Many of the discussions will focus on the Congo Basin, which stores more planet-warming carbon than the Amazon but is disappearing. 

The Congo Basin is home to the world’s largest tropical peatlands, along with Brazil and Indonesia. The peat swamp forest of the Congo Basin stores around 29 billion tons of carbon – approximately equivalent to three years’ worth of global greenhouse gas emissions – while the Basin as a whole absorbs nearly 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year . The Basin stretches across six countries- Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

“The Congo Basin is one of the world’s last regions that absorbs more carbon than it emits,” says Doreen Robinson, the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Head of Biodiversity and Land. “We have to find ways to meet critical energy needs for development without sacrificing peatlands and the essential services they provide for people and the economy.”

Peatlands are an effective carbon sink – they absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than they produce. Carbon sinks are essential to combating the climate crisis and protecting planetary health. However, peatlands and other carbon sinks are already at risk of collapse due to climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, warns UNEP’s Becoming #GenerationRestoration report. Without the critical services these ecosystems provide, the climate and nature crisis will only worsen.

Peatlands and the climate crisis

The climate crisis causes more frequent extreme weather events that worsen food and water scarcity, hinder global economies, and threaten human well-being. With human-caused greenhouse gas emissions forecast to rise, ensuring urgent cross-sector action and protecting and sustainably managing peatlands is considered crucial.

Peatland ecosystems play a key role in mitigating the climate crisis. They house and protect rare and vital nature and offer resilience through water capture, storage and much more. According to a UNEP report, protecting and restoring the peatlands that are already degraded can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 800 million metric tons per year.

Peatlands cover only 3 per cent of the global land surface but store an estimated 600 billion tons of carbon—twice as much as in all the world’s forests. This makes them one of the most efficient carbon sink ecosystems and underlines the need to protect them, experts say.

Plants absorb carbon during the process of photosynthesis, which they use to convert into wood, leaves and roots. Because peatlands are water-logged, plant matter takes longer to decompose. This traps more carbon and provides a net-cooling effect.

Peatland peril

Several countries have recognized the importance of peatlands and have made commitments to protect the imperiled ecosystems. At the Global Peatlands Initiative meeting held in Brazzaville in 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo and Indonesia signed the Brazzaville Declaration, which promotes better management and conservation of the Cuvette Centrale region in the Congo Basin, one of the world’s largest tropical peatlands.

At the UN Environment Assembly in 2019, Member States played a key role in establishing a resolution that urges them and other stakeholders “to give greater emphasis to the conservation, sustainable management and restoration of peatlands worldwide.”

Despite these agreements, peatlands remain especially vulnerable to human activity.

Approximately 15 per cent of peatlands have been drained for agriculture, while an additional 5–10 per cent are degraded due to vegetation removal or alteration. The draining and burning of peatlands emit approximately 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide through oxidization or fires per year, which amounts to nearly 5 per cent of all human-caused emissions. An annual investment of US$46 billion by 2050 is needed to slash half of these emissions, and experts warn that the bill for saving peatlands will only increase without urgent investment.

Protecting peatlands

Governments must conserve more protected areas and emphasize the importance of peatlands’ ecosystem services. Assigning economic value to peatlands and placing a price on carbon emissions would deter harmful and excessive resource extraction and also provide critical financial resources that can support local communities and sustainable development.

“Peatlands and forests provide numerous ecological, economic and cultural benefits to millions of people,” says Robinson. “The long-term economic costs of ecosystem damage far exceed short-term financial gains from resource exploitation. Countries have recognized the importance of protecting peatlands and must act to meet those commitments.”

Some jurisdictions, like the European Union, are considering imposing restrictions on commodities whose production caused the degradation of carbon sinks. Individuals can also urge governments and businesses to adopt nature-friendly behaviour and policies that promote net-zero emissions.

The Global Peatlands Initiative, led by UNEP, connects experts and institutions to improve the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of peatlands. The UN-REDD Programme, the UN’s flagship partnership on forests and climate, acts as an advisory platform to realize forest solutions to the climate crisis. It plays an important role in managing peatlands in Indonesia, which is home to approximately 22.5 million hectares of the ecosystem.

