Empowering Europe's youth to protect pollinators and address biodiversity threats - IUCN SOS

Darwin Initiative

The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that helps conserve biodiversity and support the communities that live alongside it through locally led projects worldwide. It is one of the Biodiversity Challenge Funds (BCFs) – the collective name for three of the UK Government’s competitive grants that also includes the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus, aimed at conserving biodiversity and safeguarding the environment for local people.

Successful Darwin Initiative projects are likely to include:

delivering outputs that will achieve both biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction
demonstrated an understanding of GESI within their context, and effectively reflected this in their approach to deliver sustained outcomes
enhancing the capability and capacity of national and local partners and stakeholders, to help ensure a project’s long-term legacy
strengthening, promotion and use of evidence to inform and scale the action
the implementation of a novel or significantly improved approach
scalable approaches that have the potential to deliver greater impact

Since 1993, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £230m to more than 1,275 projects across 159 countries.

Tracking Economic Instruments and Finance for Biodiversity

The OECD Environmental Policy Committee, through its unique database of Policy Instruments for the Environment (PINE), collects quantitative and qualitative information on policy instruments from more than 120 countries worldwide. This brochure presents statistics on the biodiversity-relevant economic instruments and the finance they mobilise, based on
currently available data. The brochure also includes information on payments for ecosystem services (PES) and on biodiversity offsets, two other types of economic instruments that provide incentives for biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use.

EDGE Protected And Conserved Area Fund

The EDGE of Existence programme was the first global conservation initiative to focus specifically on threatened species that represent a significant amount of unique evolutionary history.

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.

2023

IUCN SSC guidelines on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence : first edition

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.

The CBD Ecosystem Approach (EA)

The Convention on Biological Diversity’s Ecosystem Approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water, and living resources to promote conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. It is the primary framework for such action under the CBD and it contains 12 core principles. The Ecosystem Approach Sourcebook contains a Beginner’s Guide, Advanced Guide, Tools and resources, a Case Study Database, and Operational guidance for applying the 12 principles of the Ecosystem Approach.

How to use

To access the EA Sourcebook and operational guides: https://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/

To download and subscribe to the CBD Ecosystem Newsletter: https://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/ea-newsletters/

2024

Designing and managing protected and conserved areas to support inland water ecosystems and biodiversity

Inland waters – such as rivers, lakes and other wetlands – are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are also the most threatened; almost one in three species is at risk of extinction and monitored populations of freshwater species have declined by 85% since 1970. The loss of these ecosystems has cascading effects on human livelihoods, cultures and our overall well-being. While protected and conserved areas can play an important role in bending the curve of inland water biodiversity and ecosystem loss, they have rarely been designed, designated, and managed for that purpose. Motivated by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s inclusion of inland waters in the target to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030, this report provides guidance in employing protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures to benefit these ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. Through a series of case studies and synthesized research, it highlights how integrating the unique needs of inland waters into area-based strategies can improve conservation effectiveness across all realms, build climate resilience and sustain critical ecosystem services.

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

The WDPA is a comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). It is a joint project between the UN Environment Programme and IUCN, and is managed by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). The WDPA is updated on a monthly basis and site data and maps are available through the Protected Planet platform. About 261,766 officially recognised protected areas are listed, covering over 15% of the of the earth’s land surface and 7.4% of the world’s oceans. Protected Planet contains interactive maps and has eight thematic areas. Every two years, UNEP-WCMC releases the Protected Planet Report on the status of the world’s protected areas and makes recommendations on how to meet international goals and targets.

How to use

To access the Protected Planet website and explore the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), World Database on OECMs, Global Database on Protected Area Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME), and associated information: https://www.protectedplanet.net
To contribute information on a site to the WDPA: https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/thematic-areas/wdpa?tab=WDPA

2020

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology 2.0

Ecosystems are critically important components of Earth’s biological diversity and as the natural capital that sustains human life and well-being. Yet all of the world’s ecosystems show hallmarks of human influence, and many are under acute risks of collapse, with consequences for habitats of species, genetic diversity, ecosystem services, sustainable development and human well-being. The IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology is a hierarchical classification system that, in its upper levels, defines ecosystems by their convergent ecological functions and, in its lower levels, distinguishes ecosystems with contrasting assemblages of species engaged in those functions. This report describes the three upper levels of the hierarchy, which provide a framework for understanding and comparing the key ecological traits of functionally different ecosystems and their drivers. An understanding of these traits and drivers is essential to support ecosystem management.

IPBES ILK Approach

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has developed the IPBES ILK Approach to guide work on indigenous and local knowledge. The IPBES Global Assessment (GA) was the first global scale assessment to engage systematically with ILK and showed that existing knowledge is fragmented and lacks integration between social and natural sciences and that integrating different world views in requires increased dialogue and agreement. IPBES has established an ILK Task Force and Technical Support Unit.

