are the stewards of ecosystems on the ground, and the most vulnerable, but are presently locked out of most climate funding.

One of the most contested topics in recent climate COPshas been getting the right language on a 'fossil fuel phase-out' incorporated within the COP decisions. Going into COP28,this was something IUCN strongly advocated for. Science tells us that deep and sustained emission reductions are urgently needed to keep the 1.5°C goal alive. In our view, therefore, the outcomes had to include a

time-bound phase-out of all fossil fuels, within a framework that ensured a just transition.

We had other priorities too: warning against the use of emerging (and untested) geoengineering technologies, supporting renewable energies while avoiding negative impacts on biodiversity and local people, and highlighting the crucial importance of equitable and inclusive climate policy and action.

DELIVERING OUR MESSAGES

At the conference itself, our Unite for Nature Pavilion became a home for our Members and constituents. Indeed, it was rightly called the 'Home of the Union'. We used it to hold nearly 80 events to showcase our work, build partnerships, and communicate our messages.

Across the rest of COP,IUCNwas highly visible. We took part in various high-level events and sessions. actively contributed to presidency-led and high-level champion-led initiatives. and worked with a large number of different stakeholders. This resulted in several practical and concrete initiatives on Nature-based Solutions, mangroves, freshwater ecosystems, renewables, gender and Indigenous Peoples, to name a few.There were also the formal negotiations, which we closely followed, where we helped shape decision language, particularly on the global stocktake and the global goal on adaptation.

When it came to our messaging, people absolutely listened. The deep link between the climate and biodiversity challenges, and the need to address them jointly, including in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, is now reflected in the final COP decisions. The role of nature and ecosystems in meeting the Paris Agreement goals is recognised, as is -for the first time -the need to stop and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.

There is language on ecosystem -based approaches. Nature-based Solutions and recognition of the need to support

The Unite for Nature pavilion provides a platfonn for IUCN Members to hold events at global environmental conferences and gatherings.

• Morethan 130 IUCN Members,Commission Membersand Secretariatstaffsubmittedproposals to holdeventsat the IUCN Pavilionat COP28.

• 77 eventsand 10 receptionswere selectedand took place,attractingmorethan 2,300 participants in person,and 8,000 viewerson the live-stream.

Indigenous Peoples and the most vulnerable. Importantly, the decision also recognises that all nature-related climate actions need to be aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to create an important policy cohesion. Our messaging was for parties to incorporate these understandings in the final global stocktake outcome decision, and that happened.

The one thing COPdidn't deliver was a clear-cut call to phase-out fossil fuels. That remained politically contentious until the very last minute. But for the first time, clear language was agreed on the need for 'transitioning away from fossil fuels' in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner. While not perfect, it signals at least, as many have noted, the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel age.

There was another major achievement which no one expected to happen in the way it did. At COP27,it was agreed there would be a fund set up for loss and damage for countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate disasters, and it would be operationalised by COP28.Many had expected a long drawn-out fight. But on day one of COP28,the fund was successfully set in motion, and managed to secure funding commitments of

1THE CORE OBJECTIVEWAS FOR COUNTRIESTO

around $700m by the end of the conference. This was a remarkable achievement, and a lot of the credit goes to the UAECOP28presidency.

LOOKING AHEAD TO BAKU

With nearly 100,000 officially-registered participants, and more than 150 heads of state and government, Dubai was the biggest COP ever. It is remarkable that year on year, host governments around the world are able to convene such a concentration of global leadership to address this major challenge of our time.

The core objective of the global stocktake was for countries to come back in 2025 with stronger NDCs.This process ofNDC revision is now underway. We want countries to reflect their highest possible ambition in them, also by including ambitious and concrete Nature-based Solutions in a way that generates climate benefits, enhances biodiversity conservation and supports human wellbeing.

COP29in Baku, Azerbaijan will also see finance take centre-stage, with governments needing to agree on a new collective climate finance goal that can mobilise the trillions, not billions, that are needed today to address the climate challenge. For IUCN,it will be an important moment to drive forward the momentum of COP28with a continued focus on the link between nature, climate and peopleto make sure that nature's voice in the climate debate is not lost, but enhanced.

Gettingdeeper

Under the Pole explainsits work to exploreand protectthe unchartedparts of our oceans

INTERNATIONALNGO

Over 70% of our planet is covered by the ocean, yet only the surface of the seas, which makes up just 5%, is well studied. The mesophotic zone, which lies between 30m and 200m, remains virtually unknown.

Mesophotic ecosystems connect life on the surface and the deep, and understanding them is essential to properly preserving the ocean. Yet in national and international ocean protection frameworks, attention to oceanic transition stages, such as the mesophotic zone, is not clearly formulated. Unique habitats and species are disappearing before they have even been discovered.

Under the Pole is an underwater exploration programme launched in 2008 which uses deep diving and navigation in difficult-to-access environments (polar regions, isolated islands, mesophotic depths) for the service of science. It raises awareness among the general public,

schoolchildren and decision -makers of the challenges of preserving mesophotic environments.

The difficulty of accessing deeper ocean environments has led to a compartmentalisation of knowledge between well-known surface ecosystems and unknown mesophotic ecosystems, limiting effective measures to preserve coastal zones. Recently, exploration of the mesophotic zone has found a new lease oflife, thanks to diving innovations such as the rebreather (breathing apparatus that absorbs the CO2of a diver's exhaled breath). Now fast and nimble specialised divers are an effective alternative to scientific trawling and dredging techniques.

Our fourth major programme, DEEPLIFE 2021-2030, focuses on the coastal zones of the oceans, including in the polar regions. The work will enable us to explore marine animal forests (structures created by animals like corals, sponges and gorgonians) to decipher their ecological importance and the

ecosystem services they produce, and to determine their vulnerability to climate change. On the scale of the oceans, marine animal forests could prove to be as essential as equatorial forests in preserving biodiversity. The expeditions began in 2022 with the exploration of Arctic ecosystems in the Svalbard archipelago, before reaching the Canary Islands and their incredible black coral forests. DEEPLIFE continues in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea in 2024.

