We mark this year's International Day for Biological Diversity at a time of upheaval, in the midst of a continuing pandemic, a fast-changing climate, with biodiversity in steep decline. At the same time, we know that halting biodiversity loss is possible, and that it can open the way to a more serene, sustainable future.
UNEP/IUCN Protected Planet Report: great progress since 2010 with over 22 million km2 of land and 28 million km2 of ocean protected or conserved and 42% of current coverage added in the last decade; but a third of key biodiversity areas lack any coverage, and less than 8% of land is both protected and connected.
Gland, 19 May 2021 – The international community has made major progress towards the global target on protected and conserved area coverage, but has fallen far short on its commitments on the quality of these areas, according to a new report from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), produced with support from the National Geographic Society.
IUCN is deeply saddened by the passing of its former Director General, Lee Merriam Talbot. A lifelong conservation champion, Lee is remembered in the personal tribute below by Russell Mittermeier, Chief Conservation Officer at Re:wild (formerly Global Wildlife Conservation) and Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group.
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