Preventing resource extraction and increasing the resiliency of peatlands benefits millions of people and enables progress towards reducing the climate crisis.

“There is no possibility of limiting global warming to 2°C or 1.5°C if we don’t conserve existing carbon sinks, such as peatlands, and quickly cut fossil fuel emissions, reaching net-zero by 2050 – but ideally much sooner,” says Mark Radka, Chief of UNEP’s Energy and Climate Branch. “We must also undertake a massive ecosystem restoration effort to reduce carbon emissions from non-fossil sources.”

Contact information: To learn more, please contact Dianna Kopansky, Global Peatlands Coordinator <dianna.kopansky@un.org>.

The partnership between the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), will initially invest $15 million, which will serve as a catalyst to raise additional public and private finance, ultimately targeting a total investment of $30 million in the region. By fostering local entrepreneurship and pioneering blended finance opportunities, Pro-Congo aims to demonstrate that businesses – whose model does not depend on deforestation – can develop, raise capital and sell products to market intermediaries thereby reducing carbon emissions, combatting deforestation, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices in one of the world’s most climate-critical regions. 

The Congo Basin rainforest is one of the world’s largest carbon sinks. It is home to over 75 million people, including Indigenous Peoples whose livelihoods are deeply intertwined with the forest. Despite its importance and the ongoing threat of deforestation and unsustainable land use, this critical ecosystem has not received the same level of attention compared to tropical forests in Southeast Asia or the Amazon basin. The Pro-Congo initiative, which supports four countries in the region – Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo – is designed to contribute to reversing these trends by empowering local entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to lead the transition to a green economy and crowd in third party capital from impact investors and development banks. 

“UNCDF is proud to unlock finance where it is needed most, supporting MSMEs in the Congo Basin to become nature-positive while creating jobs and driving sustainable growth. Our unique capital mandate within the UN development system allows us to address gaps in fragile contexts where traditional financial mechanisms often fall short. Through blended finance solutions we can unlock public and private capital and de-risk investments, while augmenting the development impact of our UN partners like UNEP,” said Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, the Executive Secretary of UNCDF.

UNCDF will support a pipeline of investment-ready enterprises able to absorb blended capital and create long-term value, deploying an initial $6.2 million in concessional finance, including loans and reimbursable grants to MSMEs with the potential to scale, while UNEP will lead on technical assistance, ensuring enterprises adopt robust environmental and social safeguards, providing seed funding, and building investment-ready business models through incubation and acceleration programs. 

“The Congo Basin, with its unique biodiversity and above and below ground carbon stores, is critical to advance on international environmental targets. UNEP is therefore pleased to work with UNCDF and CAFI to support enterprises in the region to ‘decouple’ deforestation from economic activities,” said Rose Mwebaza, Director of UNEP’s Regional Office for Africa.

The Pro-Congo Initiative is supported by a dynamic coalition of CAFI donors – including Germany, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, the European Union, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom– alongside the six Central African partner countries in the Congo Basin. 

UNCDF and UNEP are working closely with impact investors, development finance institutions, and national stakeholders to build a robust pipeline of investable, inclusive, and sustainable enterprises. By creating a scalable ecosystem for green finance, the initiative will contribute to the foundation for long-term resilience, climate action, and inclusive economic development in the Congo Basin. 

About CAFI 

The Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) was established in 2015 to support transformational reforms and investments that address the direct and underlying causes of deforestation in Central Africa. CAFI is both a high-level policy dialogue platform and a financing mechanism aligned with national climate and development objectives.  

About UNCDF 

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) mobilizes and catalyses an increase in capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States, especially Least Developed Countries, contributing to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity. 

In partnership with UN entities and development partners, UNCDF delivers scalable, blended finance solutions to drive systemic change, pave the way for commercial finance, and contribute to the SDGs. We support market development by enabling entities to access finance in high-risk environments by deploying financial instruments, mechanisms and advisory. 