Research from our earlier DEEPHOPE programme, in partnership with the French National Centre for Scientific Research, revealed that the mesophotic zone can act as a refuge from global warming. With more than 1,000 dives over a period of 14 months across the five Polynesian archipelagos, we found that deep reefs (beyond 40m) escape coral bleaching, and coral's diversity is greater at depths of 40-60m than at the surface. We even found photosynthetic coral at 172m deep -a record.

Under the Pole works with IUCN to help give a voice to these ecosystems, but also to learn more about and work with the scientists and players involved in protecting the oceans. Our ambition is to see the data generated by our expeditions translated into conservation action, and to develop tools for decisionmakers and managers for the conservation of these vulnerable marine habitats. We hope to develop collaborations to identify the needs of IUCN and the way in which the data can effectively develop knowledge and conservation of the mesophotic zone.

underthepole.org

Thelawof theland

EndashawMogessie, directorof the Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium, explainshowtraditional indigenousgovernancehas helpeda once-unwanted protectedareathrive

NATIONALNGO

Swayne's hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei) is an endangered antelope endemic to Ethiopia. Two of the largest remaining populations are located in the Senkelle Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary (SSHS)and Maze National Park

SSHS was established by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) in 1976 to protect the hartebeest, and is the smallest protected area (54km2) in Ethiopia. The area is surrounded by human settlement on all sides, except to the east, and nearby residents were greatly impacted by the new rules put in place in terms of access to resources and limitations on development. With SSHS's non-participatory management also impacting the community's traditional use rights, locals felt abandoned.

After the Derg government was toppled in 1991, people began seeking retribution by hunting every hartebeest they came across, both inside and outside the sanctuary. Between 1991 and 1992, the population fell from an estimated 3,500 animals to less than 70.

The Gada system is the indigenous democratic system of governance used by the Oromo ethnic group in Ethiopia. One of the traditional clan leaders, Aba Gada Worena Jarra Jarso, was particularly worried about the aggressive extermination of Swayne's hartebeest. He assembled locals in the nearby town of Senbete and started a conversation about how to preserve the remaining antelope. He urged the neighbourhoods to consider the ramifications of eradicating the species permanently, asking fellow community leaders and elders (known as Aba Gadas): "Willthe Creator not question us if they are extinct?"

The Aba Gadas formed a committee to look after the sanctuary and to safeguard Swayne's hartebeest. They decided to declare the hartebeest as the 29th sub-clan member of a local clan known as Hambentu. As of the 15th June 1993, a person hunting one of these animals would be penalised by the Gada authorities as if they had killed a human member of the clan.

Consequently, the killing of the Swayne's hartebeest has stopped, and the population has increased dramatically. The introduction of rules based on the Geda system has changed attitudes

of the community too, which has now become an ally of the species and the protection of SSHS.There are now over 800 Swayne's hartebeest.

Many authors suggest that recognition of customary law is significant for the sustainable use of the natural resources of our planet (IUCN, 2011). The implementation of the traditional customary law developed by Oromo people (Gada system) and Sidama people (Sera system) jointly with the Ethiopia Wildlife's Conservation Authority's management of SSHS, has been vital in the conservation of the wild lives and biophysical resources of the sanctuary.

Community conflict has been minimised and local communities also now benefit from grazing in specified areas and the production of sellable cultural materials such as grass for thatching. Similar traditional customary law has since been adopted in Ethiopia's AbijattaShalla Lakes National Park, and we have been sharing our experiences with other areas and conducting awareness-creation programmes in various publications and media outlets.

phe-ethiopia.org

e European Court of Human Rights ecently ruled that Switzerland's limate inaction had violated a group of Swiss women's human rights.

The case was brought by a group of older women, known as the KlimaSeniorinnen, who argued that their lives were being put at greater risk by heatwaves because the Swiss state is not taking steps to combat global warming. The court's ruling in their favour is the

latest example of how international environmental laws and treaties could be enforced at a local level.

Since the groundbreaking and legallybinding Paris Agreement was passed in 2015,there has been a surge in lawsuits aimed at boosting climate action and holding those who fail to act to account.

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law lists more than 2,500 cases to date, and more are being added all the time, with a

joint report last year by the centre and the UN Environment Programme (Unep) concluding that this is now a well-defined area oflaw and a key tool in delivering climate action and justice.

Most of these cases are targeted at state-level carbon-reduction targets and strategies, challenging governments to do more to mitigate climate change. But lawsuits are also being filed against businesses, raising important questions

for organisations about corporate responsibility and transparency, especially as some start to seek compensation. International courts are also being asked to make advisory rulings on states' responsibilities on climate. And progress in climate law is helping show the path to fighting other environmental problems, such as biodiversity loss, with litigation.

IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar says: "The decisions and opinions of international and national courts are fundamental to developing a future where equity and justice go hand in hand with the global conservation of natural resources, benefiting all people who inhabit Planet Earth -our home."

Christina Voigt, Chair ofIUCN's World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL)and Professor of Law at the University of Oslo, has been working on this topic for over 20 years, so the progression of climate litigation has not come as a surprise to her.

"It was just a matter of time until it bubbled up to the regional and international courts," she says. "It's such a contentious and complex issue, you'll never resolve it just by treaty negotiations, there will be courts involved."

Many climate-related lawsuits do not succeed, and some have proved difficult to enforce. However, a 2023 report by the UK's Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment found 55% of cases outside the US have so far had a ruling with a positive impact on climate action. But the vast majority of climate litigation so far has been filed in the US, one of the world's biggest carbon emitters, and last year was no exception.

