Ecosystem Restoration through Community Engagement, Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve (ITBA) -Saudi Arabia

ITBA spanning 91,500 km², is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most ecologically diverse protected areas, encompassing sand dunes, wadis, steppes, plains, plateaus, and floodplains. Declared 2018 after decades of degradation, its vegetation cover was below 4%. The Reserve adopts a community-based approach for ecosystem restoration through developing sustainable rangeland management programs and active reforestation initiatives. ITBA has since shown remarkable recovery. Surveys identified 235 plant species, 10 mammals, 30 reptiles, 184 birds with nine globally threatened species. Restoration efforts include planting over 775,000 native trees, reintroducing of 460 wild animals including Arabian oryx, sand gazelle, ostrich, and houbara. Satellite monitoring shows vegetation density rising from 3.6% in 2020 to 9.4% in 2025, with wadis and depressions most productive. Rangeland condition has shifted toward recovery, benefiting biodiversity and over 12,000 herders who save SAR 17.6 million per season.

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From Fields to Forests: Integrating Nature into Kharagpur’s Agriscapes

The Sustainable Agriscapes for Future (SAF) project, led by IUCN and ITC, addresses ecosystem degradation in the Kharagpur Agriscape of Bihar, India through nature-based solutions. The Agriscape, reliant on forests and a lake, faces challenges such as deforestation, soil erosion, spread of invasive species, and unsustainable farming practices. Through spatial planning, the project delineated the Kharagpur Agriscape and developed Kharagpur Agriscape Plan aimed at conserving and enhancing natural ecosystems vital for supporting agriculture within the cluster. This included interventions such as women-led eco-nurseries, vermicomposting using using invasive water hyacinth, and community pastureland for fodder. These nature-based, community-centered solutions enhance soil health, reduce pressure on forests, and empower women and farmers. Capacity-building, alternative livelihoods, and improved ecosystem services underpin this replicable approach for sustainable rural development.

Promoting Satoumi Community Co-Management through Resilience Assessment: A Case Study of Chenglong Wetlands (Nantou, Taiwan)

Located along the western coast of Taiwan, Chenglong Wetlands was originally farmland. Since 1986, multiple typhoons have caused levee breaches and seawater intrusion, leading to farmland abandonment and its gradual transformation into grassy wetlands. Through joint efforts by the government, academia, civil groups, and local communities, the wetlands have been preserved as habitats, for water purification, and for disaster prevention. Environmental education and art have further revitalized community culture, creating a landscape that blends human and natural elements.
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Sparsa Business Model: Gender-responsive entrepreneurship and market access

This initiative is part of the Sparsa Solution, a Nepali non-profit organization that locally produces and distributes compostable menstrual pads with an absorbent core made from banana fiber.
The Sparsa business model, rooted in gender responsive entrepreneurship and strategic market access to ensure the sustainable distribution of biodegradable menstrual pads. As a nonprofit social enterprise, Sparsa integrates ongoing market evaluation, seasonal hiring practice, and active user committees at both factory locations to enhance responsiveness and community ownership.

The model emphasizes adaptability across diverse geographic and cultural contexts and explores innovative marketing strategies such as distribution through women’s groups and community leaders. Internal and external feedback sessions are conducted to improve product quality and customer satisfaction. Strategic efforts include building a four-year financial plan, conducting market research and forming strong partnerships with NGOs, municipalities, schools, hostels

The Nature Conservancy’s Nature Lab

The challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change are here now, and they’re impacting people and nature across the globe. Educators, parents and caregivers need ways to not only teach young learners about these challenges, but to show how they can be part of the solution the Earth needs. That’s why The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and its 1000+ scientists created the award-winning online learning platform, Nature Lab, to leverage technology to bring conservation to life in classrooms, home settings and more. Nature Lab has addressed the education challenges of inequality in access and participation, limited or inaccessible resources, and infrastructure and technology development. Nature Lab helps K-12 students experience the wonders of nature, learn about places and people around the world, and see how they can take action for the challenges facing the planet. High-quality videos transport students to diverse landscapes and interviews with renowned scientists offer youth a chance to see themselves as agents of change.

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This initiative is part of the Sparsa Solution, a Nepali non-profit organization that locally produces and distributes compostable menstrual pads, which have an absorbent core made from banana fiber.,
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This setup enables safe, small-scale production while reducing plastic waste and supporting menstrual health for the benefit of women and the environment.

Building networks and relationships to strengthen and promote the compostable menstrual pad production in Nepal

This initiative is part of the Sparsa Solution, a Nepali non-profit organization that locally produces and distributes compostable menstrual pads with an absorbent core made from banana fiber.

To scale impact and ensure sustainability, Sparsa actively builds strong relationships with government bodies, grassroots organizations, and global partners. We engage municipalities, schools, and women-led NGOs to expand awareness, build trust, and ensure our solutions are locally relevant and widely accessible. We are a proud member of the Menstrual Health Management Partner Alliance (MHMPA) Nepal, enabling national-level advocacy and knowledge exchange. By completing all legal steps and aligning with government frameworks, we ensure full compliance and credibility. These partnerships—ranging from policy support to grassroots mobilization—have enabled Sparsa to extend its reach, foster innovation, and integrate menstrual health into broader development goals.

Eco-Friendly Salt Marsh Restoration Using Fishery By-Products

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The Nature Conservancy & National Geographic Society Externship Program

Together, the partners developed a program centered around a rigorous externship open to young adults ages 18-25 to equip them with the knowledge, tools, and relationships to seek solutions and take action in their communities around the globe. The program intentionally creates more opportunities for young people from all communities to prepare for careers in conservation and exploration. At the end of this eight-week experience, externs create an ArcGIS StoryMap presentation based on the local conservation issue they investigated. As the externship concludes, participants can apply for seed funding to begin enacting the solutions they identified in their communities. The program has addressed the challenge of inadequate leadership opportunities for global youth, by providing young adults from ages 18-25 with the opportunity to tackle global conservation issues, while gaining conservation skills.

World Rowing: Healthy Waters, strong strokes for nature

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