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ECOSYSTEM INSIDER

Ecosystem Insider brings you news from the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
July 2023 Edition
Dear CEM members,
We are glad to share with you the first trimestral issue of 2023 of the Ecosystem Insider Newsletter from the Commission on Ecosystem Management.
CEM Highlights
109th IUCN Council meeting in Gland
 

In May, IUCN held its 109th IUCN Council meeting at IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. During the meeting, several topics were discussed, such as the incorporation of nature and biodiversity conservation into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which is to be held in Dubai, 2023 and the decision to have the next World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi from October 9-15th, 2025. During this council meeting, CEM Chair, Angela Andrade also presented CEM’s main results for 2022 from all groups and regions.
Commission Support Unit and Executive Officers meeting
 

At the same time as the Council meetings were held, the IUCN Commission Support Unit team met with the Commission executive officers, and several members of different IUCN departments, to report on several topics, discuss the main gaps and challenges for Commissions, the needs and opportunities, as well as working on developing intercommission joint products, strengthen communication strategies, engage members and promote collaborations, financial and publication guidelines, among others. As a result, several improvements for membership engagement will be available soon, such as an onboarding package for all new members and group leaders/regional chairs, a transition pack for new Chairs and Executive Officers for the upcoming intersessional periods, an improvement in the internal communication tools for group leads/regional chairs, the creation of tutorials for some of the main functions of the IUCN Portal, the establishment of a code of conduct violation process for members’ complaints and/or rule violations, communication products describer the benefits and responsibilities of being a Commission member, among others. We will be sharing these results in the upcoming months.
Global Earth Observation Atlas of Ecosystems 1st Convening Meeting
 

Last May, David Keith, Nick Murray and CEM Chair, Angela Andrade, along with another 30 people from different conventions and international agencies specialized in Earth Observation, Remote Sensing and mapping, among others, were invited to Geneva for an event convened by Global Earth Observation. The goal was to establish synergies and coordinate the work led by David Keith on the Global Ecosystem Typology with the initiative led by GEO to develop a Global Atlas of Ecosystems, which will allow us to provide timely and high-quality information, including the state of ecosystems, and thus contribute to several of the goals agreed upon in the framework of several of the global environmental conventions, as part of building a path towards a sustainable future.
For more information on the Global Atlas click here.
Upcoming Steering in Sydney, Australia
 

As part of our follow-up and planning strategy for this intersessional period, we will having our next Steering Committee meeting next September in Sydney, Australia. During 3 days, we will take the opportunity to review the outcomes from the last SC meeting in India, and define the next steps towards achieving our goals, as well as to learn about the initiatives from members and groups in Oceania, and further engage with members to strengthen our collaborations and increase our impact in the region. We will be sharing the outcomes of this meeting in the next newsletter.
Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal awarded to David Keith
 

In April, David Keith was awarded the Gold Medal from the Ecological Society of Australia for his outstanding career impact of leading Australian ecologists. His work has included systematic conservation planning, biodiversity risk assessment, the development of frameworks for fire management, as well as leading the IUCN CEM Red List of Ecosystems Thematic Groups and Global Ecosystem Typology. His extensive fieldwork, including long term ecological studies and data analysis, mapping, modelling and national syntheses of vegetation and ecosystems, has contributed immeasurably to knowledge of global ecosystems status. David also received from ESA, the Australian Ecology Research Award (2013) and the Ecological Impact Award (2022), as part of the Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Partnership, and was appointed a 2023 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
CEM News
A Future Leaders Academy to empower new generations
 

On June 11, 2023, Liette Vasseur, CEM Deputy Chair organized a future leaders academy to empower a new generation of professionals representing diverse backgrounds, considering gender balance and presence of underrepresented groups. Sixteen young professionals (defined by IUCN as 35 years old and younger) from Canada and other countries, early career or studying in the RE3 fields, attended the Academy. The curriculum was designed to prepare participants to engage fully in the discussions during the RE3 Conference and support the UN Decade Roundtable session during the conference where the Canadian agenda was discussed. The themes included governance in the context of reclamation, restoration, and rewilding, working in the field in practice such as project management, importance of engaging with communities (especially Indigenous communities), etc.