In June, Multnomah County in Oregon sued oil and gas companies including Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips and others for damages caused by the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome. It is seeking millions of dollars in compensation as well as cash to help 'weatherproof' the city for the future.

There have been interesting

developments in other countries, too. In January this year, eight people from the Caribbean island ofBonaire accused the Netherlands of violating their human rights by not doing enough to protect them from the climate crisis. They asked a Dutch court to force the government to cut its greenhouse emissions much more quickly and to help its most vulnerable territories, including Bonaire, adapt to the impact of the climate crisis.

The following month, management of Polish energy company Enea sued the company's former directors and its insurers for pursuing a coal-fired power plant, despite warnings about the project's climate risks. They argue that a lack of due diligence over the doomed Ostrol~ka C project lost the company more than PLN 650 million (US$160m). This case was notable because it was not brought by campaigners or activist legal organisations.

GROWING LEGAL WISDOM

Over many years, climate litigation has benefited from advances in law, particularly the development of national climate legislation and corporate due diligence requirements. Legal practitioners have also learned from the strategies of others.

On top of that, the evidence base for such cases has also solidified, with big

developments in attribution science helping to show the role climate change plays in specific extreme weather events.

Scientific evidence was key to the landmark Montana case (see panel, page 16),where the plaintiffs' legal team put forward expert witnesses to outline the scientific case that the US state had failed in its duty to provide people with a clean and healthful environment.

Voigt notes there is much work ongoing in various quarters, including UNEP and development banks, as well as IUCN,to boost scientific knowledge among the judiciary worldwide. "I have spoken to so many judges in the last couple of years, just to tell them what the Paris Agreement is; it's not something judges usually work with." She identifies a "fascinating phenomenon", where judges are now regularly referring to cases in other jurisdictions when it comes to climate change. "I think judges and courts in general are much more alert to this issue now, and want to be part of the solution."

The IUCN'sWorld Commission on Environmental Law has played an important role in this. It has a huge informal network of members who are judges, including Supreme Court judges, from courts all over the world, including Pakistan, India and Belgium.

"Theyhave the possibility to talk about the cases they have in their countries, about their findings, their challenges, how they deal with them and what kind of solutions they put forward. This is partly why you see this global cross-fertilisation among so many different courts that usually would never refer to each other in different contexts. But with climate

KEY CLIMATE LITIGATIONMILESTONES

2015: Punjabi farmer and law student Asghar Leghari won a public interest litigation case at Lahore High Court. The court ruled that Pakistan's federal government must start acting on its climate plans and set up a national climate change commission.

2019: The Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled that the government had explicit duties to protect its citizens' human rights in the face of climate change and must cut national emissions by at least 25% compared with 1990 levels by the end of 2020. The lawsuit, filed by Dutch non-profit the Urgenda Foundation, inspired a series of similar cases and marked a decisive shift in legal action on climate change.

2021: A Netherlands court ordered Shell to cut its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030, following legal action by NGO Milieudefensie. Shell is currently appealing the ruling, which Milieudefensie has accused it of not complying with.

2023: A judge ruled in favour of a group of Montana youths, saying the US state violated their right to a clean and healthful environment through its fossil fuel and climate policies. The first judgement of its kind in the US, it is being appealed.

2024: Oslo District Court blocked the developmentof three North Sea oil and gas fields on the groundsthat the Norwegianstate did not properly assess the impact of future fossil fuel use on climate change.

change, partly based on the work of the World Commission on Environmental Law,you have a kind of informal best practice exchange."

While cases continue to be filed against individual governments and companies, Voigt says climate litigation has recently shifted to international level. "That's where the battlefield is."

IUCN does not get involved directly in contentious cases, says Voigt, because it has State Members and it would be inappropriate to do so. "We're not pointing fingers. But we are clarifying the legal questions, the legal framework; what are the obligations of states and what are the legal consequences 7 "

IUCN has been involved in requests for advisory opinions on climate change that have been put before three international courts. The most high profile of these is currently before the International Court of]ustice (ICJ),which has been asked by the UN to advise states on their responsibilities for curbing global emissions and the legal consequences of inaction. The UN's decision to request this was the culmination of four years of work initiated by a group of Pacific law

students and led by the nation of Vanuatu. In March, IUCN submitted its own written contribution to the case, the only not-fully governmental organisation whose views will be reviewed by the Court. Other requests are before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

"We answer as experts, as part of a credible organisation with strong legal expertise," says Francesco Sindico, Professor of International Law at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, and co-chair of WCEL'sClimate Change Law Specialist Group.

Depending on their final wording, these international court opinions could be very influential. "They're not legally binding and don't set precedents," says Voigt. "But the courts usually follow up in further cases what they earlier said in their advisory opinions. And many countries look at what international courts say in advisory proceedings and are informed by [them] in their national legal systems."

They could also spark new climate lawsuits, says Sindico. "The combination

DI BONEIRU

of the three opinions hopefully will provide more clarity as to what individuals and organisations at a domestic level can do when it comes to " 1il domestic climate change litigation." He 8: adds that the proceedings give the public

@ !;c an "incredible opportunity" to scrutinise § what governments have to say about state obligations on climate change. "This has 8 z never happened before. Even the COP z negotiations are really obscure. They could be something you can throw at them in whatever diplomatic way, which "- was not there before."

m ffi Experts are hopeful that as experience =J and success in climate change law grows,

0 it will aid efforts to use legal action to z fight related environmental crises, such i as biodiversity loss.

