IUCN Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Japanska 35, Belgrade (2026)

25/08/2026

Join us at in a few hours at the UNECE hosted side event

🌿 for Water Security in Central Asia: From Rangeland Stewardship to Artificial Glaciers

📅 25 August 2026
⏰ 18:00–19:30 (Ulaanbaatar time)
📍 Blue Zone, MET-30

What does working with nature for water security look like in practice across Central Asia? How can traditional land stewardship and innovative approaches work together to build resilience?

Our colleague A.Iscenco will share insights from , Global Environment Facility funded, FAO in Uzbekistan led project 👉 https://bit.ly/4qNtT7X

Aitkul Burkhanov and Toolos Bostonbaev from KAFLU. Kyrgyz Association of Forest and Land Users, an IUCN Member, will present their work on NbS for water security in Kyrgyzstan.

🌱

24/08/2026

📅 Save the Date: IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress 2027

🌎 From 4 to 10 September 2027, conservation leaders, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, policymakers, researchers, and private sector representatives from across the globe will gather in Panama City, Panama, for the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress. The Congress is the world's premier forum for shaping the future of protected and conserved areas and advancing effective area-based conservation.

🌿 Taking place at a pivotal moment for biodiversity, climate action and sustainable development, WPC 2027 will help assess progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while defining priorities for the decades ahead.

🦜 Hosted for the first time in the biodiversity-rich Mesoamerica region, the Congress will showcase how protected and conserved areas can deliver lasting benefits for both nature and people through equitable and effective conservation approaches.

📍 Panama City, Panama
📅 4-10 September 2027
🎯 Focus: Advancing protected and conserved areas as solutions to biodiversity loss, climate change and sustainable development challenges.

🌍 We look forward to contributing experiences and lessons learned from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, and to engaging in global dialogue on strengthening protected and conserved areas for people and nature.

🌿

21/08/2026

🌿 From Uzbekistan to Europe: what can restoration practice teach us about aligning nature, climate and sustainable livestock?

Three key messages Alexandr Iscenco, IUCN NbS Project Officer, brought to today’s side event on Implementing EU Policies: Aligning Nature Restoration and Sustainable Livestock, drawing on the experience:

🛰️ Use both science and local knowledge. Satellite data and analytical tools are essential, but so is the knowledge of farmers, pastoralists and communities managing landscapes every day. Restoration policies should create space for both.

🌱 Address the causes, not only the symptoms. Lasting restoration means understanding why landscapes are degrading, from unsustainable land-use practices to socio-economic pressures, and designing solutions that tackle these underlying drivers.

🤝 Build partnerships that make restoration sustainable. Public-Private-Producer Partnerships and mechanisms such as Payments for Ecosystem Services can recognise farmers and pastoralists not only as food producers, but also as stewards and providers of ecosystem services.

“Restoration works best when we trust both satellites and communities, scientific tools and local wisdom. If we want solutions to last, we need to understand why degradation is happening and build partnerships in which farmers and pastoralists are recognised as part of the solution,” reminded Alexandr.

Learn more about , a GEF-supported and FAO-led project 👉 https://bit.ly/4qNtT7X

Kudos to moderator Elodie Champseix, IUCN Europe and the panellists for delivering an insightful discussion.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

20/08/2026

📢 Join us at in Ulaanbaatar 🇲🇳 tomorrow!

As the European Union moves into a crucial implementation phase for its biodiversity, restoration and agricultural transition agendas, how can we ensure that nature restoration and sustainable livestock systems work hand in hand?

🌿 Implementing EU Policies: Aligning Nature Restoration and Sustainable Livestock
📅 21 August
⏰ 10:30-12:00 (Ulaanbaatar time)
📍 Room MET-06, UNCCD COP17

Our colleagues Alexandr Iscenco, Nature-based Solutions Project Officer for Central Asia at IUCN ECARO, will share lessons from the FOLUR Project, highlighting how sustainable production landscapes and multi-stakeholder partnerships can contribute to restoring degraded land while supporting local livelihoods.

The discussion will be moderated by Elodie Champseix, Senior Natural Resources Officer at IUCN Europe.

🔗 Learn more: https://bit.ly/4xIZtG2

🔗 Discover the full IUCN programme at UNCCD COP17: https://bit.ly/4xayV0j

IUCN Forest IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management

19/08/2026

🗞️ A Voice for Nature #35

This edition brings together news and stories from across Eastern Europe and Central Asia – from the first anniversary of IUCN’s Central Asia Office and species deep-dives, to growing regional cooperation on ecosystem restoration and .

Read about the rediscovery of the Dinaric vole in Prokletije, new research on tortoises of Golem Grad, restoration efforts across the region, and progress under the for the Western Balkans.

We also celebrate the establishment of the IUCN National Committee of Armenia and welcome two new . And, ahead of Armenia, we invite you to join a timely symposium in Yerevan addressing the governance gap at the heart of the and bringing diverse actors together to shape a shared call to action for effective area-based conservation.

All this, and more in the latest issue 👉 https://bit.ly/4xOXBvt 🍓

If you like it, subscribe for more 🐝 https://lnkd.in/g7ere8gb

| INCA Albania | Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets | Македонско еколошко друштво | WWF Adria | WWF Adria-Srbija | Eko-svest | | ACBK - Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan | NABU Bundesverband | | | AKZM Agjencia Kombëtare e Zonave të Mbrojtura | Nacionalni parkovi Crne Gore / National parks of Montenegro

18/08/2026

🌿 Nature-based Solutions can help tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and other societal challenges while delivering benefits for both people and nature.

