UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre

18/08/2026

🌊 Join us for a webinar on the Thailand National Ecosystem Assessment

With the launch of Thailand’s first comprehensive assessment of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services, the National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) Initiative at UNEP-WCMC invites you to join a webinar where the assessment team will share key findings, including:
🔸 Major declines in key ecosystems, with over 70% of seagrass beds now in poor-to-fair condition, alongside coral bleaching and coastal erosion
🔸 The economic value of marine ecosystems to Thailand
🔸 The role of Indigenous and Local Knowledge from Chao Lay and small-scale fishing communities, in monitoring and early warning
🔸 Future scenarios to 2050 and what each means for biodiversity and livelihoods
🔸 Lessons from pilot landscapes in Trat and Phuket

This is your chance to hear directly from the assessment team, government partners and stakeholders, and discuss what the findings mean for national planning, restoration, and evidence-based marine policy in Thailand.

📅 26 August 2026 | 🕘 09:00 - 10:15 BST
🔗 Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XrdD9e5bQE-e7C3jAYabBA

This global webinar will present the key messages and policy-relevant findings of the Thailand National Ecosystem Assessment to an international audience. It will provide an opportunity to hear directly from experts of the assessment team, government partners and stakeholders involved in the process...

17/08/2026

📣 Join us at UNCCD COP17 for a side event exploring how stronger coordination, integrated planning and collaboration can help turn environmental commitments into action on the ground.

Under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope”, COP17 is placing a strong emphasis on strengthening implementation, enhancing coordination, and building synergies. As part of this effort, the UN Environment Programme, together with UNEP-WCMC, is hosting a side event exploring practical approaches to integrated action across the Rio Conventions and relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

Building on discussions under the Bern Process, this session will:
🔸 Share experiences and lessons learned on addressing interconnected environmental challenges through coordinated national action, including integrated planning, implementation and stakeholder engagement, across biodiversity, climate, land and pollution.
🔸 Explore practical approaches for strengthening coherence across MEAs through collaboration on planning, monitoring, reporting and review processes.
🔸 Identify opportunities to accelerate implementation on the ground by leveraging restoration, sustainable land management and drought resilience to deliver multiple environmental benefits.

The session will bring together country and global perspectives on connecting agendas, institutions and action to address interconnected environmental challenges.

📅 Friday, 21 August 2026
🕥 10:30 - 12:00 (ULAT)
📍 Room MET-04, Zone A, National Garden Park, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Learn more about the Bern Process here 🔗 https://www.unep.org/topics/environmental-law-and-governance/strengthening-institutions/bern-process

12/08/2026

Freshwater ecosystems - wetlands, peatlands, mangroves, rivers, and lakes - cover less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, yet they harbour nearly 10% of all known species. 🏞️

Access to freshwater is a cornerstone of sustainable social and economic development. Yet the world is in the midst of a water crisis.

In a new analysis, experts from UNEP-WCMC, World Resources Institute, and Bezos Earth Fund examine the state of the global freshwater system and set out the shifts needed for a systemic transformation.

Access the full analysis here 🔗 https://systemschangelab.org/freshwater

Join a high-level webinar on 13 August to learn more from the research team. Register here 👉 https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/8/state-freshwater?returnTo=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wri.org%2Fevents

11/08/2026

UNEP-WCMC is heading to in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 🇲🇳

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will unite Member States, the UN system, the scientific and business community, civil society, youth, women and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Over two weeks, the conference will deepen global collaboration on land restoration, drought resilience, rangelands, water and food systems.

Our key focus areas include:
🔸Cooperation, coordination and synergies, including delivery through the Bern Process.
🔸Private sector engagement and mobilizing sustainable finance solutions, including sharing findings from the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment at the Business4Land forum.
🔸Coordination of UNCCD Science-Policy Interface with other science-policy panels.
🔸Connections between the UNCCD and CBD, including, on national reporting cycles and inclusive engagement of the whole of society, particularly women, indigenous peoples and local communities.

09/08/2026

Did you know that Aboriginal peoples in Northern Australia have a history of creating controlled fires to help support habitats and regulate local climates?