An analysis by legal experts at ! Cambridge University in 2023 concluded that rights-based biodiversity litigation is 8: at a similar stage to climate change

@ !;c litigation in the early-2010s, when the § issue had been framed as human rights violations, but the legal case had not been z 5 successfully proven in court. Biodiversity 0 litigationhas so far mostly been based "- around the right to a healthy

environment, but some cases have framed the protection of species and ecosystems in terms of the protection of other civil,political and socio-economic rights, from the right to life to the right to health.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15in 2022, offers stronger opportunities to hold states and polluters to account, and IUCN's Biodiversity Law Specialist Group will be central to advancing discourse and innovation in this area.

ONES TO WATCH

More legal action is expected over the next year. In the US,youth plaintiffs from Hawaii will have their day in court in the summer, following the success in Montana. Their lawsuit alleges the Hawaii Department of Transportation allows huge emissions of greenhouse gases, arguing this violates their rights under the state's constitution.

There is also expected to be a hearing in a Peruvian farmer and mountain guide's landmark case against German energy company RWE.Saul Luciano Lliuyais seeking compensation from the fossil fuel firm to pay for flood defenses to protect his town from a glacier. The glacier is melting fast as a result of climate change, a problem Lliuya argues RWEhas contributed to over the past century by extracting and burning fossil fuels.

Litigation, especially recent cases aimed at corporate actors and identifying

greenwashing, can be transformational, says Sindico, but he warns that it cannot be the only strategy for driving climate action. "When it comes to the bigger picture of resilience or adaptation, technology transfer or climate finance, litigation is clearly not the solution. It needs to be a multilateral process, as painstakingly slow as it might be."

IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar concludes: "Our planet faces an unprecedented crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, and this is increasingly causing conflict around the use of natural resources. We now commonly see clashes around water, land quality and pollution. Laws can help us address this challenge, as they are the foundations on which peace is built. Judicial decisions greatly impact society, resolve conflict and can be the basis for an environmentally sustainable life.

"IUCN-serving as the voice of nature, and through the leadership of its World Commission on Environmental Law -is playing a key role in ensuring these judicial decisions consider equity, science and knowledge. It is our legal frameworks that can help us live in harmony with nature."

Severalparts of IUCN work on environmentallaw, theseinclude:

• IUCN World Commissionon EnvironmentalLaw IUCN.org/wcel

• IUCN EnvironmentalLaw Centre

Two and a half years ago, an international team of researchers conducted the first large-scale investigation of climate anxiety in young people, surveying 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 years in 10 countries across the globe.

The results, published in the The Lancet Planetary Health journal, were eyeopening. Nearly 60% of participants reported that they were 'very' or 'extremely' worried about climate change, with this rising to above 90% in countries already experiencing the impacts firsthand, such as the Philippines. Globally, more than half of respondents described feeling sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless or guilty, and more than 45% said their feelings negatively affected their daily life.

The study shed critical light on the growing and global extent of 'eco-anxiety', an umbrella term which encompasses the complex stress, anxiety and depression that can arise from extreme worry about the environment. Eco-anxiety can range from mild stress

through to clinical depression, with the American Psychological Association defining the term as "chronic fear of environmental doom''.

LizWilletts, the coordinator ofIUCN's CEMHuman Health and Ecosystem Management Thematic Group, said that newly coined terms such as eco-anxiety and 'solastalgia' (melancholia or homesickness caused by environmental change) are "telling indicators" of how large-scale environmental damage is increasingly causing negative mental and emotional conditions.

"There is constant fear and distress with the climate change impacts that my country is confronted with," says Precious Grace David, a member of Youth Strike for Climate Philippines. Classes in schools are currently suspended there because of extreme heat.

TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING

One of the authors of the study into climate anxiety was Caroline Hickman. A climate psychologist and lecturer at the University of Bath in the UK,Hickman tells me she has been immersed in this area of psychological research -and as a therapist -for over 15years, yet she is still constantly learning. "Ifpeople are struggling to know how to deal with ecoanxiety, or how to feel, quite honestly, they're in good company, because nobody really knows how to navigate this stuff," she admits."It is an emerging psychological trauma, and so our brains scramble about like Bambi on ice."

One of the most important things to understand, according to Hickman, is that this is not a mental illness -and while we

Caroline Hickman

do not know all the answers, there are things we know can help. The first step, she says, is to validate feelings of anxiety. Young people are growing up in a daunting environment, where they often feel frustrated and angry that adults are not taking action. When Hickman's study was published, she received emails from young people "all over the world, saying thank you for that research, because it made them feel less alone. They felt heard, valued and understood."

THE LONELY CONSERVATIONIST

Jessie Panazzolo is a 31-year-old 3 conservationist and blogger from '> Melbourne, Australia who runs the 8 popular blogging website 'The Lonely "' ili Conservationist'. Panazzolo thinks one ::,

reason why her blog resonates with others in her profession is that people don't tend to receive help to deal with the emotional impact of their jobs, despite working on the front-line of environmental destruction. According to The Handbook of Climate Psychology, written by the Climate Psychology Alliance, climate anxiety can affect people of all ages, but is often felt most powerfully by the young, by first responders to natural disasters, and by environmental scientists and activists who are exposed to information about the threat more than most.

Running the blog has helped Panazzolo deal with her own anxiety. Previously, she felt that whatever work she put in would never be enough to have an impact on the natural world, especially when she saw people going about their daily lives without concern for the environment. Through the blog she has gained an insight into the vast number of people globally working in conservation. "It made me realise that the world's not on my shoulders. I care about conserving conservationists -that is my part and I'm going to do it well."

Members of Youth Strike for Climate Philippines also say that coming together has transformed their outlook and given them hope. Precious Graze David says: "These things that I do -no matter the size -and the people I work with, help alleviate the feeling of hopelessness, bringing me comfort in times when I am overwhelmed."