The Future Leaders were able to present their recommendations related to the Canadian agenda and what they perceived as important during the closing session. Their concluding paragraph was quite powerful (and adding more Re to the RE3): “To summarize, the youth of today is asking our leaders to remember the context of climate change, remember our mistakes and remember our roots. Learn from the past to better reconnect with nature and reconnect with each other. And finally, relax. Take the time to make the right decision together with all right-holders and stakeholders, because we do not have time to make mistakes anymore.”
The IUCN International Association for Falconry Conference
 

The IUCN-IAF conference was hosted on June 24-26th, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference, led by Adrian Lombard, CEM Sustainable Use and Management of Ecosystems Thamatic Group, aimed to discuss joint projects between the IAF and IUCN-SUME, prepare for the Sustainability Conference to be held later this year in Abu Dhabi, promote falconry in Sub-Saharan Africa, and develop closer relationships between IUCN, IAF, CMS Raptors MoU, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund.

The conference covered various topics including the work of IUCN-SUME and IAF, management of urban ecosystems, biodiversity conservation in farmlands, and reversing biodiversity loss. The event included several panels, discussions, workshops and more, and included the participation of several CEM members, including Adrian Lombard, Joyce Jefwa and Robert Kenward.
The Next World Conservation Congress location has been announced
 

The next IUCN World Conservation Congress will be held from October 9 - 15, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, following IUCN Council’s selection of the United Arab Emirates as the host country. Held every four years, the IUCN Congress is the world’s largest conservation event, and it brings together leaders from governments, civil society, Indigenous peoples’ organizations, business and academia to determine the world’s most pressing environmental and development challenges, and actions to address them. The IUCN Congress will address ways to deliver the Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by over 190 countries last December. The Framework comprises targets to scale up the conservation of ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.
CEM Dialogue on Wetlands at Risk
 
The Dialogue discussed the process and research behind the latest CEM publication, Wetlands and people at risk which seeks to bring awareness of important at-risk wetlands systems in different world regions by portraying their status, problems and conflicts related to human impacts as well as the effects of the loss of their ecosystem services on people’s livelihoods, based on real case studies. At the time when drought is hitting every continent, climate change is worsening; the world is facing dramatic water, energy, and food crisis, acknowledging the contribution of healthy wetlands to the solution is key. Several authors participated in the dialogue including editor, Birguy Lamizana, Africa de la Hera Portillo, Nadezda Apostolova, Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan, Birguy Lamizana, Katharina Lapin, and Julia Perez.
You can watch the full webinar here.
CEM Asia Vice Chair, Shalini Dhyani present at the Sendai Framework
 

The High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework was held from 17-19 May 2023 at UN Headquarters in New York in a blended format of informal and formal events. Delegates convened in a Risk Reduction Hub that included standing-room-only roundtable events over the three days, and a high-level meeting under the auspices of the UN General Assembly. IUCN CEM Asia Vice Chair and SC member Dr. Shalini Dhyani participated in this meeting in two panels. The first panel one on Strategic foresight and risk reduction to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and another one focused on better applying risk analytics and strategic foresight to guide future-proof development strategies.