About UNEP 

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the world’s leading authority on the environment. UNEP works globally to address the triple planetary crisis — climate change, nature loss, and pollution — by supporting nations in building low-carbon, nature-positive, and resource-efficient economies.

Terai is rich in wildlife. But it is also home to nearly 8 million people who rely on its forests for everything from timber to medicine, and have cleared large areas for farming. That has led to environmental degradation, and put rhinos and elephants, as well as tigers, on the list of endangered species. 

But in recent years, those pressures have eased under the Terai Arc Landscapes initiative. This government-led effort is helping to protect and restore Terai’s forests, reversing the loss of Nepal’s rich biodiversity and enhancing the benefits of intact ecosystems for the region’s people. 

Launched in 2001, the initiative has secured habitat for threatened species including the greater one-horned rhinoceros and the Asian elephant as well as the royal Bengal tiger. A key element is the restoration of seven corridors to connect more strictly protected areas, including wildlife refuges in neighbouring India.

The corridors programme, with its measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict and support rural economies, was recently recognized as a United Nations World Restoration Flagship. Presented as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the award showcases outstanding undertakings to restore ecosystems for the sake of both people and wildlife. 

“The transboundary Terai Arc Landscape serves not only as a biological hotspot. It also serves as a true testament to the effectiveness of the landscape approach of conservation,” says Birendra Prasad Mahato, Minister of Forests and Environment of Nepal. “We are incredibly grateful for this recognition from the UN and are encouraged to continue tackling existing and new challenges faced by our forests, wildlife and communities.” 

Himalayan hotspot 

The Terai Arc Landscape initiative is reviving a biodiversity hotspot that covers 2.47 million hectares and is home to 7.5 million people. Many of its rural areas, especially those outside Nepal’s national parks, had been seriously degraded as a result of deforestation, fragmentation, encroachment and poaching. 

In the corridors between protected areas alone, about 65,000 hectares of degraded land has since been reforested, 13 times the size of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. Some 40,000 local community members have teamed up with government and civil society groups to run activities including anti-poaching patrols, wildlife monitoring and ecotourism. About 500,000 households have benefited from the project.

Nature has quickly rebounded, capturing carbon, storing water and increasing the resilience of human and wildlife populations in the face of climate change. Camera traps and radio collars have helped detect tigers, elephants, rhinos, leopards, hyenas and many other species shuttling between previously isolated protected areas. These movements are helping to maintain genetic diversity and reduce the risk of extinction. Nepal’s tiger population has tripled, rising from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022, according to the latest national survey. 

“The Terai Arc Landscape initiative does not protect nature by pulling people out of it but by bringing people and nature closer together,” says Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

“After decades of uncontrolled exploitation and degradation, resources are now urgently needed to rebuild that connection and restore vital ecosystems. This is key to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and rampant pollution,” Andersen says

Community support 

A good example of the restoration push is the Khata Corridor, a 200-hectare mosaic of forests, grasslands, villages and farmlands that connects Bardia National Park in western Nepal with the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India. 

Officials had to win over communities who relied on the area’s natural resources, some of whom were skeptical about restoration. They did that in part by developing alternative energy sources, such as biogas to cut reliance on firewood. Teams also supported new economic activities, including tourist homestays and sustainable furniture making.

As the pressure on the land has eased, restoration activities have kicked on. Tree nurseries have supplied seedlings for the reforestation of an expanding number of community forests, and cattle grazing has been regulated so the forest can recover naturally. As a result, forest cover in the corridor has risen from barely 1 square kilometre to about 100 square kilometres in just two decades. 

“I think that was the challenge, to show if we can do those integrated approaches together, where people see their lives being improved because of conservation,” says Ghana S. Gurung, Country Director of WWF Nepal, a key partner in the landscape initiative. 

Balancing conservation needs with those of local communities is an aim of The Biodiversity Plan, a global framework to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. Among its four goals and 23 targets are Target 2 to restore 30 per cent of all degraded ecosystems and Target 10 to ensure sustainable management of areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry. The Terai Arc Landscape initiative shows how cooperation between governments, partners and local communities is helping the world to achieve the plan’s targets. 