HOLD THIS SPACE

In 2022, Imperial College London worked with environmental scientists, psychologists and young people to design Hold This Space, a digital tool to help people develop coping skills and resilience in the face of anxiety. Similar

websites are appearing in other countries too, such as the Climate Feelings Space run by Psychology for a Safe Climate in Australia, or the Good Grief Network in the USA

Aside from psychological support, Panazzolo adds that it is important to remember the power of simply spending time in nature. "I think it's sometimes hard for us to remember, when we're in the thick of it, to just go out in nature and enjoy it."

Countless studies prove the wellbeing benefits of nature for both physical and mental health, and a growing number of organisations help people make the most of it.

In the Highlands of Scotland, the National Health Service (NHS)leads a Green Health Partnership which aims to reduce health inequalities through increased connection with nature. One of the main messages of the initiative is that time spent in nature doesn't have to involve scaling mountains; a walk in the local park or windowsill gardening can have a positive mental effect.

Ultimately, this type of anxiety is a symptom of people who want to change the world -and that is something to be valued and channelled toward positive change. Sacha Wright is a researcher at Force of Nature, an organisation empowering people to turn their climate anxiety into action. Speaking with London's Natural History Museum, Wright's top tips were to share your feelings with like-minded people, seek out positive stories and break down personal action into bite-sized pieces.

"When you feel helpless, focus on what is within your control, then take small steps in the right direction," she advises. "Often, motivation follows action, rather than the other way around. The more you do, the more you see that you can do."

Severalother parts of IUCNwork on health and nature.These include:

• IUCNWCPAHealth and Well-BeingNetwork

• IUCNSSCWildlifeHealth SpecialistGroup

Recent and relevantIUCNresolution:

• wee2016 Res 064

'IUCN equals hope'

Marineprotector and IUCN

Patron of Nature Dr Sylvia Earle on how she still spends everywaking hour trying to make a difference

DrSylviaEarleis a marine scientist, protectorand a legendary ocean explorer.

Alongsideher researchand conservationwork,she is a pioneer in the developmentof technologyto help access the deep sea, leading overl00 expeditionsand achievingnumerous firsts and recordsas a diverand submersibleoperator.

She is the recipientof over100 nationaland internationalhonours and awards,includingbeing named an IUCN'Patronof Nature',a 'Living Legend'by the Libraryof Congress,a UN EnvironmentProgrammeChampionof the Earth,and Timemagazine'sfirst Hero for the Planet.

ThroughMissionBlue,the globalocean conservationallianceshe foundedin 2009, Earlecontinues to explorethe ocean to inspirepublicsupportfor a networkof marineprotectedareas aroundthe world,knownas 'HopeSpots'.

BIG IDEAS

"Implementing the ideas big enough to change the world occupies me 24/7.It is about trying to do everything possible to change the way people think about the ocean, and then to act on protecting the ocean as if our lives depend on itbecause of course they do.

"For me, that means expeditions, it means fostering new technologies. One of the exciting things I'm doing now is helping to develop new submersibles that will be launched about this time next year in French Polynesia. The aim is to take more people into the depths to explore with us. It's a continuation of what I have been involved with for much of my life, to encourage people to go see for themselves, as snorkelers, divers, whatever it takes. But we need to go deep -most oflife on Earth is below where sunlight shines.

"The best chance we have to achieve planetary security is to protect those

systems that remain in good condition, that are largely intact. That means most of the deep sea that has been largely inaccessible until right about now."

DECLINE TO RECOVERY

''.Abouthalf of the large forms oflife that existed in the sea when I was a child, when I began exploring the ocean, are now gone. Up to 90% of the sharks and tunas are gone, along with about half of the coral reefs, seagrass meadows and kelp forests.

The good news is that they are not all gone. There is still a chance to turn from decline to recovery.

''.Aswe're moving into the 21st century, we're beginning to make that shift to caring, and turning the wholesale extraction of wildlife from the ocean into a recognition that there are limits and there are values beyond the marketplace. As never before, there is a need to protect ocean wildlife and recognise their vital role in maintaining

planetary security. There are more whales and sea turtles today than when I was a child, because we've stopped using them as commodities. We need to do the same for squid, octopus, krill, shrimp, sharks, tunas, herring and other ocean wildlife."

HOPE SPOTS

"We now have 160 Hope Spots and champions. Of course I always wish for more, but our databases are growing, and we're working with Esri, a geographic information system software company, to develop story maps and data that can be shared across the network. We're beginning to connect the dots, if you will, between the Hope Spots. We hope to use the cumulative knowledge and power of the champions and associated organisations to help support more fully protected areas.

"It's not just about protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 -even 50% is not enough if we lay waste to all of the rest. There must be an ethic of caring for all of the ocean, for all of nature, land, air and sea. But we really have to hurry."

KNOWING AND CARING

"When children ask me what the future is going to be like, I say: if you could be born in anytime, choose now. We know things in the 21st century that no one could know when I was a child. No one had been high

SECUREAN ENDURINGFUTURE11

in the sky to look back on Earth, or deep in the sea to understand the nature of ocean below the surface. We now know the ocean is alive from the surface to the greatest depths, and even beneath the seabed. We've never had a better chance to understand the danger we're in, and secure an enduring future for ourselves and the rest oflife on Earth. What are you waiting for 7

"IUCNequals hope. It's a voice for us, a voice for nature, for the natural systems that make our existence possible. We focus on how to govern ourselves with laws and rules and regulations, but first, we must respect the laws of nature. IUCN gives nature a voice. It should give all of us hope.

"People will say to you that you can't, you shouldn't, you're too tall, too short, too young, too old, your skin is the wrong colour for this or that. Well, I say, no matter how old or young you are, whatever gender or race, don't let anyone steal your dream. Hold on to that which you care about the most. Keep that vision intact. I couldn't imagine not somehow managing to become a scientist, no matter what. There had to be a way. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask, who are you 7 What's special about you 7 Because no two humans are the same. All of us can do something to change the trajectory of decline to recovery. Use your superpower of knowing and caring. That's what will take us to a better place."