Shalini addressed the use of nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based approaches to ensure more disaster- and risk-proof societies and ecosystems. He highlighted the need for building trust in an inclusive approach, providing relevant incentives, and focusing on monitoring, review, and verification. She further underscored the need for involving the scientific community in decision making, customizing local-specific solutions, raising awareness filling data gaps, and enabling people-centered approaches through local consultation and needs-based assessments. 
In another hub event titled “Working with Nature for Resilience”, co-hosted by UNDRR, UNEP, and the Partnership for Environment and DRR (PEDRR), the panel saw Member States and stakeholder represents outlining how they are tackling policy, governance and financial barriers to scaling up Nature-based Solutions for resilience. Shalini drew attention to socio-ecological interactions, stressing that NbS require continuous partnerships, and people-centered, multisectoral approaches. She emphasized also underscored the value of hybrid approaches for long term DRR solutions. She called for integration of diverse knowledge systems, and for incentivizing NbS, working with marginalized communities to build trust and localized solutions through co-design, co-creation, co-management, and co-governing for better DRR outcomes.
Click here for more details
Fisheries Expert Group at the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement
 

The Review Conference on the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement took place in New York, 22-26 May 2023. Dr. Joji Morishita (Japan), former Professor of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and member of the IUCN-CEM Fisheries Expert Group, served as Chair of the Review Conference. The Conference is addressing a number of issues of great importance for fisheries and transboundary and high seas stocks, including a potential reference of the UN Agreement on an International Legally Binding Instrument on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the impact of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks, the impact of climate change on fisheries advice and management, the relations of the UNFSA with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and area-based management tools, with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) 30×30 Target.
Read the comprehensive report here
New focal point for the YPN in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean
 

On April 1, 2023, Dariana Ismael Avila was appointed as new focal point of the Young Professionals Network (YPN) for Mexico, Cental America and the Caribbean was appointed by Regional Chair, Rocio Cordoba. Dariana is a young professional from the Montecillos Biological Reserve, which investigates water management in arid ecosystems, through weather forecasting, remote sensing and artificial intelligence. With great enthusiasm she will carry out this new direction of the regional YPN, of which it is already coordinating scientific dissemination activities through a series of podcast episodes. We thank Oswaldo Flores who has done an excellent job as the region’s YPN focal point for several years and maintaining the dynamism of the network. Oswaldo continues as Co-Coordinator of CEM for the region and will collaborate with Dariana to make the corresponding transition.
IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology webinar for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
 

The IUCN Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (ORMACC) and CEM, shared on April 11th the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology through a webinar in which more than 50 people participated, many of whom representing IUCN Member organizations of the region. This tool represents a concrete contribution to Resolution 061 approved by the IUCN Assembly of Members in the framework of the World Conservation Congress (Marseille, 2021), in which both the Secretariat and Members are urged to adopt this typology in support of national, regional and global efforts to assess and manage risks to ecosystems. Bernal Herrera, CEM Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted that "the typology is one of those products that demonstrate how different regional professionals and researchers have a space, a platform, as is this Commission, to have a global impact. I think this is one of the Commissions’ great added values”.

Rocio Cordoba, CEM Chair for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, presented the work carried out by the Commission in the region, with special emphasis on the promotion of the network of young professionals, a priority issue not only for the region but also globally. Other important activities of the Commission include the promotion of webinars on priority topics; the compilation of case studies in collaboration with the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Working Group and the promotion of synergies between the Steering Committee, the Working Groups and professionals from the region.
The new IUCN Engage platform is up and running
 
The IUCN Engage platform is up and running. This new IUCN interactive digital platform is a space for all IUCN members can post information on their projects, grants, job applications, events, etc. as well as create discussion groups, thematic discussions, share files, host online events and engage with members from other commissions. Its visually-friendly and intuitive platform now serves as a hub for collaborations and communications of all members. You can access the platform here and give it a try!

CEM Member Highlight
As part of this Ecosystem Insider Newsletter, we featured CEM’s Human Health and Ecosystem Management Thematic Group Lead, Paula Prist. Dr. Prist is also a senior scientist at EcoHealth Alliance, with over 15 years of experience working on the impacts of land use change on zoonotic diseases. Originally from Brazil, Dr. Prist long-term plan is to contribute to the development of high-quality research that allows the management of tropical landscapes, either in the form of legal deforestation or forest restoration, in order to create healthy landscapes for people. Dr. Prist holds a Masters and Ph.D degree in Ecology from the Department of Ecology of University of São Paulo, a Pos-doc from the same Institution, and has served as advisor to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) for the COVID19 response group. For any questions and enquiries on the HHEM group, you can contact Paula at prist@ecohealthalliance.org.
What is the Human Health Thematic Group and what is the need for it?