Success has also bred challenges. Fencing is needed to prevent large mammals from entering villages or eating crops. Some farmers have also switched to less palatable produce, like chamomile or mint.  

Preventing human-wildlife conflict also means taking pre-emptive action to reduce the risks. On a recent forest patrol to deter poachers and monitor wildlife, Tharu lifted his stick to point out claw marks high on a tree trunk. 

“By seeing this, everyone must know that this is the tiger’s domain,” he instructed his fellow khaki-clad rangers. “So, while patrolling we need to be careful. We can tell others that a tiger has passed this way and tell them to be cautious.” 

With its recognition as a World Restoration Flagship, the Terai Arc Landscape will now be eligible for technical and financial support from the UN. With additional assistance, the initiative hopes to restore an area of almost 350,000 hectares by 2030. 

“We have created history in rhino conservation (and) almost tripled tiger numbers,” says the WWF’s Gurung. “How that could be possible under the sea of human population, the sea of development – that is something unique that Nepal has delivered.” 

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline in nature. One million species are threatened with extinction, soils are turning infertile and water sources are drying up. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets out global targets to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. It was adopted by world leaders in December 2022. To address the drivers of the nature crisis, UNEP is working with partners to take action in landscapes and seascapes, transform our food systems, and close the finance gap for nature.   

About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration    

The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration

“We have created history in rhino conservation (and) almost tripled tiger numbers,” says the WWF’s Gurung. “How that could be possible under the sea of human population, the sea of development – that is something unique that Nepal has delivered.” 

Source: www.unep.org

“If I go into the garden, if I open the gate, I enter with joy,” Sambou said while taking a break from drawing water from a well. “I never thought I could do all the things that I have done here.” 

Sambou is one of tens of thousands of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa who have established tree-dotted “forest gardens” with assistance from Trees for the Future (TREES), a non-profit group. The initiative, say those involved, is helping to diversify food and income sources, making families more resilient, and pushing back against land degradation. 

In recognition of its benefits for people and nature, the initiative was recently designated a United Nations World Restoration Flagship. The award, part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, is designed to showcase efforts that are reviving the natural world. 

“Initiatives like TREES are playing an important role in reversing decades of ecosystem degradation, especially across the Sahel, pushing back desertification, increasing climate resilience and improving the well-being of farmers and their communities,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP coordinates the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration along with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 

Building resilience 

Land degradation – referred to as desertification in drylands – affects communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Falling soil fertility is undermining crop yields and livelihoods, and the ability of countries to feed their fast-growing populations. Amid alarm that climate change will intensify the problem, Africa is fighting back, including through restoration initiatives like TREES and the sweeping Great Green Wall project. 

TREES’ “forest garden” model combines agroforestry – which incorporates trees and shrubs into agricultural systems – with sustainable farming practices. The goal is to build soil fertility and boost the yields of smallholder farmers. Experts say that is crucial to countering poverty and helping communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, floods and storms. 

Over a four-year period, families participating in a TREES programme receive training, seeds and tools to help them establish forest gardens on their often-small plots of land. 

Since 2014, the initiative reports that it has supported 50,000 households in Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. 

As a World Restoration Flagship, TREES will now be eligible for technical and financial support from the UN. TREES officials say they are aiming to restore 2,290 square kilometres by 2030. 

Since trees scrub carbon dioxide from the air, the initiative is also expected to capture 80 million metric tonnes of the greenhouse gas over 20 years. 

Stable supplies 

In Fatick, a region about 120 kilometres southeast of Dakar, TREES reports that is has helped more than 1,000 families, including Sambou’s. 

Many farmers in Fatick depend on a single growing season for rain-fed crops, such as peanuts and millet, leaving them vulnerable to the vagaries of both the climate and market prices. 

Forest gardens are designed to provide families with a year-round supply of fruits, vegetables and other resources, including timber and firewood, for their own use and for sale. 

