IUCN Forest and Grasslands

IUCN's Global Forest and Grasslands Team

[FAO Botswana @FAOBotswana]

Today, @BWGovernment in partnership with @FAO, the @IUCN and @theGEF is hosting the First Global Private Sector Forum on Sustainable Rangeland Management and Livestock Systems in #Gaboroneunder the #GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme (DSL-IP).

[FAO Botswana @FAOBotswana]

📢Stay Tuned!

@BWGovernment in partnership with @FAO, the @IUCN and @theGEF is hosting the First Global Private Sector Forum on Sustainable Rangeland Management and Livestock Systems in #Gaborone under the #GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme (DSL-IP).

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🪙 How can we ensure more equitable access to finance for land restoration?

🧑‍🌾 Many of the organisations and communities working directly to restore degraded land remain excluded from funding systems, despite being on the frontlines.

📓 A new CS4LDN report explores the barriers driving this gap and outlines practical recommendations for both donors and civil society.  Read the full report 👉 https://t.co/odwVdZkhX0

@both_ends @UNCCD @theGEF #LDN #CSO #CivilSocietyOrganisation #LandDegradation

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🐼 The first webinar in the IUCN and the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub Series focused on restoration in Asia and Oceania, guiding Members on how to include restoration initiatives in the Hub, while highlighting successful restoration projects across the region.

🐠 The webinar spotlighted IUCN's overarching restoration goals in the Asia-Pacific region and provided space for project managers across the Union to share remarkable restoration success stories.

To learn more about the Asia and Oceania webinar, read the full story:
🐒 https://t.co/RlXQPITOCC

To attend more webinars in this series, visit IUCN engage:
🫧 Africa: https://t.co/Pgtnjt5TCP
🫧 West, Central, and South Asia: https://t.co/7x9Bals5XT
🫧 Europe and the Mediterranean: https://t.co/W2KS2gM95Q
🫧 The Americas and Caribbean: https://t.co/P3drbvje6F

@Decade2Restore @UNEP

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🎊 Join us for the second UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Digital Hub Regional Webinar focusing on Africa and taking place Tuesday June 23rd!

📚 Highlighting IUCN restoration initiatives from across Africa centered on a diverse range of ecosystems, this webinar will provide guidance on what and how to contribute to the UN Decade digital hub.

📅 Date: June 23, 2026
⏰ Time: 15:00 - 16:30 EAT
📍 Location: https://t.co/Pgtnjt6rsn

🌍 Visit the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub to explore existing initiatives:https://t.co/Ehz2jhz03D.

@Decade2Restore @UNEP @IucnE @UICN_PACO
#GenerationRestoration #UNDecade #Restoration

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🌾 The IUCN Forest and Grasslands team is committed to conserving and restoring our global rangelands. On this Drought and Desertification Day, we want to take a moment to recognize the importance of these ecosystems for people and nature.

Explore the Forest and Grassland Team's work on rangelands, grasslands, and the fight against land degradation here:
🟡 https://t.co/7yRxGnZYqR
🟡 https://t.co/YWZ5mjvcbC
🟡 https://t.co/jxUgcZvs8b
🟡 https://t.co/c6DEgSrg30
🟡 https://t.co/6BvmA8n4Hl

[IUCN @IUCN]

Rangelands cover over half of Earth's land and sustain ~2 billion people. Up to half are degraded or at risk.

On #DesertificationAndDroughtDay, IUCN is working with governments and communities to restore rangelands for biodiversity, livelihoods and climate resilience.

https://t.co/OkYWy4XE6f

#IYRP2026

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

IUCN Forest and Grasslands welcomed representatives from IPAM Amazonia - Amazon Environmental Research Institute for an insightful discussion on the interconnections between nature, forests, and climate change.  The discussion explored the interlinkages between mining and deforestation, crop yields and forest cover in the face of climate change, the unexpected consequences of regulation, and much more.

