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Photo of a canal in a jungle setting

Malaysia shows what protecting and restoring peat swamp forests can yield

Peatlands play a vital role for biodiversity, water supplies, and the overall well-being of communities living near and around them. Across Southeast Asia, protecting these wetland ecosystems has emerged as an important priority amid growing risks from fires, haze pollution, agricultural expansion…
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Women holding hands after a panel discussion

In Cali, gender equality champions chart a course for inclusive biodiversity action

Throughout the 16th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) in Cali, Colombia, there was focused attention on gender-responsive and inclusive biodiversity action. This was more than talk. Representatives of governments and civil society were specific about…
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Woman in blue shirt speaking at an event

Youth leaders informing and shaping biodiversity negotiations

Young people are not only interested in the global biodiversity summit underway in Cali, Colombia – they are taking center stage there, as active agents of change for the environment.Involving young voices and perspectives in decision-making about environmental funding is a core value of the Global…
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High mountain body of water with plants and mountains

Climate change is a multiplier of challenges, so how can we adapt in the high mountains of Colombia?

The Colombian high-mountain region is constantly affected by the advance of urban footprints and the expansion of the agricultural frontier, which significantly contribute to the loss of biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by the páramos. Additionally, the impacts of climate…
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Man riding bike past a wall mural for CBD COP16

The countdown to biodiversity COP16 in Cali has begun

In February, Gustavo Petro, the President of the Republic of Colombia announced that Cali will be the host city for the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) to be held from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, 2024. “We bow to the most biodiverse…
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Horses grazing in a mountain landscape

Nurturing landscapes, communities, and climate resilience in Kazakhstan

At the crossroads of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan, among high and rugged mountain ranges lies Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve - the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia and a part of UNESCO's World Network of Biospheres and World Heritage List. Established in 1926 for its rich…
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Young plant growing in light

We have two months to start healing the world

Back-to-back summits on climate change and biodiversity will offer the world a unique chance to come together on two of the most critical issues of our time - climate and biodiversity. Change is possible. But given the size of the crises, we must use the coming two months to be brutally honest…
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Black rhino stands with baby in grass

A new lifeline for wildlife conservation finance

What do capital markets have to do with biodiversity? Until now, very little. This changed this week with the launch of a landmark Wildlife Conservation Bond or “rhino bond” that offers a payout linked to the protection of black rhinos, a critically endangered species whose health is essential to…
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Carlos Manuel Rodriguez surfing

A surfer's view on a blue and green recovery

In a blog for IUCN's World Conservation Congress, GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodriguez writes how surfing has given him a deeper understanding of oceans and marine life, and a passion for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
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Ruddy shelducks in flight at Maguri Bill, a biodiversity hotspot in India

How public development banks can help nature

Public development banks will be critical to global efforts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout. To realize their potential, they should complement their climate investments by setting explicit nature-based goals and targets.

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