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By regreening the landscape, the gardens offset local deforestation. They also contribute to global efforts to conserve biodiversity, counter climate change and improve the health of soils. TREES says its projects have already planted 100 million trees around the world. 

According to Fatoumata Diehiou, the regional coordinator for TREES in Fatick, the initiative is also helping to stem the migration of young people from Senegal’s rural communities. 

“Someone who finds work in their own region, in their country, will not go elsewhere,” Diehiou said. 

Life insurance 

In the beds of her neatly laid out garden, Sambou grows vegetables including cabbage, potatoes and onions as well as hibiscus – a red flower widely used in West Africa to flavour jellies, jams and drinks. 

“I don’t buy any more onions, capsicum or other vegetables. The forest garden has given us everything,” she said. 

It’s not all been plain sailing. In the first year, hungry livestock broke through Sambou’s fence and destroyed her crops. Now she reinforces the boundary with thorn-laden branches cut from acacia trees, whose leaves and roots also deliver nutrients to her soil. 

“I take care of my garden like I take care of my children,” she said. 

The skills that her family has acquired have become a form of insurance against whatever the future may bring. 

“Everything I do in the garden, my children know about it,” Sambou said. “So, today or tomorrow, if I am not there, my children will not suffer.” 

About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration  

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.

Source: www.unep.org

World Environment Day, which Baku will host on 5 June 2026, is the largest global platform for environmental engagement and action. Established by the UN General Assembly in 1972, the Day inspires and is celebrated by millions of people across the world, who participate in online and in-person activities and events around the world aimed at accelerating environmental progress for people and planet. With Azerbaijan as hosts, World Environment Day 2026 will focus on climate change.

“Like almost every corner of the Earth, Azerbaijan is facing devastating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. To fend off these challenges, World Environment Day fills the world with millions of reasons for hope,” said Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and COP29 President-Designate. Azerbaijan is set to host a landmark UN Climate Change Conference in November, almost double our renewable energy sources by 2030, grow forests, and reach zero-waste through state-of the-art facilities. Hosting World Environment Day is a natural choice, grounded in our solidarity for a green world.”

Recent years have seen nations working closer than ever to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution and waste. The UN Climate Change Conference COP28 saw countries agree to new commitments on renewable energy, efficiency, and methane amongst others, as well as signal the end of the fossil fuel era. The UN Biodiversity Conference COP15, in 2022, ended with the landmark Global Biodiversity Framework, which is now being implemented to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, and the world adopted a historic treaty to protect life in the high seas.

“Governments, businesses, civil society and people across the world are calling for change – from ending the fossil fuel era, to restoring degraded nature, reducing pollution and demanding the right to a healthy environment,” said Ms. Andersen. “World Environment Day is the platform to bring global action together and I look forward to working with the Republic of Azerbaijan to drive progress on the climate crisis through World Environment Day 2026.”

By the end of this year, critical progress on climate finance is expected at COP29, along with countermeasures on desertification at the Convention to Combat Desertification COP16 and three years of international negotiations are expected to culminate in a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.

Next year, World Environment Day will be hosted by the Republic of Korea with a focus on ending plastic pollution. World Environment Day 2024 was hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.

About World Environment Day

World Environment Day is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Held annually since 1973, the Day has also become a vital platform for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. With the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the helm, over 150 countries participate each year. Major corporations, non-governmental organizations, communities, governments, and celebrities from across the world adopt the World Environment Day brand to champion environmental causes.

About the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Republic of Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the central executive authority responsible for implementing state policy in environmental protection. It oversees the organization and efficient use of natural resources, including groundwater, mineral raw materials, and surface natural resources. The Ministry also manages their restoration, as well as the observation and forecasting of hydrometeorological processes within the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the section of the Caspian Sea belonging to Azerbaijan.

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

On 12-19 July 2024, the 33rd meeting of the CITES Animals Committee (AC33) will convene scientific experts to discuss the status in international trade of African carnivores, pangolins, sharks, amphibians, songbirds, and marine ornamental fishes, among other species. To date, 76 Governments and 88 observer organizations have registered for the meeting, with a total of 483 individuals expected to participate in the meeting’s discussions. 

