As more GEF-6 projects close, the GWP has been adding to its Legacy Series webinar collection. These webinars are a chance for closed projects to reflect on their experiences, share lessons learned and pass along wisdom to projects currently in implementation and those in the planning stages. By building on the foundations of the earliest projects, we aim to support and accelerate progress for GEF-7 and GEF-8, contributing significantly to the success of wildlife conservation efforts.  

In May, Ethiopia shared their remarkable achievement of reducing elephant poaching by 75% at project sites, while Thailand highlighted the critical role of their Wildlife Enforcement Network (Thai-WEN). You can read more about these successes below. Additional projects featured in the Legacy Series include those from the Philippines, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo, all available on our webinars page, with more to come. 

GWP also hosted several capacity-building webinars, including a two-part series on public speaking and storytelling and a seminar on effective messages for behavior change (the third in a behavior change series with our partners at TRAFFIC). These sessions were designed to help participants develop skills for crafting compelling narratives about wildlife conservation, development goals, and achievements to inspire partners and garner support.

Other highlights of this quarter’s newsletter include a regional workshop on human-elephant conflict in Nairobi, a new feature story on GWP Panama, the relaunch of GWP Ecuador’s anti-trafficking campaign, and many more updates from our projects and partners. 

Warm regards,

The GWP Coordination Team

World Bank

New GWP program video launched

As part of our programming for Biodiversity Day, the GWP launched a new program video. The new video highlights the growing number of projects and themes with the addition of GEF-8 countries.

Watch

Seeking HWC technology providers

The GWP is expanding its Conservation Technology e-library to include technologies that can help reduce human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence. If you know technology providers in this space, please share this survey with them.

If applicable, we will showcase and promote new technologies in the e-library. 

Photo: Attendees of the May 8-10, 2024 "Technical Workshop on Human-Elephant Conflict and Coexistence: Challenges and Scalable Solutions" in Nairobi, Kenya.

The GWP was proud to be a sponsor of the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference hosted in Bhutan under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck and convened by the Tiger Conservation Coalition. The conference, attended by private and public sector donors, international development agencies and tiger conservation NGO’s, announced $1 billion in new funding over 10 years to preserve tiger landscapes. 

Read more from the GWP and in “Comeback Kitten” from UNDP

Photo: GWP tiger range country participants together with GEF leadership. From left to right, standing: Tshewang Dorji, GEF Secretariat; Kesaro Loeung, Cambodia; Mohammad Sajid Sultan, India; Hannah Fairbank, GEF; Dr. Aizalyasni Binti Anuar, Malaysia; Bed Kumar Dhakal, Nepal. Seated: Thunhikorn Somying, Thailand; Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, Nepal; Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of GEF; Thi Phuong Vu, Vietnam.  

"Pioneering Conservation: Women's Leadership Unveiled"



See how women’s leadership in conservation is being fostered in Indonesia’s Combatting Illegal Wildlife Trade (CIWT) project.

New anti-trafficking campaign in Ecuador

GWP Ecuador has relaunched a “Stop Wildlife Trafficking” campaign. 

"Ten lessons learned combatting illegal wildlife trade"

A report from GWP Thailand offers valuable insights from this recently closed project. 

Hear directly from project leaders in the webinar recording below: “Lessons from countering wildlife trafficking in Ethiopia and Thailand”

Rangers and the KMBDF

The Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA) organized a consultative meeting on the role of the ranger workforce in Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMBDF). Their meeting summary offers ideas to support, strengthen and enable a professional and equitable ranger workforce. The annex includes a ranger checklist with all the tools and standards discussed during the meeting, including questions for consideration while supporting rangers. The meeting was hosted by the Global Environment Facility.

The state of wildlife crime

Despite tangible progress for notable species, the magnitude of wildlife trafficking remains immense and needs an urgent response, according to the recently released 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report. 

Research finds conservation has positive impacts on biodiversity

A first-of-its-kind study by GEF shows the positive impact of conservation on halting and reversing biodiversity loss and reducing the effects of climate change.

New: best practices in aquabusiness development

The PROBLUE Global Aquabusiness Investment Guide offers a set of global principles for sustainable aquaculture growth through investment and business development.

Contribute to "The Inventory"

WILDlabs has released "The Inventory", a wiki-style discovery platform for conservation technology. Find new technologies and collaborators, contribute new tools and review technologies. 

Nominations are open for the 2024 Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence awards! The awards celebrate excellence in enforcement of national laws by government officials and institutions or teams in Asia combatting transboundary crimes that affect the environment. This year, the awards include a category for Asia-intercontinental cooperation, recognizing the importance of collaborative action between counterparts from Asia and other continents.

The nomination deadline is 30 Sept 2024. Recipients will be notified in December 2024 and recognized in an awards ceremony in the first quarter of 2025.

Following a GWP survey showing a perceived increase in human-wildlife conflict globally, this webinar addressed how climate change is altering ecosystems, leading to shifts in habitat, distribution, and wildlife behavior. Participants also learned what the latest research can tell us about the likely hotspots of human-wildlife conflict and effective ways to mitigate it. 

Watch | Presentation

As climate change alters ecosystems it is leading to changes in wildlife behaviors, which heightens the risk of human-wildlife conflict and zoonotic disease spillover. Early warning systems are emerging as crucial tools to detect and respond to emerging threats. This webinar showcases proactive interventions to mitigate risk and foster coexistence. 

Watch | Presentation