In April 2024, a critically endangered white-rumped vulture, approximately five years old, was found in a vulnerable state in Khalishpur, Khulna, Bangladesh. Dehydrated and malnourished, the vulture was quickly rescued by the Bangladesh Forest Department (FD) and taken to their rehabilitation centre. Under expert care, the bird gradually regained its strength.
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Primary tools and resources
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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
IUCN Red List index : guidance for national and regional use. Version 1.1
The RLI monitors trends in extinction risk over time and is based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It tracks the conservation status of major species groups, and has been applied so far to birds, mammals, cycads, amphibians, corals. The data can be disaggregated by region, or country.
How to use
For details of the RLI process and to see results: https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index
Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA)
ISRAs have been developed by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group to ensure that discrete portions of habitats critical to shark species are delineated and used in site-based conservation and management initiatives in global waters. ISRAs are identified through the application of four criteria, incorporating seven sub-criteria. The Criteria provide an objective framework for identifying areas crucial for the persistence of sharks and rays and, where required, their recovery.
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/
IUCN Principle on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
This Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy reaffirms and further strengthens IUCN’s commitment to realising gender equality and women’s rights and empowerment and puts into place requirements for embedding a gender-responsive approach into its Programme and project portfolio. Another publication Gender equality for greener and bluer futures: why women’s leadership matters for realising environmental goals includes new IUCN data on the number of women leading environmental ministries, compared with previous data. It also highlights data on why gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for global goals on achieving an inclusive and sustainable future.
The IUCN Urban Alliance
The Urban Alliance is a diverse global coalition of international partners committed to bringing cities into balance with nature. Several resources are available including an IUCN briefing paper, the Urban Nature Indexes: methodological framework and key indicators, and the IUCN Urban Toolbox. This is a catalogue of IUCN knowledge products on urban biodiversity that provides guidance to subnational governments, municipalities, and urban professionals on nature-positive development in urban environments. The tools featured support assessment, planning, design, implementation, and monitoring.
How to use
- Information on The Urban Alliance can be accessed at: https://iucnurbanalliance.org
- The Briefing paper on Cities and Nature can be downloaded at: https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/cities-and-nature
- The Urban Nature Indexes: methodological framework and key indicators can be downloaded at: https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/50782
- The IUCN Urban Toolbox is available in English, French and Spanish at: https://iucnurbanalliance.org/iucn-urban-toolbox-released-in-english-french-and-spanish/
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
The Declaration is a comprehensive instrument detailing the rights of indigenous peoples in international law and policy. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, wellbeing and rights of the world’s indigenous peoples.
The Declaration addresses both individual and collective rights; cultural rights and identity; rights to education, health, employment, language, and others. It outlaws discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.
It also ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own priorities in economic, social and cultural development. The Declaration explicitly encourages harmonious and cooperative relations between States and indigenous peoples.
Guidelines for wildlife disease risk analysis
This IUCN-OIE publication provides an overview of the science-based processes and tools available for wildlife disease risk analysis and their application to a broad range of contemporary issues, including human-wildlife interactions, domestic animal-wildlife interactions and the impacts of massive ecological change on biodiversity conservation. The guidelines will be of value to those policy makers and decision makers faced with the social, political and technical complexities involved in wildlife-disease-associated scenarios.This is a companion volume to the Manual of Procedures for Wildlife Disease Risk Analysis.
Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
The Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) is a global initiative to promote the development, delivery, and use of biodiversity indicators. Its primary role is to delivering indicators to monitor progress toward global and national goals and targets, such as those under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on Migratory Species, Ramsar, and others. The BIP also supports indicators used in IPBES Assessment reports and for reporting progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. Indicators supported by the BIP are also used by national and regional governments.
How to use
- To obtain the list of BIP indicators and further guidance: https://www.bipindicators.net/
- To access resources: https://www.bipindicators.net/resources?filters%5Bcategory%5D=47
- To access data by country from the BIP Dashboard, enter the country name or browse by region at: https://bipdashboard.natureserve.org/SelectCountry.html
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.
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.
IUCN Guidelines on the Use of Ex Situ Management for Species Conservation
As habitats and ecosystems become increasingly altered and populations evermore impacted by human activities, a growing number of species will require some form of management of both individuals and populations to ensure their survival. Ex situ management is one possible option that can contribute to the conservation of threatened species. The aim of these guidelines is to provide practical guidance on evaluating the suitability and requirements of an ex situ component for achieving species conservation objectives.
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)
KBAs are sites that ‘contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems’. KBAs are identified on the basis of species or ecosystems, according to five criteria and 11 subcriteria, all supported by quantitative thresholds. The KBA Global Standard details the criteria and subcriteria. KBA sites must meet one of the criteria and be clearly delineated. Proposed sites are independently reviewed and once accepted are included in the World Database of KBAs.
KBAs are normally identified by a KBA National Coordination Group (NCG). However, anyone with appropriate data may propose a site as a KBA, but they are they are encouraged to work with the NCG if one exists and consultation with relevant stakeholders at the local and national level is required and needs to be documented in the proposal. Where a KBA NCG has not yet been established, proposers submit a site proposal directly.
The Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership is composed of 13 leading international organizations including IUCN. It maintains a KBA Committee, Secretariat, a Technical Working Group, a KBA Consultative Forum, and the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. An independent KBA Standards and Appeals Committee has been established under the authority of the elected SSC and WCPA Chairs.
How to use
- To download the KBA Standard, criteria, and guidelines, and for further information: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/home
- To explore maps and site details on the World Database of KBAS: https://wdkba.keybiodiversityareas.org
- For guidance on the role of KBA National Coordination Groups and how to establish them: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/working-with-kbas/programme/national-coordination-groups
PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet
The PANORAMA platform documents and promotes examples of inspiring solutions on conservation and sustainable development topics. PANORAMA allows practitioners to share their experiences, increase recognition for successful work, and to learn how similar challenges have been addressed around the globe. Over 1200 case studies are presented in a standard format that identifies “building blocks” (key success factors) and the context in which solutions were implemented. Solutions consist of elements that can potentially be replicated or scaled up in other geographic, social, or sectorial contexts. The PANORAMA initiative has many partners. The partnership secretariat is jointly managed by IUCN and GIZ.
IUCN Species Survival Commission guidelines on the use of ex situ management for species conservation
As habitats and ecosystems become increasingly altered and populations evermore impacted by human activities, a growing number of species will require some form of management of both individuals and populations to ensure their survival. Ex situ management is one possible option that can contribute to the conservation of threatened species. The aim of these guidelines is to provide practical guidance on evaluating the suitability and requirements of an ex situ component for achieving species conservation objectives.
Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA)
ISRAs have been developed by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group to ensure that discrete portions of habitats critical to shark species are delineated and used in site-based conservation and management initiatives in global waters. ISRAs are identified through the application of four criteria, incorporating seven sub-criteria. The Criteria provide an objective framework for identifying areas crucial for the persistence of sharks and rays and, where required, their recovery.