In this final meeting before the 20th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP20) in 2025, the CITES Animals Committee will cover over 50 agenda items related to its core work and the specific tasks given to it by the previous CITES CoP at its 19th meeting (CoP19) in 2022. The tasks included reporting on the mismatch in data on sharks in trade and assessing and developing guidance for a wide range of wild and captive-bred animal conservation and trade matters. 

CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said: “Scientific dedication to the sustainability of trade in CITES-listed animal species forms the foundation of our decision-making. The exchanges facilitated at this meeting will provide essential guidance for CITES Parties to design science-informed policies that will transcend borders, cultures, and economies, benefitting both people and nature.

The outputs from several workshops will be discussed. Guidance from the workshop on aquatic species listed in the Appendices and Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs) for specimens of Appendix II species taken from areas beyond national jurisdiction will shed light on how to go about assessing sustainability of species taken from the high seas. Workshop findings on the conservation and management of specimens of non-CITES-listed songbirds, marine ornamental fishes and amphibians that may be in trade (i.e., those not included in the CITES Appendices) will also be considered.

The Joint CITES-Convention on the Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) African Carnivores Initiative (ACI) will update the Committee on the results of their discussions aimed at strengthening the effective implementation of the Convention for CITES-listed carnivores covered by the ACI: cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), African lion (Panthera leo) and leopard (Panthera pardus). Possible activities going forward include the development of trade resource kits and an African lion database. 

For the first time, trade in shark species will be considered in the Review of Significant Trade (RST). This process will initiate discussions around the complexities of safeguarding species with populations that may be shared by multiple Parties and that have distinct conservation needs due to geographic or genetic differences. 

Following up on species/country combinations that were selected for review at the previous Animals Committee meeting (AC32), the Committee will review information on the selected cases, identify those where the species concerned may be subject to unsustainable levels of international trade and make recommendations that the country concerned must implement. Where necessary, the Committee will then formulate draft recommendations and other advice for consideration by the CITES Standing Committee at its next meeting in February 2025. 

The Committee will also discuss responses received from countries selected for review under the Review of trade in animal specimens reported as produced in captivity, for frogs, tortoises and others species. 

Updates on the activities pertaining to the role of CITES in reducing the risk of future zoonotic disease emergence associated with international wildlife trade will be on the agenda. This includes the new agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the CITES Secretariat to cooperate and collaborate on various matters including the safe, traceable and legal international trade of wildlife and identifying zoonotic disease risk associated with CITES activities and CITES-listed species.

A joint session of the CITES Animals Committee and the CITES Plants Committee will be held on 12-13 July 2024 for the review of matters relating to both fauna and flora, such as the transport of live specimens, identification materials and NDFs. More broadly, both committees will review scientific aspects of the CITES Strategic Vision 2021-2030, the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Report on the Assessment of the Sustainable Use of Wild Species.

First established in 1987 at the 6th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP6) in Ottawa, Canada, the Animals Committee is tasked with providing technical and scientific guidance to the Parties, the Standing Committee and the extended CITES community, in support of the Convention’s contributions to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the more than 6,610 animal species and sub-species whose international trade is currently regulated by CITES.

“A female crab like this can produce millions of babies,” the 57-year-old says, pointing to the bulging yellow pouches attached to the crab’s stomach. “We put these egg-carrying females in the crab bank.”  

Traditionally, such blue swimming crabs would have been sold for profit. But after Hemmanee noticed the once-plentiful crab populations of Ban Don Bay begin to dwindle a decade ago, he turned his attention to conservation. 

Together with his fellow fishers he started separating the mothers-to-be in their catch and protecting them in tanks on shore, providing the eggs a safe space to hatch before being released back into the wild.  

The crab bank was born.

Despite the promise shown by his initiative, the perilous nature of the sea for baby crabs meant many died on the hazardous journey into adulthood. 