Thanks to IPAM, particularly to André Guimarães and Ludmila Rattis for their insightful presentations and thoughtful dialogue and to  FGT colleagues Anique Hillbrand, Theresa Fuhrmann, and Livia Chaves Marcolin, for their contributions to a rich exchange of knowledge and perspectives

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

This week, the Embassy of Mongolia in the United States, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, and IUCN delivered a joint briefing on the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), set to be hosted in Ulaanbaatar in August 2026.

“Bringing so many partners together today reinforces that the challenges facing rangelands are real," said H.E. Batbayar Ulziidelger, Ambassador of Mongolia to the USA, "but they’re also solvable if we work together towards solutions.”

To learn more, read the full news story: https://t.co/VEuYu77Qbk

@IUCN @nature_org @mongolia @MongolDiplomacy @theGEF @IYRP2026

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

How can we unlock more finance for land restoration?

A new report from the CS4LDN initiative explores why many civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities struggle to access funding, despite being closest to the land.

Drawing on evidence from 226 organisations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, the report maps key barriers to finance and outlines practical recommendations for both donors and civil society.

Swipe through for key insights and read the full guide here 👉 https://t.co/odwVdZkhX0

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

At the UNFCCC June Climate Meetings held this week in Bonn #SB64, IUCN participated in discussions on Forests, Grasslands and the AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land-Use) sector as essential solutions for climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

At the event, IUCN Forest and Grasslands, represented by Senior Project Officer Anique Hillbrand, contributed to a panel conversation on the UN roadmap to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, and joined discussions covering the COP30 Brazil Presidency, with Marco Tulio Scarpelli Cabral, Ambassador André  Corrêa do Lago, and Ana Toni, to highlight the importance of protecting, restoring and key considerations for the roadmap. (https://t.co/S9xNoXwgsY)

As we look ahead to COP31 in Turkey, accelerating action for forests, and nature-positive landscapes will be critical to achieving global climate and biodiversity goals.

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

Access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers to scaling land restoration efforts.

A new report from the CS4LDN initiative explores why many organisations on the frontlines of land degradation still struggle to access funding, and what both donors and civil society can do to change that.

Watch the video for key insights and learn more in the full guide 👉 https://t.co/odwVdZjK7s

@IUCN | @both_ends | @theGEF

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🌎This World Environment Day, let us be reminded of the importance of protecting our planets vital ecosystems. One important and ancient ecosystem can be found in old growth grasslands.

🌾Old-growth grasslands have persisted over millennia as grassy ecosystems, shaped and stabilised by long-term interactions with fire, herbivory, climate variability and soil processes

❌However, despite their ecological importance, old-growth grasslands are routinely misclassified as “degraded forests leading to neglect in policy frameworks.

🧠To learn more about old growth grasslands and the important role they play in our global environment, read the full report: https://t.co/4saPhGXncf

@WWF @IUCN

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🌲Primary forests are among Earth’s most valuable ecosystems. However, they are under increasing threat. Indigenous Peoples have been the stewards of primary forests for generations and play a crucial role in ensuring these unique ecosystems’ continued survival.

🌐Launched today at the Eighth Global Environment Facility Assembly, the Indigenous Peoples Ambassadors Programme is designed to work with and support the leadership, knowledge, and priorities of Indigenous Peoples in advancing primary forest conservation.

💡Learn more about the Indigenous Peoples Ambassador Programme here: https://t.co/5xT65vnSo3

@theGEF @IUCN

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🦚 Join us tomorrow, Friday June 5th, at the Eighth GEF Assembly for an event focused on primary forest conservation that centres country leadership, practical financing, and stronger recognition of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The event will also mark the launch of the Indigenous Peoples Ambassador Initiative, highlighting Indigenous leadership as essential to protecting primary forests and advancing action for nature, climate, and people.

📅 Date: June 5th, 2026
⏰ Time: 13:30 - 14:30 UZT
📍 Location: Ballroom, Eighth GEF Assembly, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

We look forward to seeing you there! 🦜

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

‼️ Join us on June 16th for a tailored webinar that aims to provide practical and accessible guidance for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across Africa on how to identify, access, and successfully apply for funding opportunities to address land degradation.

