The IKI at the World Conservation Congress 2025

“Powering transformative conservation" was the theme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in October – one of the world's most important conservation meetings. The IUCN brings together more than 1,400 members, including states, governmental and non-governmental organisations working to conserve the world's biodiversity. Every four years, members meet at the General Assembly to set the course for global conservation.

The IKI is an important part of Germany's contribution to the international financing of biodiversity conservation. Since 2011, biodiversity conservation has been a separate funding area within the IKI. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), which is responsible for the IKI, was represented by a delegation, as were numerous IKI projects and their implementing organisations.

The opening ceremony was attended by many international dignitaries, including Surangel S. Whipps Jr, President of Palau, HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco, HE Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, and Razan Al Mubarak, President of IUCN.

In addition to formal voting by members, the congress featured a variety of panels, workshops and presentations by various initiatives.

The IKI office had its own stand in the exhibition area. There the team provided information about IKI's work, exchanged ideas with interested parties and networked with partners from all over the world. We were particularly pleased to welcome many people from ongoing IKI projects.

Melanie Schweikart, project manager in IKI's Biodiversity Team, participated in the session "Supporting Rights and Equity in Practice" organised by the Transformative Pathways project, which explored ways to achieve greater social justice and inclusion in nature conservation. The session focused on practical approaches to empowering local communities and embedding equitable decision-making in environmental and climate change initiatives. Helene Hoffmann, also a project manager in the IKI Biodiversity Team, participated in two other IKI project events focusing on nature-based solutions.

The session “What Role Should Nature Play in Community-Based Adaptation?", organised by the CBAScale+ project, discussed how ecosystems can contribute to building climate resilience and securing livelihoods – with examples from southern Africa. The event "Community-Led Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Local Solutions for Global Climate Resilience", organised by the IKI-funded Global EbA Fund, focused on the exchange between local and international partners. It showcased a wide range of examples of how communities around the world are using ecosystem-based adaptation to promote climate resilience, biodiversity and sustainable development. Alongside these sessions, a number of other IKI projects took the stage at the congress.