🌍 Just Launched: IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 🌿 We're excited to announce the launch of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 – the most comprehensive global assessment of natural World Heritage sites to date! This latest edition offers vital insights into the conservation status of 271 iconic natural sites, from coral reefs to rainforests, mountains to caves. It highlights both progress and growing threats, including climate change, tourism pressure, and infrastructure developments. 🔗 Explore the updated website: The Outlook platform has been updated with the 2025 Conservation Outlook Assessments. Dive into the new site assessments to identify trends over time, learn about key threats, details of protection and management and the state of World Heritage values. Read about the site-level findings that matter to conservation, policy, and community action. 👉 https://lnkd.in/dY8S85wJ 📢 Whether you’re a conservation professional, policymaker, researcher, or advocate for our natural world – the Outlook is an essential resource. 📬 Interested in collaborating, sharing insights, or learning more? Let’s connect. Your engagement can help drive action for the planet’s most precious places. #WorldHeritage #Conservation #NatureMatters #IUCN #HeritageOutlook4 #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #Sustainability #NatureConservation #WHOutlook #IUCNcongress IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) | IUCN Species Survival Commission | IUCN | IUCN Asia | IUCN Regional Office for West Asia | IUCN European Regional Office | IUCN Eastern Europe and Central Asia | IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation | IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa | IUCN West and Central Africa | IUCN South America | IUCN Oceania | IUCN North America | @IUCN Mexico, Central America and the Carribean | UNESCO | Grethel Aguilar | Tim Badman | Alfred DeGemmis | Chrissy Grant | Hany El Shaer | Mizuki Murai | Lisa Aylett (née Kopsieker) | Nathan Cardinal | Raul Fontoura | Patience Gandiwa | IUCN Academy | International Indigenous Peoples Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH) Supported by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Korea Heritage Service (KHS), BIOPAMA, ACP, France-IUCN Partnership Photo credit: OceanImageBank, GregoryPiper, Tubbataha Reefs

Every few years, hundreds of experts on natural World Heritage sites from all over the world, including WCS scientists, work together to assess the protection, management, and ecological integrity of the world's most unique and precious natural places. These collaborative assessments are now published as the 2025 edition of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook. There are messages of hope: 13 World Heritage sites are improving their conservation status and many more are holding strong. Some World Heritage sites, however, are in need of urgent support to address threats that are often beyond site managers' control. WCS is ready to work with governments, communities, and the private sector to tackle these urgent challenges. We can conserve high integrity forests to mitigate global climate change, prevent the introduction of pathogens and invasive alien species through precautionary measures, and much more. We have the information, now is the time to act. IUCN, IUCN World Heritage, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), Alfred DeGemmis, Madhu Rao

The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 is here! The IUCN #WorldHeritage Outlook 4 provides an overview of the conservation status of 271 natural and mixed World Heritage sites offering also an overview on regional and global trends and challenges. The results of the assessment highlight that "climate change is now threatening 43% of natural World Heritage sites, surpassing all other threats (...). Invasive alien species (IAS) remain the second most prevalent current threat, affecting 30% of all sites. The report also warns of a sharp rise in the risk from wildlife and plant diseases. In 9% of sites there is a high or very high threat posed by pathogens, up from just 2% in 2020". Visit https://lnkd.in/esVymXQa to learn more about this incredible tool! #WorldHeritage | Tim Badman | Mizuki Murai | IUCN World Heritage | Lisa Aylett (née Kopsieker) | Eugene Jo | Paul Rodrigue NGAFACK | Taras Bains | Matilde Montagna

🌍 African Conservation Success: Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) After 17 years on the List of World Heritage in Danger, Niokolo-Koba National Park has been officially removed — marking a major conservation victory for Africa and the global heritage community. A recent paper in our Heritage MDPI Topic collection traces this long recovery from ecological decline to sustainable management — showing how political will, community engagement, and international collaboration can bring a World Heritage site back from the brink. Authors: Dodé Houehounha Simon Lhoest Junior OHOUKO Tiomoko Djafarou Malle Gueye Elise Vanderbeck and Cédric Vermeulen 🔑 Key Findings 🦁 A 17-year recovery built on governance reform, monitoring, and targeted investment. 💶 Over EUR 4.57 million mobilised through the 2011–2014 Emergency Plan. 🌍 Multi-level cooperation between the State, UNESCO, IUCN, NGOs, and local communities proved decisive. 🌱 The park’s removal from the Danger List demonstrates that restoration and resilience are achievable through long-term partnerships. 💡 A replicable model for other African and global heritage sites under pressure. 📖 Read the full open-access article: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dvUYHSKY 🧩 Open Call for Papers – MDPI Heritage Topic Collection “World Heritage, Governance, and Conservation: Managing Change and Challenges” Editors: Christer Gustafsson Rohit Jigyasu and myself. This special Topic Collection welcomes contributions on: 👉 Governance and management of World Heritage properties 👉Climate change impacts and resilience 👉Community participation and inclusive conservation 👉Monitoring, evaluation, and capacity-building approaches 📅 Submission deadline: 31 March 2026 📍 Submit your paper or learn more here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dk3U3Cy3 #Conservation #WorldHeritage #Senegal #NiokoloKoba #UNESCO #IUCN #Africa #Biodiversity #HeritageScience #Sustainability #MDPI #HeritageJournal #Governance #EcosystemRestoration #CulturalHeritage #NatureConservation #OpenAccessResearch #ClimateResilience Else Christensen-Redzepovic Lazare Eloundou Assomo Alessio RE Joseph King Dennis Rodwell Cecilie Smith-Christensen Katharina Kühnert Sabine Odhiambo Hartmut Brie Jos Damen Stefan Eisenhofer Matthieu Couvreur Romain Charlot Fergus Maclaren Gesine Ames Diana Farisah Rahman, PhD Mesut Dinler Dr Mechtild Rössler UNESCO Youth.Heritage.Africa. Programme - ICCROM African Initiative for Education, Science and Culture

