Date: 02/09/2021 – 12/09/2021
Venue: Online and Marseille, France

We are looking forward to taking part in this year’s IUCN World Conservation Congress, driving action on nature-based recovery, climate change and biodiversity. 

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is where the world comes together to set priorities and drive conservation and sustainable development action. To make societies and ecosystems more resilient and reduce climate risks, we need to safeguard and restore wetlands – the essential systems that supply and purify water, protect our shores, sequester carbon, ensure livelihoods, and support abundant and unique nature all over the world. We will be participating in various events throughout the IUCN World Conservation Congress showcasing our work to inspire, mobilise and upscale wetland landscape recovery. Below we highlighted selected sessions that Wetlands International will participate in during the IUCN World Conservation Congress. We hope to see you there.

Saturday, 4 September

The Global Biodiversity Framework and freshwater ecosystems: Moving to implementation:
Time: 16.00 – 17.30 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3s322SE 
Summary: Multiple goals and targets of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework should be applied to freshwater ecosystems, but there is little guidance as to what that application can look like or how to measure progress. This session will provide a brief overview of where the Framework intersects with freshwater ecosystems and services. We will then highlight a subset of particularly relevant targets; for each target we will review how it could be operationalized for freshwater systems, using a combination of case studies, expert discussion, and audience participation.
Organizer: Conservation International 

Sunday, 5 September 

Mangrove and Blue Carbon Conservation and Restoration – Successes in the Swamp
Time: 18.00 – 19.30 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3lJ2DYr
Summary: Mangrove forests are some of the most biologically diverse and resilient ecosystems in the world. The session will showcase a decade of progress in mangrove conservation, restoration, and sustainable management by highlighting success stories in innovative carbon financing, climate policy and community-based approaches to coastal conservation.
Co-conveners: IUCN, Global Mangrove Alliance, Blue Carbon Initiative

Monday, 6 September

Nature-based Solutions in Asia: Role of wetlands for climate change and disaster risk reduction
Time: 9:00 – 10.30 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3lKfUzY
Co-conveners: Wetlands International 

Partners for Wetlands: Decade for Wetland Restoration
Time: 11:45 – 12.30 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3lKfUzY
Summary: The session will highlight why wetland restoration is vital for our common future and draw upon examples of where successful wetland restoration has taken place. The aim of the session is to learn from, and scale-up, wetland restoration lessons and practices.
Co-conveners: IUCN, WWF, BirdLife International, Wetlands International, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the International Water Management Institute, RAMSAR

Mangrove ecosystems: an opportunity for West African coasts
Time: 12:30 – 14.00 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3lKfUzY
Co-conveners: CALAO, Wetlands International 

Mediterranean Partnerships’ Conservation Action Plans: their contribution to MAVA 27-year heritage
Time: 18:00 – 21.00 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3lKfUzY
Summary: In this event, the current MAVA approach and the future vision of the Mediterranean basin of the partnerships created will be presented by representatives of the outcome action plans supported by MAVA, and whose work and engagement are part of MAVA’s 27 years of legacy in the region. A technical discussion and a social event are part of the session.
Co-conveners: MAVA Foundation 

Tuesday, 7 September

Natural Climate Buffers – a multiple benefit approach | Dutch examples and European ambitions for upscaling the use of natural processes for climate adaptation and mitigation
Time: 15.30 – 17.00 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3xyhKq2
Summary: This session explains how nature conservation and development contributes to climate goals (Nature-based solutions), it showcases some typical examples of these ‘Natural Climate Buffers’, including some lessons learned concerning their realization.
Co-conveners: IUCN, Vereniging tot Behoud van Natuurmonumenten in Nederland, Natural Englang, Wetlands International

Collaborative approaches to funding: donors and beneficiaries’ standpoints
Time: 11.00 – 12.30 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3xyhKq2
Summary: Whether you are a donor or a beneficiary you can adopt lone vs. collective approaches to funding. This session presents the Mediterranean Donor Roundtable’s experience leading to the mapping of their consolidated engagement in the Med -launched during this session- and highlights strategic collaborative fundraising by regional NGO partnerships
Co-conveners: MAVA Foundation

Networking to meet the challenges of monitoring waterbirds in African wetlands: Migratory Birds for People – MBP
Time: 18:00 – 18.45 CEST
Link: https://bit.ly/3lKfUzY
Co-conveners: CALAO, Wetlands International 

On-Demand 

Taking Climate Action through Increasing Mangrove Cover: The State of the World’s MangrovesTime: 
Link: https://bit.ly/3iwRZ5a
Summary: Mangrove forests are critical ecosystems, for biodiversity, climate and for humanity. Vast areas have been lost, but things are changing. The State of the World’s Mangroves, by the Global Mangrove Alliance, provides the very latest information on what we know about mangroves and what’s being done to support these magnificent habitats.
Co-conveners: IUCN, Global Mangrove Alliance