Business for Nature’s Recommendations to Governments on How to Implement Target 15 of the Global Biodiversity Framework

This paper, produced in 2023, provides recommendations on implementing Target 15(a), especially the way governments can take legal, administrative, or policy measures to:

1) Encourage and enable businesses to regularly monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity; and

2) Require all large, and transnational companies and financial institutions do so, including along their operations, supply and value chains, and portfolios. The paper also contains information, resources and capacity-building opportunities, recommendations for businesses to act now on assessment and disclosure, and case studies of government policies and business action on disclosure. The paper focuses on paragraph 15(a) as the most urgent starting point to ensure business and financial institutions are assessing and disclosing nature-related risks, dependencies, and impacts, and that this information is included in all decision-making by the private sector, finance, and governments.

Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP)

CLP is an international capacity building programme that supports young conservationists in to undertake applied biodiversity projects. Each year, CLP calls for project applications in low- and middle-income countries and some high-income islands in the Caribbean and Pacific. Funding is awarded to teams of early-career conservationists to conduct scientific research, promote pro-conservation attitudes, and deliver tangible results to conserve and manage biodiversity.

There are three grant levels. Starting with a Future Conservationist Award, teams are supported to undertake small-scale research and awareness-raising projects. Then through Follow-up and Leadership awards, teams can implement larger projects over a longer period of time and implement deliver practical solutions while learning more complex decision-making, communication, and leadership skills. As part of the award, winning teams can access expertise from within the partner organisations and via our global Alumni Network, which includes past award-winners.

Programme staff members are also available to advise on project implementation, including guidance required during the planning and team training stages. Each year CLP runs a two-week Conservation Management & Leadership Course for recent award winners. CLP is a partnership of three leading biodiversity conservation organisations, BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International, and Wildlife Conservation Society.

FAO’s 10 elements of agroecology: Guiding the transition to sustainable food and agricultural systems

Agroecology is integral to FAO’s Common Vision for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. It offers a unique approach to meeting significant increases in the future food needs. Agroecology is an integrated approach that applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems. These 10 elements set out the core principles.

EDGE of Existence programme

A capacity building programme to support emerging leaders spearhead conservation action for the most unique, extraordinary, and overlooked species on Earth (can indicate for same targets as CLP)

Alliance on Zero Extinction (AZE) sites

An AZE site must contain 95% of the population of an ‘Endangered’ or ‘Critically Endangered’ species and have a definable boundary. These criteria are the equivalent of Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) criterion A1e.

How to use

To see the list, description, and map of existing AZE sites see: https://zeroextinction.org/
To submit a site for AZE status, complete the form at: https://zeroextinction.org/get-involved/submit-a-site/

Species+

The Species+ website was developed jointly by UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat to assist Parties to implement CITES, CMS and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Species+ contains information on all species listed in the Appendices of CITES and CMS, other CMS Family listings, and in the Annexes to the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The species pages contain information on legal, species names and distribution, Appendix listings, references, and other documentation.

The data can be searched by species, location, or Convention. The “Locations” filter allows a search for a species or group of species occurring in a particular country, territory, or region.

Key species lists can be downloaded in an Excel-ready format as a csv file. The terms of use should be reviewed prior to downloading.

International Whaling Commission (IWC) Programmes on Chemical Pollution

Research on cetaceans indicates that many classes of chemical pollutants, particularly persistent organic pollutants, are so-called ‘endocrine disrupters,’ meaning that they interfere with the hormone system and can increase susceptibility to disease and reduce reproductive success. The huge number of synthetic chemicals released into the environment and their interactions makes quantifying impacts on whale populations a complex task.

The IWC Scientific Committee has initiated four programmes, Pollution 2000, Pollution 2000+, Pollution 2020 and Pollution 2025. The first two initiatives examined tissue concentrations of priority pollutants in key cetacean species and determined toxicological markers and health assessment endpoints to determine adverse health effects, culminating in the development of tools and techniques to estimate population level effects.

The IWC Scientific Committee has also initiated work on the sources of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) which pose a significant ongoing threat to some cetacean populations long after their production was banned. Pollution 2020, assessed the risk to cetaceans from microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Pollution 2025 is focused on cumulative effects and multiple stressors. Pollution 2025 is also setting out a multi-disciplinary, ‘One Health’ approach, recognising that the health of people, animals and the environment are closely connected.

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT)

EICAT is the IUCN global standard for measuring the severity of environmental impacts caused by alien species. EICAT is a key tool for prioritising alien species that could lead to the most harmful environmental impacts, helping to make the best use of resources to prevent or limit their negative consequences. EICAT classifies alien species into one of eight categories (see figure) according to the severity of their impact on native species and whether the impact is reversible The EICAT Categories and Criteria provide a simple, objective, and transparent classification method. The EICAT Guidelines provide detailed assistance in the application of the categories and criteria.

EICAT can be applied at national, regional, and global levels. All global EICAT assessments are published on IUCN’s Global Invasive Species Database. The EICAT Authority is the governing body coordinating the EICAT assessment process and it is responsible for carrying out the majority of assessments and implementing the review process. The EICAT Authority is composed of experts on specific taxonomic groups or geographic regions.

Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) produced Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development for biodiversity policymakers and practitioners in developed and developing countries, as well as development co-operation agencies and other national ministries. The report highlights examples of good practice and remaining challenges in four key areas: mainstreaming biodiversity at national level; mainstreaming biodiversity in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors; development co-operation and biodiversity mainstreaming; and monitoring and evaluating biodiversity mainstreaming. Examples and insights are included from 16 predominantly megadiverse countries which span the full range from high-income to lower-income economies. The national level entry point for biodiversity mainstreaming is important and elements to encourage mainstreaming and its implementation in practice across relevant national plans and strategies.

How to use

The policy highlights report can be downloaded at: https://www.oecd.org/environment/resources/Policy-Highlights-Mainstreaming-Biodiversity-for-Sustainable-Development.pdf

Further information on the OECD is available at: https://www.oecd.org/

WILDMEAT Use Database

The aim of the WILDMEAT Use Database is to ensure that efforts to manage wild meat resources sustainably are based on the best available evidence. The Database holds three types of data, on wild meat consumption, hunting offtakes, and market sales in a standardised format within one database. This allows data from many different sites and studies to be combined and compared, to track changes in wildmeat harvest characteristics and use, and to evaluate the effectiveness of management and policy interventions. Data can be shared under different license agreements, from full open access to access that is dependent on some terms and conditions.

The WILDMEAT Use Database – User Guide provides assistance on using the database, including descriptions of the data structure, metadata descriptions, data limitations, and other useful information. A WILDMEAT Toolkit with guidance on indicators, theories of change, and data collection methods is under development.

How to use

To WILDMEAT database can be searched through the Database Explorer and the User Guide downloaded at: https://www.wildmeat.org/database/
The WILDMEAT Toolkit can be accessed at: https://www.wildmeat.org/toolkit/.
To contribute data and view the options for sharing data contact: info@wildmeat.org.

ECOLEX

ECOLEX is an information service on environmental law, operated jointly by FAO, IUCN, and UNEP. Its purpose is to build global capacity by providing the most comprehensive possible source of information on environmental law, in an easily accessible form. This is particularly helpful in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, where government officials, practitioners, environmental managers, non-profit institutions and academia may not have easy access to the information they need to develop the legal tools needed to promote environmental management.

The ECOLEX database includes information on treaties, international soft-law and other non-binding policy and technical guidance documents, national legislation, judicial decisions, and law and policy literature. Users can access the abstracts and indexing information about each document, as well as to the full text of most of the information provided.

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)

An ESIA is a statement about the likely impacts of a proposal and how the identified negative impacts can be mitigated and managed and how the positive impacts can be enhanced. The purpose of this review procedure is to ensure that the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports provide adequate assessment and protection measures to manage environmental and social impacts. A systematic approach to review is needed to ensure that the environmental and social impact assessment reports comply with requirements, are consistent with standards of good practice, and provide good quality information to support decision making.

Global Biodiversity Information Facility

GBIF is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world’s governments. It provides open access to data on all types of life on Earth. GBIF provides data-holding institutions around the world with common standards, best practices and open-source tools enabling them to share information on species. The data derive from many sources, from museum specimens collected in the 18th and 19th centuries to DNA barcodes and citizen science smartphone photos.

The network collates these diverse data sources through data standards, including Darwin Core, which forms the basis for most of GBIF’s index of hundreds of millions of species occurrence records. Publishers provide open access to their datasets using machine-readable Creative Commons licence designations, allowing scientists, researchers, and others to apply the data.

1998

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is one of the main tools available to achieve integration of the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes, involving a range of analytical and participatory approaches. SEAs are becoming more urgent and necessary but moving from concept to action and towards results has varied. The OECD has produced guidance notes that promote a more harmonised, effective approach to SEA, working alongside key donor and development agencies. The Guidance explains the benefits of using SEA in development co-operation, sets out key steps for its application based on recent experiences, and presents the nine most interesting case studies of SEA in progress.

Rufford Small Grants

The Rufford Foundation provides funding for nature conservation projects in developing countries. Grants start at £6,000 and increase to £15,000 for projects that successfully complete each stage. To be eligible, species must be considered threatened. Applicants

should be in the early stages of their conservation career.

Empowering Europe’s youth to protect pollinators and address biodiversity threats – IUCN SOS

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Primary tools and resources

Darwin Initiative

Tracking Economic Instruments and Finance for Biodiversity

EDGE Protected And Conserved Area Fund

IUCN SSC guidelines on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence : first edition

The CBD Ecosystem Approach (EA)

Designing and managing protected and conserved areas to support inland water ecosystems and biodiversity

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology 2.0

IPBES ILK Approach

Business for Nature’s Recommendations to Governments on How to Implement Target 15 of the Global Biodiversity Framework

Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP)

FAO’s 10 elements of agroecology: Guiding the transition to sustainable food and agricultural systems

EDGE of Existence programme

Alliance on Zero Extinction (AZE) sites

Species+

International Whaling Commission (IWC) Programmes on Chemical Pollution

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT)

Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

WILDMEAT Use Database

ECOLEX

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)

Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Rufford Small Grants