As spoken to IUCN's Giuditta Andrea us Mission Blue

since 2016. See

Makingsustainable agriculturesmarter

How Jordan's Ministry of Environment is tackling the problemsof waterscarcity,sustainability and workingconditions

STATEMEMBER

Despite its small size, Jordan has a variety of geographical features and environments, including desert, wadis and canyons, mountainous highlands, the highly saline Dead Sea and the northern tip of the Red Sea. It is also one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, and climate change, high energy costs and overpopulation are exacerbating the problem.

The Syrian crisis and an enormous number of refugees has added pressure on the country's limited resources. Land degradation, pollution and habitat loss are also issues, but limited awareness and regional instability can divert resources

away from environmental protection and impede the management of protected areas.

Water scarcity particularly affects Jordan's agricultural sector, and according to International Labour Organization estimates, almost 70% of workers on farms are Syrian refugees. Agricultural work's seasonal and informal nature exposes refugees to precarious living conditions, and limited livelihood opportunities make femaleheaded households especially vulnerable. Work in the agricultural sector is characterised by low wages, long hours, poor working conditions, lack of occupational health and safety, and child labour.

The Smart DESERTproject (Smart Development of Eco-Friendly Solutions and Economic Regional Agricultural Techniques) aims to improve the regularity of workers' income through the diversification of production, the adoption of better farming practices, and employment support. To reduce water loss and increase environmental sustainability, 15,000 farmers receive training on topics such as smart irrigation techniques, crop selection based on soil and season, water management systems, and the use of solar power. Demonstration sites help to raise local awareness of the new skills, encouraging the adoption of similar approaches and technologies, while expanding the project's reach in the region.

A smartphone application will also be developed to provide farmers with an early-warning system for natural disasters, helping them protect their crops against floods, locusts and other environmental risks. The project will also support 500 agricultural home-based businesses and 200 farms over three years.

Overall, Jordan aims to create sustainable livelihoods and new job opportunities, increase incomes, improve working conditions, and provide opportunities for home-based business development for vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees in the agricultural sector. Other ongoing work aims to enhance the climate resilience of biodiversity hotspots in Jordan. This involves the work of eight different IUCN Member Organisations, including BirdLife,the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, the Royal Botanic Garden, WADIfor Sustainable Ecosystem Development, the Jordanian Ministry of Environment, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, the Hashemite Fund for Development ofJordan Badia, and the Petra Development Tourism Regional Authority.

smartdesertproject.com

Greening Paris

The City of Paris is becominggreenerand more biodiversefor the benefit of peopleand nature.

ChristopheNajdovski, DeputyMayorin chargeof urbanvegetation,green spaces,biodiversityand animalwelfare,tellsus more

SUBNATIONALGOVERNMENT

A time of change

Over the last 20 years, Paris has been undergoing a radical transformation of its urban model. The aim is to reverse the massive 'macadamisation' of the city that began in the 1930s. At a time when 2050 projections show that 70% of the global population will live in cities, Paris recognises that allowing biodiversity to thrive in cities like ours is of paramount importance.

The challenges we face

Some of the environmental challenges we face are long-standing: protecting Parisians from heatwaves, anticipating the risk of flooding, preserving biodiversity, preventing the growing scarcity of water resources and tackling air pollution. But some are new: for example, the recent health crisis has revealed the necessity of reinforcing green spaces in the city, so everyone can have access to a breathing, natural space less than 15 minutes' walk from home.

Our plan of action

To anticipate and adapt to these numerous challenges, the municipality has implemented several dedicated action plans

over the past few years: the 'Paris s'adapte' Refreshment Plan, a Resilience Strategy, a Biodiversity Plan and a Tree Plan. By imposing requirements on builders, the local urban plan provides an invaluable tool for shaping the development of tomorrow's city.

Planting trees

More than 100,000 trees have been planted in Paris since 2020, including 40,000 over the last winter -almost twice as much as the previous winter. It is the first time since the era of Baron Haussmann that Paris has planted trees in such quantities. The goal is that Paris becomes a true 'garden city'replacing circulated roadways and

These transformations will be simplified and become the norm thanks to the future bioclimatic Local Urban Plan (PLUb),which sets in stone Paris's evolution towards more vegetation and nature, working towards the goal of300 hectares of additional natural spaces in the city.To achieve this, agreements are also being signed with private and institutional partners to open gardens that are currently inaccessible. They are part of Paris's heritage, and soon everyone will be able to enjoy them.

Paris City Council has also identified school playgrounds as important levers: they represent over 70 hectares of area and are equally distributed across the Paris territory. Now, asphalt surfaces are being replaced with

11ALLOWINGBIODIVERSITYTO THRIVE IN CITIES LIKEOURS IS PARAMOUNT1

parking spaces with bicycle paths, plants and trees. This means that all Parisians gain access to nature, focusing on local species to welcome local flora and fauna, and to adapt to the effects of global warming.

Our garden city

A garden city is one where there is no longer any distinction between squares, parks and public space, but where nature overflows into the streets. This year, there's almost 100 streets with planters, replacing parking spaces. It's a revolution in the urban landscape of Paris. Since 2020, 6,000 parking spaces have been removed and more than 1.3 hectares of asphalt have been removed to enable streets to be greened.

innovative, permeable materials adapted to heatwaves. More green spaces are being added, along with the installation of shaded areas, fountains and water features.

Proud Members of IUCN

Paris was among the pioneering cities to become full Members of IUCN at the Marseille Congress. Currently, together with other champion cities, we are involved in multiple initiatives with the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability through the Berlin Urban Nature Pact. We now call upon other cities to join IUCN,because reaching a critical mass is essential. The more numerous we are, the better equipped we will be to influence the course of events. We are convinced that being part of IUCN will aid us in this endeavour.

