The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2020, which is the world’s largest and most comprehensive environmental decision-making forum, was rescheduled to September 2021 due to the global pandemic. The event, taking place in Marseille, France, marked significant policy choices for addressing major conservation challenges, including the ongoing biodiversity crisis.
About the IUCN
Established in 1948, the IUCN is a unique association composed of both government and civil society organisations, serving as a global authority on the status of the natural world and necessary measures for its protection. It is headquartered in Switzerland. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of all plant and animal species.
The Global Indigenous Agenda
Devised by the IUCN’s Indigenous Peoples Organisation Members, the Global Indigenous Agenda calls for the secure recognition and respect for collective indigenous rights and governance of lands, territories, and natural resources. The agenda puts forth ten high-level proposals and outcomes linked to five themes, including indigenous governance, biodiversity conservation, climate action, post-Covid-19 recovery efforts, and global policy setting.
IUCN Red List Update
An important focus of the IUCN Congress was the updated Red List, which continues to illustrate the increasing number of species at high risk of extinction. Of the 138,374 assessed species, 30% face the potential threat of extinction. Nine categories were established to profile the varying degrees of threat facing these species, including extinct, critically endangered, endangered, near threatened, and data deficient.
Threats to Komodo Dragons
Indonesia’s Komodo dragon, the world’s largest living lizard, has been moved from vulnerable to endangered as rising sea levels, caused by climate change, are expected to decrease its habitat by at least 30% over the next 45 years.
Tuna Species Recovery
Significant recovery has been observed among four out of the seven most commercially fished tuna species. Atlantic and Southern bluefin tunas have improved from endangered to least concern and critically endangered to endangered, respectively, due to effective conservation efforts.
Sustainable Tourism Initiative
An initiative funded by Germany and implemented in partnership with UNESCO and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), aims to utilise tourism to drive sustainable development in developing and emerging countries. The IUCN will pilot the initiative in two World Heritage sites and five other protected areas in Peru and Vietnam.
Recent Updates
Additional key developments shared during the Congress include the fact that 30% of the world’s 557 raptor species are under threat of extinction according to an analysis by the IUCN and BirdLife International. Moreover, Indian biologist Shailendra Singh was awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for his essential work in saving three critically endangered turtle species from extinction.