To improve their chances of survival, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) collaborated with local fishing communities and researchers to create safe havens where crabs, and other marine species, can breed and hatch their offspring. The areas, formally known as fisheries refugia, are part of a larger network of UNEP-supported marine sanctuaries spread across six southeast Asian countries. 

A key industry 

The blue swimming crab provides around 80 per cent of income for local communities in Ban Don Bay, which sits in the Gulf of Thailand. The bay’s 2019 harvest was valued at almost US$10 million, the third highest in the country.   

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The shallow waters of Ban Don are rich in sediment deposited from nearby waterways, making it an ideal nursery and feeding ground for the crab and other marine life, including the elusive dugong, which grazes on its bed of seagrass. 

The meeting point between the Pacific and Indian oceans, the Gulf of Thailand and nearby South China Sea are global hotspots of marine biodiversity, hosting nearly all giant clam species, every coral type and one-third of all seagrass varieties. 

These waters also sustain vital fisheries, crucial for the food security of the 270 million people residing along their coasts and contributing US$3.7 billion to the region’s gross domestic product annually. 

However, mounting population pressures have driven fishers to employ drastic methods to sustain catches. Some use explosives and poisons, while others drag heavy nets along the seafloor, wreaking havoc on fragile seabeds essential for feeding and sheltering sea life. This degradation of coastal habitats harms marine biodiversity and erodes the economic and social fabric of coastal communities, putting their long-term future in doubt. 

Balancing conservation needs with those of local communities is an aim of The Biodiversity Plan, a global framework to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 formerly known as the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. Among its four goals and 23 targets are Target 2 to restore 30 per cent of all degraded ecosystems and Target 10 to ensure sustainable management of areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry. The ongoing efforts in Ban Don Bay showcase how local communities can bring the goals of this global framework to life and inspire wider adoption. 

“The blue swimming crab is key to our livelihoods,” says Hemmanee. “Since my grandfather’s generation, we have been crab fishers. I worry about what the next generation will have left if we don’t change our ways.”

Investing in the future 

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Thai Ministry of Environment and Fisheries, with support from UNEP, collaborated with local governments, the private sector, and coastal communities to address deteriorating marine habitats. Their goal was to restore the ecological balance while ensuring the well-being of coastal communities. 

Building on the groundwork laid by local fisher groups and their crab banks, a team established a sprawling 900-acre marine safe-haven in Ban Don Bay.  

Destructive fishing practices, such as the use of small-holed nets, have been phased out and fishers have agreed to reduce activity during critical spawning periods. 

Fishers operating nearby have pledged to release any baby crustaceans caught at sea or bring them to a local crab bank for protection. 

Research conducted by Viya Crab Processing, a local canning company, revealed that keeping juvenile crabs in a nursery for 25-30 days increases their survival rates by as much as 95 per cent. 

“We release about 100,000 crabs back into the sea each month,” says Somsak Makhathan, the manager of the local crab bank. The local crab population has increased by about 60 per cent, he says. 

The UNEP-led initiative is part of the broader Global Environment Facility-funded Fisheries Refugia Initiative. The project is designed to enhance fisheries management and preserve critical marine habitats across the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand.  

The first step of the project in Thailand, says Praulai Nootmorn, marine fisheries expert at the Thai Department of Fisheries, was to shift perceptions and get everyone on the same page. 

“We had to get the stakeholders to realize the economic risk if crab populations were not restored,” says Nootmorn. “Now that they realize their business model is at risk, the private sector is rallying behind conservation activities and supporting local fishers to fish sustainably.” 

Replicating success  

The success of the refugia approach lies in its focus on sustainable use rather than strict no-fishing rules. Unlike traditional marine protected areas, which often alienate fishing communities who view their primary purpose as biodiversity protection, the refugia approach encourages fishers to become the protectors of the species they depend on. 