Collaborationand camaraderie

The firstof thisyear'sIUCN RegionalConservationForatook placein MexicoinApril. Eightmoreare comingsoon.Signup and enjoythe opportunityto shareknowledge, meetyourcolleaguesand planforWorldConservationCongressin 2025

This autumn, conservation professionals from across Europe and North and Central Asia will gather in the Belgian city of Bruges. Here, at the seventh of nine IUCN Regional Conservation Fora (RCF)in 2024, Union Members and other constituents will meet to discuss their current challenges, learn about IUCN's forthcoming programme of work, and prepare for next year's World Conservation Congress.

For Ann -Katrine Garn, Conservation Manager of Copenhagen Zoo, the Bruges

Regional Conservation Forum will be a wonderful opportunity to meet colleagues from other nations and find solutions. "The main aim of the RCFsis to get Members together, stimulate new connections, and learn about and understand the community you are part of," she says.

Having chaired the IUCN National Committee of Denmark since

2013, Garn has attended several RCFs over the years. This year, she is on the committee planning the programme for the joint event, which welcomes Members from the West Europe statutory region as well as the region encompassing East Europe and North and Central Asia.

''Avery good colleague from Russia, Alexey Zavarzin, always calls us the super-region," says Garn,

smiling. "We cover an enormous area, we have the most Members -and we all work together. Nature doesn't have boundaries, and we are on the same continent, so we should all be working together."

Garn adds: "Ilove the fact you can meet people from different regions. It's always very inspirational and I know that anyone who goes to an IUCN event like this for the first time gets blown away by it and by the other Members. That's what IUCN can do -gather a whole bunch of fantastic people."

IUCN National Committee UK Chief Executive Chris Mahon is also looking forward to catching up with colleagues from across his region in Bruges this autumn. "It's like a big family reunion1" he says, enthusiastically.

"This emotional thing we all have in common -this love of nature, this care for the planet -we shouldn't forget that even though we're all scientists, there is an emotional bond between us as well. Every time we get together, in whatever capacity, there's a bond between IUCN Members which is rather special, I think"

TOWARDS CONGRESS

With next year's World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi not far away, attendees at every Regional Conservation Forum taking place this year will be thinking about what they will collectively be looking to present to Congress.

For Members who are new to IUCN or who have not previously attended these events, RCFsare also a useful

opportunity to understand more about the running of the Union, as Mahon explains: "One of the days of our RCFis given over to governance. We talk about how Members can bring forward Motions to World Conservation Congress, and we give platforms to individuals who want to stand for election. We also talk about the plan of the global programme, and the regional programmes, to try and focus in on actions we can all take."

The decisions regarding which Motions will be presented to Congress as potential Resolutions is decided by the IUCN's Motions Working Group. But by taking a Motion to your local RCF,a Member can gather support and potentially find co-signatories. As Mahon says: 'You can test the waters to see whether there's any interest out there for what you're trying to say. That will give you more information on whether to proceed and who to proceed with as collaborators."

11FOR MEMBERSWHO ARE NEW TO IUCN, RCFS ARE A USEFULOPPORTUNITYTO LEARN

YELLOW SEA CONSERVATION

Regional Conservation Fora also provide an opportunity to gain insights into Resolutions passed at previous Congresses, and to learn where progress is being made.

For Members in Asia, one of the key areas of concern over the past decade has been the Yellow Sea, where the ecosystem of intertidal wetlands is among the ecological wonders of the world. Bordered by the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, the Yellow Sea is the most important staging area for migratory water birds in the East Asian -Australasian Flyway,with millions of water birds depending on its wetlands during their migrations.

Two IUCN Motions focused on the Yellow Sea were passed as Resolutions at the 2012 World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea. Four years later, at at the Hawaii World Conservation Congress, a new Motion merged the earlier two into a single Resolution.

At the last Asia Regional Conservation Forum in Islamabad, Pakistan, Members had the opportunity to attend a session updating them on progress since the last Resolution was passed, with representatives from the three countries bordering the Yellow Sea, as well as Raphael Glemet ofIUCN, who updated participants on the trilateral Yellow Sea Working Group (YSWG).

IUCN'sAsia Region will host this year's Regional Conservation Forum in Bangkok, Thailand from 3-5 September. The secretariat will present a report on proposed Motions for next year's Congress, which is likely once again to include a Motion on the conservation and management of the Yellow Sea.

This vital ecosystem is still an area of great concern, but satellite analyses suggest that the rate of loss of tidal wetlands here has slowed since 2013 because of the efforts of conservationists.

As well as preparing for Congress, RCFsare a great opportunity to share ideas, as Garn explains: ''Atthe last Europe, North and Central Asia RCF,we in the specialist group that deals with conservation planning (CPSG)had a slot to talk about tools you can work

with in conservation planning. This included a multispecies planning tool that was very new at the time.

The session was attended by someone from the IUCN regional office in Brussels, who was working on an EU project on pollinators for which they wanted to do multi-species planning for hoverflies in Europe. So, a connection was forged between the specialist group, the IUCN office and the European Commission.

IUCN REGIONALCONSERVATIONFORA 2024

CANADA RCF IN OTTAWA, CANADA 1-2 October

USARCF IN WASHINGTON DC, USA 20-21 August

MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN RCF IN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO 16-19 April

SOUTH AMERICA RCF IN SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA 14-18 October

EAST EUROPE, NORTH AND CENTRAL ASIA AND WEST EUROPE RCF IN BRUGES, BELGIUM 30 September -3 October

That connection was to have an impact across multiple species and countries. :l 2 "Aswell as launching the hoverfly project, x we've just finished the dragonfly project ! for Europe, and there's also been one § focused on bivalves. I've since run a a: hoverflies project in Denmark too -so,

WEST ASIA RCF IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA 9-11 September

ASIARCF IN BANGKOK, THAILAND 3-5 September

we went from a regional level project to doing the same thing in a national setting. We're now in discussion with Belgium and Armenia too."