The IUCN has again graded the conservation status of the Great Barrier Reef as 'critical' - the worst status available - and has downgraded Nyinggulu/Ningaloo Reef-Shark Bay to 'significant concern', in its World Heritage report released last night. Australian and Queensland governments must urgently do more or risk the Great Barrier Reef being listed as World Heritage in Danger in 2026. Read our release here: https://lnkd.in/gXNmQwR6

I had the honor of speaking at the press conference in the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, together with the Spanish Committee for IUCN, under the inspiring theme: “Habitats Across Borders: Connecting Life, Uniting Wills.” As Conservation Coordinator at Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre (FNyH), I shared how the Western Iberian Transboundary Biological Corridor is becoming a model of ecological connectivity and sustainable development — proving that life knows no borders. These biological corridors not only restore habitats; they also restore trust, hope, and collaboration among communities. When cooperation turns into action, we see tangible results: resilient ecosystems, thriving local economies, and landscapes full of life again. Grateful to all the partners and organizations who make this shared vision possible — connecting nature and people across borders. 🌱 #IUCN2025 #WorldConservationCongress #FNyH #IUCNSpain #EcologicalConnectivity #NatureBasedSolutions #Conservation #SustainableDevelopment #WesternIberianCorridor #Biodiversity #CrossBorderCooperation

It's been an exciting summer for our team here in the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere with the recruitment of two new members of staff whose work will directly address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Dr Anna Griffin takes the role of Nature Recovery Manager and will lead on landscape-scale nature restoration, natural capital innovation, and the implementation of regional land use strategy. Anna holds a PhD in moorland restoration and brings over 25 years’ experience in ecological planning, environmental regulation, and partnership-led delivery. Her work for the GSA UNESCO Biosphere will particularly focus on helping create resilient communities and sustainable rural economies. Jonathan Olandi is our Natural Capital Officer and will be delivering the On-farm Plans Integrated with Nature project (OPIN), funded by Dumfries and Galloway Council through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. This will test an innovative #naturalcapital auditing process designed by expert environmental consultants at SRUC on 12 farms in D&G. OPIN's collaborative methodology places land managers at the heart of a bespoke learning journey and has huge potential to expand learning from within Scotland's Natural Capital Innovation Zone much further afield. Read more about the international importance of the GSA UNESCO Biosphere's environments and ecology at the link below, and if you wish to contact either Anna or Jonathan don't hesitate to get in touch - any of our staff can be reached via email to info@gsabiosphere.org.uk. https://lnkd.in/exKGAM9Z South Ayrshire Council East Ayrshire Council South of Scotland Enterprise #NCIZ

Wilderlands CEO Ash Knop will be co-leading a Masterclass at the Australian Land Conservation Alliance 2025 Conference in Cairns next week. Ash will join Mel Cutler GAICD Nature Finance Lead ALCA, plus Lili Pechey (NAB), Dr Cass Hunter (NAILSMA) and Wilderlands’ Lead Ecologist Deanna Marshall in a Masterclass session titled; Mind the Gap - Finding a Shared Language for Nature Action. Achieving meaningful nature-positive outcomes depends on our ability to work across sectors and knowledge systems - yet too often, businesses, conservation practitioners, First Nations leaders and policy-makers are speaking different languages. This masterclass brings together real-world case studies of partnerships and projects to explore where cross-sector collaboration has worked, how it can falter, and what we can learn from these experiences. Through diverse perspectives and facilitated, hands-on conversations, participants will help identify the key concepts and shared language we need to unlock more effective, respectful, and inclusive action for people, culture, and Country. This will be one of many sessions across the three-day event which is packed full of thought-provoking sessions, hands-on workshops, and immersive field trips, a true celebration of practical, on-ground nature action. To learn more about the conference and view the full program visit the website. 🌳 https://lnkd.in/gnU59CU7 #ALCA25

From science to shoreline: CSIR leads marine spatial planning at Zanzibar conservation training - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): Zanzibar's most ecologically and culturally vibrant coastal zones is the iconic Paje Beach where turquoise waters meet vital marine ecosystems. Here, scientists, conservation planners and regional stakeholders gathered for a hands-on field engagement like no other. https://lnkd.in/eQy6xnjC

Big news for #ourplanet! UNESCO has designated 26 new #biospherereserve across 21 countries, the highest in 20 years! Our World Network of Biosphere Reserves now protects 5% of the #earth, including 785 sites in 142 countries, and has added 1 million km² of natural areas since 2018, roughly the size of Bolivia. This year, six countries welcome their first reserve, and São Tomé and Príncipe becomes the first nation with its entire territory protected. UNESCO continues to work with States, scientists, civil society, and Indigenous communities to balance nature conservation with sustainable livelihoods. #biospherereserve #unescobiosphere #conservation #sustainabledevelopment #natureprotection