Traditional fire management increases biodiversity and benefits the ecosystem - just one of many examples that show how Indigenous and local knowledge is at the heart of many positive ecological practices.

For centuries, Indigenous peoples across the globe have passed down knowledge through generations, weaving it into a deep relationship with the land.

This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we honour their role as stewards of biodiversity and reaffirm the lasting value of their knowledge systems in safeguarding biodiversity for generations to come.

Read the full story on our blog: https://tinyurl.com/5n8wvfkf

06/08/2026

📣 Join for a high-level discussion on the changes needed to transform the global freshwater system.💧

📅 13 August 2026
🕥 10 - 11.30 AM EDT | 16.00 - 17.30 CEST
🖥️ Online via Zoom
Register here: https://bit.ly/4bX0guo

This online event brings together leading experts and decision-makers to explore how system-wide changes can help address the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and water insecurity.

The webinar will also mark the launch of the Systems Change Lab’s freshwater system, highlighting progress, gaps and opportunities to accelerate action.

The webinar is co-hosted by World Resources Institute , Bezos Earth Fund and UNEP-WCMC.

05/08/2026

11-20%. That’s the projected decline in European crop yields, predicted by climate models. 🌾📈

As the climate warms, European farmers - and their lenders - are facing serious yield drops which impact their businesses. This has only been further highlighted during this extreme summer. For banks with agricultural lending portfolios, nature loss becomes a huge credit risk.

But all hope is not lost. Sustainable agricultural practices through nature-based solutions (NbS) are at our disposal.🌻

In a new brief developed under the NetworkNature EU, UNEP-WCMC experts collate the evidence for deploying NbS in the agriculture sector. With solutions such as agroforestry, no-till farming, and wetland restoration, NbS can be a practical response to build resilience and unlock new revenue opportunities.

The brief sets out concrete next steps for credit risk, front office, product development and sustainability teams within banks to build NbS into their agricultural lending strategy.

📄 ⏬ Download the full brief here: https://tinyurl.com/579ap6fz

04/08/2026

We are hiring! 💼

WCMC, a UK-based charity, working in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, seeks a Principal Specialist to join our Policy Support team and lead our work on international biodiversity policy.

You will be an accomplished leader and manager, with experience of leading the development and effective implementation of impactful projects that support global ambitions and commitments on biodiversity and mentoring a team of diverse and highly expert individuals.

This is your chance to make real difference in the field of conservation!

👉 Download the job pack and apply here: https://vacancies.wcmc.org.uk
📅 Apply before 25 August 2026

Note: WCMC operates through a collaboration with UNEP at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). The position advertised is suitable for visa sponsorship. We reserve the right to close this position as soon as a suitable applicant is found so we request you send in your applications soon. We recommend you read through the full job pack, benefits and follow the application process as mentioned on the website.

29/07/2026

📣 Join us tomorrow for the global presentation of the Malawi National Ecosystem Assessment.

📅 Thursday, 30 July 2026
🕒 15:00–16:15 BST
🌐 Online (Zoom)

Experts from Malawi will present key findings from the Malawi National Ecosystem Assessment and discuss how they can inform national planning, implementation and decision-making.

The webinar will also highlight the collaborative process behind the assessment and explore opportunities to strengthen the science-policy interface in support of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The webinar will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish.

👉 Register now: https://tinyurl.com/bdfsw8y8

24/07/2026

Did you know that over 2.4 billion people (nearly a third of the human population) living within 100 km of the world’s coastlines benefit from mangrove forests?

These vital ecosystems protect us in big ways:
🛡 Natural shield against extreme weather events
🏞️ Highly effective carbon sinks, locking away copious amounts of carbon.
🌏 And they are home to 1,533 species of marine mammals, plants, amphibians, birds and reptiles

If sustainably managed, mangroves are an efficient ally in achieving net-zero carbon emissions!

Urgent action is now needed to conserve, manage and restore mangrove forests to realize and sustain their benefits for people and nature.

Learn more about these vital ecosystems: https://www.unep.org/interactives/why-blue-ecosystems-matter/