For Garn, the key to getting the most out of your Regional Conservation Forum is to get involved. "It's really

AFRICARCF IN NAIROBI, KENYA 26-28 June

OCEANIA RCF IN SUVA, FIJI 16-20 September

important that Members understand they're not just coming to be lectured at, they can actually participate themselves in the programme."

Mahon agrees. "Every Regional Conservation Forum for me is the biggest buzz, because it gives you that sense of solidarity in what you're trying to achieve," he says. "IUCN can feel like a big global organisation with a big global plan -and you're in your own country thinking, 'How can I interpret this and make it happen where I am 7 '

"But at a Regional Conservation Forum you feel part of something big, important and valuable. I advocate it all the time to budding conservationists -if you want to enter the world of nature conservation, where better to go than a roomful of experts who will welcome you 7

"It is unique in the world and something we should treasure."

Find out more and sign up for your regional event: engage.iucn.org/rcf

Globalevents 2024

G7 Summit 2024 13-15June

Bargo Egnazia, Italy

Italy plans to focus its Presidency on Ukraine, unity among the G7,respect for the rules of international law, economic security, energy security, migration, and cooperation with Africa. groupofnations.com

Africa Regional Conservation Forum 26-28June

Nairobi, Kenya engage.iucn.org/rcf

36th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI 36) 8-12July

Rome,Italy

Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations meet to review and consider the issues and challenges related to fisheries and aquaculture. fao.org

High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2024

8-18July

New York City,USA

The 2024 forum will address sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions for eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises, and IUCN plans to send a delegation. hlpf.un.org

27th Meeting of the Plants Committee and the 33rd meeting of the Animals Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna

and Flora (CITES) 8-19July

Geneva, Switzerland

IUCN's main aim will be to contribute technical expertise on species biology, conservation and management.

46th Session of the World Heritage Committee 21-31July

New Delhi, India

IUCN,in its official capacity as the technical Advisory Body on natural World Heritage, will prepare documents and draft Decisions for consideration by the Committee, and will send a delegation.

27th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 27) 22-26July Rome,Italy

Heads of forest services and

other senior government officials meet to identify emerging policy and technical issues, to seek solutions, and to advise the FAOand others on appropriate action. fao.org/forestry/ committee-on -forestry

United States of America Regional Conservation Forum 20-21August Washington DC,USA engage.iucn.org/rcf

World Water Week 25-29 August Stockholm, Sweden worldwaterweek.org

World Wilderness Congress 25-31August

South Dakota, USA wild.org/wild12

Asia Regional Conservation Forum 3-5 September

Bangkok, Thailand engage.iucn.org/rcf

West Asia Regional Conservation Forum 9-11 September Riyadh, Saudi Arabia engage.iucn.org/rcf

79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) 10-24 September

NewYorkCity, USA

IUCNwill engage with the UN and Member States to identify opportunities to contribute to and influence the UN agenda. un.org/ga

Oceania Regional Conservation Forum 16-20 September engage.iucn.org/rcf

Summit of the Future 22-23 September " NewYorkCity, USA § (JJ~ffi

This high-level event brings together UN Member States, vi

UN agencies, NGOs, CSOs, academic institutions, the private sector, and youth. un.org/en/common-agenda/ summit-of-the-future

GEF International Waters Conference {IWC-10)

23-26 September

Puntadel Este,Uruguay

The Global Environment Facility (GEF)unites 183

Member Countries with NGOs and the private sector to address global environmental issues. The 10th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference will be preceded by pre-conference workshops on 21-22 Sept in Montevideo. iwlearn.net

East Europe, North and Central Asia and West Europe Regional Conservation Forum

30 September -3 October

Bruges,Belgium engage.iucn.org/rcf

Canada Regional Conservation Forum 1-2 October

Ottawa,Canada engage.iucn.org/rcf

IUCN Leaders Forum

8-10 October

Geneva,Switzerland

Global leaders and changemakers meet to discuss innovative solutions to critical global challenges, make bold commitments, build partnerships and catalyse action. iucn.org

South America

Regional Conservation Forum

14-18October

Santa Marta,Colombia engage.iucn.org/rcf

"' CCAMLR-43

14-25 October

Hobart,Australia

The Commission for the

Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)was established in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. The IUCN Ocean Team will participate in the meeting. ccamlr.org

UN Biodiversity Conference 2024

(CBD COP16, NP COP-MOPS, CP COP-MOP11)

21 October-1 November

Cali,Colombia

COP16will focus on finalising crucial elements of the GBF, such as the monitoring framework, a resource mobilisation strategy and the creation of a Global Biodiversity Fund. cbd.int

World Urban Forum

4-8 November

Cairo,Egypt

Convened by UN-Habitat, the Forum is a high-level, open and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanisation. wuf.unhabitat.org

112th IUCN Council Meeting

6-7 November

29th Session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP29) 11-22November

Baku,Azerbaijan

IUCNwill build on its previous work to highlight the importance of healthy ecosystems and Naturebased Solutions in tackling the interlinked climate and biodiversity crises. unfcc.int

G20Summit

18-19November

Riode Janeiro,Brazil

The 2024 session will be held for the first time in Brazil, where attendees will continue discussions on finance, sustainable infrastructure, and climate change, along with other pressing topics. g20.org

Plastic Pollution INC-5

25 November -1 December Republicof Korea

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental

Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. unep.org/inc-plasticpollution

16th Session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) 2-13 December

Riyadh,SaudiArabia

IUCN's recommendations to COP16will be centred around addressing land degradation, biodiversity loss and achieving sustainable development goals. unccd.int

11th Session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-11) 10-16December Windhoek,Namibia ipbes.net

Dates and locations correct at time ofprinting (May2024)