Join the IUCN Academy Professional Certificate on the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ and learn how to assess, improve, and support high-quality NbS initiatives using the world's leading framework for Nature-based Solutions.

Over five weeks, participants will gain practical skills to:
✅ Apply the IUCN Global Standard for NbS in real-world contexts
✅ Assess the effectiveness and credibility of NbS projects
✅ Identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement
✅ Use evidence-based tools and verification methods
✅ Generate practical lessons to strengthen NbS practice

📅 1 September – 6 October 2026
⏱️ 5 weeks | 5-7 hours per week
💻 Hybrid format: self-paced learning + live expert sessions
🌐 Language: English

🔗 Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/45Av7cH

17/08/2026

🌍 IUCN at 🌱

Today, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification COP17 opens in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, bringing together governments, experts and communities under the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." Land degradation already affects up to 40% of the Earth's surface, threatening biodiversity, water security, food systems, climate resilience and livelihoods worldwide.

At COP17, IUCN is calling for action that turns global commitments into real change on the ground. Key priorities include:

🤝 Strengthening cooperation across the Rio Conventions
🌾 Investing in rangelands and supporting pastoralist communities
💧 Building resilience to drought through science and traditional knowledge
🌬️ Tackling sand and dust storms through ecosystem restoration
🌱 Promoting healthy soils and Nature-based Solutions for sustainable agriculture
🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏿 Ensuring inclusive participation of civil society, Indigenous Peoples and women

📍 Throughout COP17, IUCN will host its Blue Zone pavilion under the theme "From Promise to Practice: Nature Delivering Now", showcasing practical solutions for restoring land and strengthening resilience.

📖 Read the IUCN Position Paper:
https://bit.ly/4idIbw5

📅 Explore IUCN events at COP17:
https://bit.ly/3SdwACA

IUCN Europe UICN - Centre de coopération pour la Méditerranée IUCN Asia IUCN Forest IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management

14/08/2026

🌍 Climate change is becoming the defining challenge for World Heritage conservation

At the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, climate change emerged as one of the most significant and rapidly escalating threats to World Heritage sites worldwide. From glaciers and coral reefs to forests, wetlands and islands, some of humanity's most treasured natural places are increasingly at risk.

As the only Advisory Body to the World Heritage Convention providing independent advice on nature, IUCN is helping drive the response through science, evidence and practical tools.

📌 Key IUCN resources and initiatives:

📊 IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The most comprehensive global assessment of natural World Heritage sites, showing that 43% of natural World Heritage sites are now highly threatened by climate change, up from just 14% in 2014. 🔗https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/

🛠️ Climate Action Toolkit for World Heritage
Being developed through the ICCROM-IUCN-ICOMOS World Heritage Leadership Programme to help site managers integrate climate action into conservation and management planning.
🔗 https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2624

🌡️ A new IUCN initiative on World Heritage and Climate Change
Launched in Busan to strengthen how the World Heritage system addresses climate risks, improve the use of climate data in decision-making, and support more ambitious climate action across the Convention.

Protecting World Heritage is no longer only about conserving sites. It is also about addressing the climate crisis that threatens their Outstanding Universal Value, as well as the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.

📖 Read Dr. Sandeep Sengupta's, Head, Global Climate Policy, IUCN reflections from Busan🔗 https://bit.ly/4wxvpMH

UN Climate Change

13/08/2026

🐺 Species from our region: Grey Wolf (Canis lupus)

Today, on , we celebrate the Grey Wolf, one of the world's most iconic large carnivores and a vital part of healthy ecosystems across the Western Balkans, Central Asia, and beyond. 🌍

As a top predator, wolves help maintain ecological balance by regulating prey populations and supporting biodiversity.

🏔️🌲 Highly adaptable, Grey Wolves thrive in a wide range of habitats, from mountains and forests to grasslands and steppes.

🔴 According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , the Grey Wolf is currently classified as Least Concern (LC), thanks to its wide distribution and large global population. However, challenges remain in many parts of its range due to habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, and persecution.

🤝 Continued conservation efforts, science-based management, and coexistence measures are essential to ensuring a future where people and wolves can thrive together.

🐾 In the Western Balkans and Central Asia, are an important part of our natural heritage, connecting landscapes and reminding us of the need to conserve nature at scale.

🔗 Learn more: https://bit.ly/45rcKqz

🐺🌿

12/08/2026

💧 Without a reliable water supply, restoration cannot last.

Communities living in Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, near the Lower Amu Darya Biosphere Reserve and Baday-Tugay, connected directly with their daily realities: insufficient irrigation and drinking water, limited employment, high agricultural costs and the difficulty of sustaining local livelihoods.

Local stakeholders identified degraded areas around Baday-Tugay as a potential first restoration site. Native trees such as poplar, willow, oleaster and tamarisk could help restore Tugay forest, while saxaul is better suited to the surrounding sandy and saline land.

But participants were clear that planting alone will not be enough. Reliable water supply, protection of restored areas, stronger monitoring, and opportunities for local people must all be part of the plan.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4bRBKe2

IUCN Eastern Europe and Central Asia

25/08/2026

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