Bangladesh launches its first Plant Red List

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (the Red List) is the globally recognised standard on assessing extinction risk. Red List assessments are used by the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES, other inter-governmental agreements, national governments, and conservation planners.  The Red List assigns species into one of 8 categories based on 5 criteria, all with quantitative thresholds. The three highest categories of threat – Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable – are collectively considered ‘Threatened’. The Red List process has been formalized to support objectivity and scientific rigour. Red List assessments are carried out by SSC Red List Authorities, Red List Partners, IUCN staff, and regional and national agencies. In addition, Red List assessments provide a compendium of information on species, (taxonomy, geographic range, population, habitat and ecology, threats, conservation actions). The Red List operates at global, regional, and national levels. Guidelines for application at national or regional levels have been developed and the National Red List Working Group provides additional support.

Red List Authorities have been established for all major taxonomic groups included on the IUCN Red List. In most cases, the RLA is a sub-group within an IUCN SSC Specialist Group responsible for the species, groups of species or species within a specific geographic area. There are some exceptions; for example, BirdLife International is the designated RLA for all birds.

The process is guided by Rules of Procedure, supported by guidelines on application of the Red List Categories and Criteria, the Species Information Service (SIS) data entry and management system, and certification for assessors and RL trainers. All these materials can be downloaded, free, from the Red List website. A free, online training course for Red List assessors, is available.

Species can be assessed for the Red List at global, regional, and national levels. Guidelines for the Regional (and national) Application of the Categories and Criteria have been developed and support for development of national Red Lists is available from the National Red List Working Group.

How to use

• To check the global Red List status of a species and access the supporting information, visit the species assessment page on the Red List website
• To download the Red List Categories and Criteria, Guidelines, Rules of Procedure, and Guidelines for Application at Regional Level go the Red List resources
• To initiate or to contribute to a global assessment, contact the Chair of the relevant IUCN SSC Specialist Group or Red List Authority, for birds, see BirdLife International
• For taxonomic groups not listed, contact the relevant IUCN SSC Conservation Committee: Marine, Invertebrate, Plant, Fungi, Freshwater, Red List, Standards and Petitions.
• To develop a National Red List for a species or group of species visit the National Red List Working Group
• To obtain details or register for an online Red List training course: https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/online

The Guidelines aim to be equally relevant for any taxon on Earth. Recent experience has shown that no two planning situations are the same. So while the principles of planning may be constant, the purpose of the planning and the circumstances, the information available and its accuracy, and other factors, all combine to make every situation unique. This then demands a planning process that is both rigorous in analysis but flexible in its application. These Guidelines are very much an evolution based on experience, rather than a fundamental replacement of the 2008 Handbook (Strategic Planning for Species: A Handbook).

The Coalition is a global network of conservation genetic experts working towards a shared goal of improving the integration of genetic information into conservation policy and practice.

The Coalition also aims to increase global capacity in conservation genetics by offering opportunities and support for currently underrepresented groups.

How to use

Further information is available at: https://www.coalitionforconservationgenetics.org

A set of webinars, reports, and publications on genetic research, capacity building, and policy are available on the Resources page at:

https://www.coalitionforconservationgenetics.org/resources

The study by O’Brien et al. (2022) can be accessed at: Bringing together approaches to reporting on within species genetic diversity – O’Brien – 2022 – Journal of Applied Ecology – Wiley Online Library

This document is a directory of the skills, knowledge and personal attributes required by practitioners working in threatened species recovery programmes, in both in-situ and ex-situ contexts. Its structure consists of 19 categories of competence arranged in three main groups: Planning, Management and  Administration; Threatened Species Recovery; and General Personal Competences. Within each of the three categories, specific competences are defined for up to four professional levels: Executive, Senior Manager, Middle Manager/Technical Specialist and Skilled Worker.

Using a scientific framework to identify the world’s most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species, the EDGE of Existence programme highlights and protects some of the most unique, extraordinary, and overlooked species on the planet. EDGE species have few close relatives on the Tree of Life and are often extremely unusual in the way they look, live and behave, as well as in their genetic makeup. They represent a unique and irreplaceable part of the world’s natural heritage, yet an alarming proportion are on the verge of extinction.