📅 Date: June 16, 2026
⌛ Time: 13:00 - 14:30 GMT
📍 Location: https://t.co/Bv05nHOhQ2
⭐ Details: This webinar will be available in French and English.

💻This webinar will also be available for CSOs in Asia and Latin America. To learn more visit IUCN engage: https://t.co/NWAeNzfGLU

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🪸 The first installment of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Digital Hub Webinar Series will be taking place next Tuesday (June 9th, 2026).

🐼 This webinar will bring together speakers from across East and Southeast Asia and Oceania to present IUCN restoration initiatives and how they support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The webinar will also serve as guidance for other organisations throughout the region on how to contribute to the UN Decade digital hub.

📅 Date: June 9, 2026
⌛ Time: 9:00 - 10:30 ICT
📍 Location: https://t.co/QHy1vo1GvS

🌍 Visit the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub to explore existing initiatives: https://t.co/Ehz2jhyse5.

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🌟 Upcoming Webinar Series! 🌟

🏞️ Starting June 9th, join IUCN and UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration for a webinar series centred around the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub: an online platform that highlights successful restoration case studies and their efforts in advancing the UN Decade!

🎥 Webinars will take place in 5 regions, celebrating effective restoration and providing guidance on how to contribute to the Hub. Register for the webinar now:
💠 East and Southeast Asia and Oceania: https://t.co/QHy1vo1GvS
💠Africa: https://t.co/Pgtnjt5TCP
💠West, Central, and South Asia: https://t.co/7x9Bals5XT
💠Europe and the Mediterranean: https://t.co/W2KS2gM95Q
💠The Americas and Caribbean: https://t.co/P3drbvje6F

🌍 Visit the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub to explore existing initiatives: https://t.co/LjenmO8ewo

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

💛 Join us on June 15th for a tailored webinar that aims to provide practical and accessible guidance for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across Asia on how to identify, access, and successfully apply for funding opportunities to address land degradation.

📅 Date: June 15, 2026
⌛ Time: 12:00 - 13:30 GMT
📍 Location: https://t.co/6pd6aKDUZG

💻 This webinar will also be available for CSOs in Latin America and Africa. To learn more visit IUCN engage: https://t.co/NWAeNzf8Wm

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

🌐 Join the IUCN Forest and Grasslands Team on June 5th at the 8th GEF Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for an event on primary forests.

🌲 The event focuses on moving from ambition to implementation through country leadership, practical financing, and stronger recognition of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as central partners in forest stewardship. The event will also mark the launch of the Indigenous Peoples Ambassador Initiative, highlighting Indigenous leadership as essential to protecting primary forests and advancing action for nature, climate, and people.

📅 Date: June 5th, 2026
⏰ Time: 13:30 - 14:30 UZT
📍 Location: Ballroom, Eighth GEF Assembly, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Speakers:
🔹 Chetan Kumar, Global Head of the IUCN Forest and Grasslands, IUCN
🔹Nicolas Schäfstoss, Head of the division for International Environment and Forest Finance, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
🔹Brendan Mackey, Director, Griffith Climate Action Beacon at Griffith University, Queensland
🔹Rose Waigl Alphonse, Acting Director, Special Projects Division, Papua New Guinea CEPA
🔹Regina Rosales Talamas, Director General in charge of International Forums and Sustainable Finance Mexico, Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público
🔹Daniel Mabengo, Community Facilitator, ANAPAC-RDC
🔹Tania Eulalia Martinez-Cruz, Indigenous Peoples Operation Analyst, Global Environment Facility
🔹Pascal Martinez, Climate Change Specialist, GEF

[IUCN Forest and Grasslands @IUCN_forests]

📢Join us on June 10th for a tailored webinar that aims to provide practical and accessible guidance for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Latin America and the Caribbean on how to identify, access, and successfully apply for funding opportunities to address land degradation.

📅Date: June 10, 2026
⏲️Time: 15:00 - 16:30 GMT
📍Location: https://t.co/6n2YEsAor3
✒️Details: This webinar will be available in English and Spanish

This webinar will also be available for CSOs in Africa and Asia. To learn more visit IUCN engage: https://t.co/sZnuS12JaX