These sanctuaries for marine life are being replicated across the South China Sea. UNEP Fisheries Refugia Initiative partners have established a network of sites that link up over 1.3 million hectares across six countries, an area more than 10 times the size of New York, safeguarding critical habitats for several species, including black tiger prawn, siganids, mackerel, blood cockle, the juvenile grouper, spiny lobster and redbelly yellowtail fusilier. 

The project is a joint effort between the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre and governmental agencies from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.  

The collaboration between fisheries and environment ministries is often limited in Southeast Asia and beyond, with conservation and economy seen as separate, competing issues, according to Leticia Carvalho, Head of the Marine and Freshwater branch at UNEP. 

“The fisheries refugia approach offers a chance to bridge this gap,” says Carvalho. “By empowering local communities to conserve the environment, it also ensures they can use it more efficiently, and reap its rewards for generations to come.” 

Across the region, policy reforms are already underway, with the six countries embracing the refugia model as a foundation of marine management and integrating it into legislation.  

“The lessons learned from the South China Sea region will serve as a model for other areas facing similar challenges, paving the way for more holistic approaches to fisheries and habitat conservation worldwide,” says Carvalho.  

For Hemmanee and his fellow fishers, the stakes are clear. “If we don’t work together,” he warns, “the crabs will become nothing more than a legend.” 
 

The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline in nature: 1 million species are at risk of extinction, soils are turning infertile, and water sources are drying up. The Biodiversity Plan, formerly known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aims to reverse this trend by 2030. UNEP is supporting countries to achieve The Biodiversity Plan’s goals and targets through restoring nature’s contributions to people, integrating biodiversity into policies, promoting sustainable use and preventing financial practices that harm the environment. 

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The report reveals a major gap in forest protection, management and restoration in current NDCs, which outline plans to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Analyzed by climate experts at UNEP, the report shows that current NDC pledges submitted between 2017–2023 do not meet the global ambition to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. Forests play a key role in achieving the Paris Agreement on climate change, as they have the potential to contribute one-third of the emissions reductions required to close the 2030 mitigation gap. 

While 11 of the NDCs contain quantified targets relating to afforestation and, reforestation, mitigating climate change requires reducing deforestation first, as it takes many years to capture the carbon lost through deforesting an equivalent area through afforestation and restoration. 

To further harmonize national efforts, it is also crucial for NDCs to integrate existing national strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, which 15 of the 20 countries have adopted.  

Given the role of forests in regulating hydrological cycles, buffering temperature extremes, preventing extreme weather events, and protecting biodiversity and human health, the ambition to end deforestation is essential for humanity to avoid tremendous risks to us, our planet and the life it supports. Yet, the report released today shows that global deforestation rates continued to increase, notwithstanding a recent decline in Brazil. 

“After the 2020 goal by world leaders to halve forest loss was not met, we must ensure that the 2030 goal doesn’t meet the same fate,” said Dechen Tsering, Acting Director of UNEP’s Climate Division. “Climate action plans, due in 2025, need to have ambitious, consistent, detailed, targeted, and actionable goals for forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use. This includes building on existing national environmental policies, while enhancing support for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who are the frontline stewards of forests .” 

The report calls for urgent international collaboration to enhance NDC ambition. As countries prepare for the submission of the next round of NDCs for COP30 — known as NDCs 3.0, with a timeframe extending to 2035 — the report urges countries, especially those with extensive forest cover, to include concrete, measurable targets on forests in their revised NDCs.   

Increased NDC ambition must be accompanied by strong and immediate action. Predictable financial support at scale for forest-rich countries will be needed to take these steps.   

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.  

About UN-REDD  
The UN-REDD Programme is the flagship UN knowledge and advisory partnership on forests and climate to reduce forest emissions and enhance forest carbon stocks. It is the largest international provider of REDD+ assistance, supporting its 65 partner countries to protect their forests and achieve their climate and sustainable development goals.  

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UNEP’s World Environment Day Practical Guide is designed to help get everyone involved in halting land degradation and restoring ecosystems. This user-friendly primer is aimed at governments, businesses and everyday citizens, and focuses on everything from protecting rivers to making farming more sustainable. Check it out – and share with friends and family.