International Union for Conservation of Nature

The Coral Triangle, one of the most biodiverse marine regions on earth, took a significant step forward in May 2026, as more than 80 marine conservation professionals gathered in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, for the 12th Marine Protected Area (MPA) and Coral Triangle Atlas Technical Regional Exchange (T-REX) and MPA Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting, hosted by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) together with Sabah Park.

Brazil has been advancing the implementation of the IUCN Green List, showcasing concrete experiences of equitable governance and social participation in protected areas.

Tall, proud and strikingly pink, the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), steps through the murky waters of a Tunisian wetland, looking for its next meal. It has recently migrated from Italy with its colony in search of a more abundant wetland. All across the Mediterranean, from Southern Europe to North Africa to West Asia, greater flamingos flock to salt marshes, lagoons and saline lakes. The iconic bird peppers the horizon, colourful congregations brightening our Mediterranean landscape.

During a press conference titled "World's smallholders call for finance action amid El Niño threat", Esther Penunia (Secretary General, Asian Farmers Association), Stephen Muchiri, CEO (East Africa Farmers Federation) and Thomas Patriota (Head of International Affairs, Ministry of Development and Family Farming, Brazil) highlighted the growing challenges facing family farmers as climate impacts intensify and input costs remain volatile.

The theme for World Oceans Day 2026 is “Reimagine: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean”. This World Oceans Day acts as a reminder that oceans are not something vast, distant, and separate. Oceans form an integral part of the Earth’s ecosystems as well as human culture, livelihoods and prosperity. For coastal communities, oceans are the source of life.

Across the Coral Triangle, communities, marine protected area managers, governments, and conservation partners are working together to strengthen the effectiveness of marine protected and conserved areas under the SOMACORE programme.

As the tide slowly retreated along the coast of Alor Island in eastern Indonesia, a group of women stepped carefully through the mud carrying young mangrove seedlings in their hands. For Mama Martha and the women of Kelompok Cinta Persahabatan, restoring mangroves has become part of daily life, shaped by years of living closely with the sea and witnessing changes along their coastline.

Somewhere in the Spanish Andalusian countryside, perched on a flower, sits a butterfly. Green wings, furry light green body, and its proboscis unfurled as it sips on the nectar of the flower under its feet. The Gonepteryx cleopatra picks up particles of pollen from the flower it is feeding on, preparing to fly over to a different one. This butterfly is partaking in a vital ecosystem service: pollination. Over 75% of flowering plants reproduce through the help of pollinators.

Mangrove monitoring by Hô-üt Association, a Kiwa Initiative grantee under IUCN. © Association Ho ut. I recently attended the IUCN Academy Professional Certificate on Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which was highly relevant to my current role in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). The course was practical and applied, combining online sessions, individual exercises, group work, and assignments.

Sovereign debt concerns moved back to the forefront of global policy discussions at the 2026 World Bank Spring Meetings, against a backdrop of heightened macroeconomic volatility. The 2025 World Bank Debt Score Card identified 58 countries at high risk of or in debt distress, 2025 saw a 23% decline in foreign aid – the largest annual contraction on record, and UN Agencies face significant budget reductions.