The Human Health Thematic Group is a CEM Thematic Group comprised of people with diverse expertise from around the world to develop and share science-based guidance on managing ecosystems to ensure that the use of these areas is multifunctional - maximizing biodiversity conservation and the ecosystem services provided by them, particularly the disease regulating services. The purpose of the HHTG is to compile existing knowledge on how different approaches to land use and ecosystem management (i.e. restoration, nature-based solutions, deforestation, and land use change) can help protect human health while enabling sustainable development, and disseminate this knowledge to different people around the world.

What are the short- and long-term goals of the HHTG?

HHTG's short-term goal is to develop educational materials aimed at teenagers (educational games and videos) showing the relationship between environmental degradation and human health. A second short term goal is to understand the status and trends of eco-anxiety and the drivers behind it. And the long-term goal is to develop a framework to develop an indicator that can identify ecosystems at risk for human health services, which will be combined with the Red List of Ecosystems.
 
What are some of the projects the HHTG is working on now?

We are currently working on the development of educational material, the human health indicator (our long-term goal), and an NSF funded project that aims to understand how forest restoration in tropical areas affects the spillover risk of rodent-borne diseases. This project will create guidelines to ensure that restoration brings win-win benefits for human health. In addition to these, we are starting a second project that aims to understand the health and economic impact of indigenous territories in Brazil (funded by the Ford Foundation)
We invite you all to take a look at the Human Health and Ecosystem Management Thematic Group using the link below.
Join the HHTG group here
Upcoming Events
2023 Global Forum organized by CEM-IUCN and SER Conference in Darwin, Australia
 

The “Cultural, Social, and Ecological Approaches for Assessing Restoration Impact” Global Forum, organized by IUCN CEM and the Society on Ecological Restoration, held in Darwin on September 25th, previous to the 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration aims to discuss how degradation can be defined from various perspectives, what enabling conditions can be identified, and how to measure impact from a holistic approach.

The 10th World Conference that will focus on the important, and often neglected connection between culture and nature, including the role of restoration in enhancing and rebuilding that connection. The Conference will be held in person with a separate opportunity for virtual participation and content delivery in the Western Hemisphere time zone during the week of 6 November 2023.
Find more information here
Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement Annual Meeting in Nairobi
 
Several CEM members will participate in panels and discussions at the Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement (FLARE) Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, including Doris Mutta, Africa Vice Chair, Joyce Jefwa, South and East Africa Regional Chair and Somaya Ghoraba, North Africa Regional Chair. Some of the panels supported by CEM are titled Building resilient forest-based livelihoods through sustainable ecosystem management approaches, which will deliberate on ecosystem management tools and approaches to support the functionality of forest ecosystems focusing on the work of the African Forest Forum and the role of CEM on sustainable forest-based livelihoods, IUCN red-listing to assess the conservation status of ecosystems, led by Somaya Ghoraba where she will share her research on the application of the Red List of Ecosystems framework to three ecosystems: wetland, sand plain, and salt marshes of the Burullus Protected Area, located on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, Traditional forest related knowledge and its preservation for sustainable livelihoods in Africa, on how traditional forest-related knowledge in Africa has been widely acknowledged as important for its contribution to current global efforts towards sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation, including a documentation of how communities have successfully managed these forests to provide for their needs until the present day can serve many useful purposes.