To safeguard these species, we are committed to supporting, strengthening, and diversifying conservation leadership in critical regions. The EDGE Fellowship exemplifies this commitment. It is a 28-month fellowship for local early-career conservationists from lower- and middle-income countries. We equip these emerging leaders—EDGE Fellows—with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities required to advance their careers and spearhead effective conservation efforts for the world’s most unique and extraordinary species.

The extinction of species is a call to action for all of us, and we stand ready to answer that call and contribute to a healthier and vibrant planet for all species.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the International Association of Botanic Gardens have jointly published the BGCI and IABG Recovery Manual for Plants to guide projects on plant species recovery. The manual sets out the aims and purpose of species recovery and the steps involved, and indicates good practice. The manual is aimed at conservation practitioners but also includes comprehensive bibliographic references, which enable more in depth reading on the topics covered.

The IPBES Thematic Assessment of Invasive Alien Species and their Control was adopted in September 2023 and synthesizes information from over 13,000 references on IAS into a comprehensive scientific assessment and a concise summary document for policy makers. The assessment assesses the current status and trends of invasive alien species, their impacts, drivers, management, and policy options to address the challenges they pose. It results from four years of work by experts from 49 countries.

The Living Planet Index measures the state of the world’s biodiversity based on population trends of vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats. The LPI has been adopted by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) as an indicator of progress towards its targets. The LPI is compiled by WWF and ZSL based on trends in thousands of population time-series data collected from monitored sites around the world. The Living Planet Database contains population time-series data on the abundance of tens of thousands of vertebrate species between 1970 and 2021. It is publicly available, except for some confidential records that cannot be shared.

How to use  

• The annual Living Planet Report can be downloaded at: https://www.wwf.org.uk/our-reports/living-planet-report
• The latest results and the technical supplement are available at: https://www.livingplanetindex.org/
• Data in the Living Planet Database can be searched or downloaded at:

https://github.com/Zoological-Society-of-London/rlpi

As human-wildlife conflicts become more frequent, serious and widespread worldwide, they are notoriously challenging to resolve, and many efforts to address these conflicts struggle to make progress. These Guidelines provide an essential guide to understanding and resolving human-wildlife conflict. The Guidelines aim to provide foundations and principles for good practice, with clear, practical guidance on how best to tackle conflicts and enable coexistence with wildlife. They have been developed for use by conservation practitioners, community leaders, decision-makers, researchers, government officers and others. Focusing on approaches and tools for analysis and decision-making, they are not limited to any particular species or region of the world.

Connectivity 101 is a free, self-paced course provided by the Wildlife Connect Initiative – a partnership of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas – Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG), and Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), designed with UNDP’s Learning for Nature.

Connectivity 101 teaches the basics of ecological connectivity conservation. The course will present general and replicable best practices for connectivity conservation and context-sensitive case studies worldwide. The course will focus on an audience of conservation practitioners but will also be accessible to a general audience. A certificate will be awarded to those who complete the course. Currently, the course is offered in English. Translations to other UN languages may be available in the future.

A Ramsar site is a wetland designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands). The convention provides for national action and international cooperation on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Sites are identified according to any one of nine criteria. The Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Types has been developed by the Ramsar Convention. There are currently more than 2,400 Ramsar Sites around the world, covering over 2.5 million km².  The Ramsar Sites Information Service (RSIS) provides online information on wetlands that have been designated as internationally important.

How to use

• For further information on the Convention visit: https://www.ramsar.org
• For an overview of the Ramsar Sites network or to obtain information on a specific Site, visit
• https://rsis.ramsar.org/
• The Administrative Authority of a Contracting Party can submit or update Ramsar Site information using the new online RIS by logging in or registering – instructions at: https://rsis.ramsar.org/sites/all/modules/custom/rsiswp_main/data/RSIS_Instructions_E.pdf

The IUCN Urban Alliance, a broad coalition of IUCN constituents concerned with the urban dimensions of nature conservation, has unveiled a new knowledge product for measuring the ecological performance of cities: the IUCN Urban Nature Indexes (UNI). Comprising six themes with five indicator topics nested within each theme, the UNI is intended to help policymakers, stakeholders and local communities understand their impacts on nature, set science-based targets for improvement, and monitor progress using science-based measures. By enhancing environmental transparency and accountability, and by focusing on improvement rather than fixed targets, the UNI aims to catalyse local action for nature in all cities.