Likewise, the event Cultural practices and forest-based livelihood in the advent of calamities will touch on how traditional cultural practices are crucial to sustenance of livelihoods in Africa and how forests are major sources of livelihoods in rural communities with the role of traditional practices and beliefs systems of significant support to the communities. Finally, the event titled The role of biosphere reserves in improving people's livelihoods in Central and West Africa on how biosphere reserves serve as a tool to promote the well-being of humans and nature and how the livelihoods of African populations depend directly on the well-being of these biospheres, hence the importance of presenting the role of biosphere reserves in improving the livelihoods of the populations.
You can find more information here
World Coastal Forum 2023
 
The World Coastal Forum 2023 Conference will be held on September 25 -27th, 2023 in Yancheng, China, a natural World Heritage Site along the Yellow Sea coast. The main theme “Our Coasts: Harmony between Man and Nature”. This is the result of the International Advisory Meeting on the World Coastal Forum agreement to establish a “World Coastal Forum (WCF)” to develop the institutional framework and Terms of Reference of the WCF, and respond to needs expressed by several global environmental agreements for the creation of a global mechanism to address challenges to sustainable coastal management. The Conference focuses on four main themes: addressing challenges in coastal wetland conservation and protection, promoting coastal conservation knowledge and best practices, ensuring sustainable development in coastal regions and raising awareness and engaging coastal communities, decision-makers, business leaders and other key stakeholders in coastal ecosystem conservation. The Conference includes a high-level segment, four thematic areas for a with plenary presentations, side events and workshops. It offers opportunities for additional workshops and an exhibition space. Participation will be predominantly on-site in Yancheng and will offer online participation and broadcast.
Click here to learn more and be part of the Conference
31st International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2023)
 

The Society for Conservation Biology's 31st International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2023) will take place from July 23-27, 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, where CEM will be leading a symposium on the Red List of Ecosystems is Africa led by Somaya Ghoraba, regional vice chair for North Africa. The session will include national and strategic assessments from Rwanda, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Egypt.
For more information on the symposium
Latest publications

Area-Based Management Tools in Marine Fisheries Report now available

The IUCN-CEM Fisheries Expert Group Task Force concluded the project on Area-Based Management Tools, sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers, with the publication of the Report on Area-Based Management Tools in Marine Fisheries, available here. The Report was widely distributed and presented at the Resumed Conference of the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement.
 
Forest restoration can decrease zoonotic spillover risk, but caution is needed

A group of researchers from the IUCN CEM Human Health group investigated how forest restoration can affect zoonotic transmission risk in tropical areas. While the links between anthropogenic actions and zoonotic diseases is becoming better understood, very few studies have looked at the opposite question – if deforestation is a potential driver of zoonoses, does ecological restoration have the potential to repair the ecological damage and restore the ecosystem degradation to the point of decreasing the incidence of these diseases and making landscapes healthier for humans? https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14442
 
Le Gouvello R, Cohen-Shacham E, Herr D, Spadone A, Simard F, Brugere C. 2023. The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ as a tool for enhancing the sustainable development of marine aquaculture. Frontiers Marine Science. Sec. Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Living Resources. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1146637
 
Reguero BG, Renaud FG, Van Zanten B, Cohen-Shacham E, Beck MB, Di Sabatino. S, Jongman B. 2022. Editorial: Nature-based solutions for natural hazards and climate change. Frontiers Environmental Sciences. Sec. Interdisciplinary Climate Studies. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1101919
 
Luo M, Zhang Y, Cohen-Shacham E, Andrade A, Maginnis S (eds.). 2023. Towards Nature-based Solutions at scale: 10 case studies from China. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN, and Beijing, the People’s Republic of China: Ministry of Natural Resources. https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/50761
 
Shah, M. A. R., Xu, J., Carisi, F., De Paola, F., Di Sabatino, S., Domeneghetti, A., & amp; Renaud, F. G. (2023). Quantifying the effects of nature-based solutions in reducing risks from hydrometeorological hazards: Examples from Europe. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103771
 
Nowakowski, A.J., Canty, S.W.J., Bennett, N.J. et al. Co-benefits of marine protected areas for nature and people. Nat Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01150-4

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The CEM Newsletter aims to keep IUCN CEM members, IUCN staff, and the wider IUCN network up-to-date with ecosystem management news and announcements. 

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