Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network - BES-Net

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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network - BES-Net

Promoting dialogue between science, policy and practice to build capacity for sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide.

Supported by the Government of Germany's International Climate Initiative (IKI/ BMU) and SwedBio.

05/11/2026

🐢 A healthy coral reef takes most of the force out of a wave before it reaches the shore. A global study across tropical oceans found that reefs reduce wave energy by 97% on average, lowering flood and erosion risk for the coastal communities behind them.

That protection depends on the reef staying alive. As reefs degrade, the buffer weakens and communities face higher costs to defend their coasts in other ways.

Ahead of (9 to 20 November), the message is clear: protecting and restoring reefs is climate adaptation, and it belongs in climate plans from the start, alongside sea walls and other defences.

05/11/2026

🎉 Welcome to the family, South Sudan!

The Government of South Sudan has formally joined IPBES, the global body that assesses what we know about the state of nature.

It’s a fitting new member. South Sudan is home to the Sudd, one of Africa’s largest wetlands, and to the biggest land mammal migration on Earth: around 6 million antelope crossing its savannas and floodplains each year.

Knowledge from landscapes like these makes the global picture of nature more complete. We’re looking forward to South Sudan’s experts adding their voices to future IPBES assessments.

Congratulations, South Sudan! 🌍
https://www.ipbes.net/notifications/South-Sudan-membership

04/11/2026

🐢 Do you dive, teach, research or volunteer for the ocean? A new study wants to hear from you.

Led by Alina Bondarenko, a master's student at the Kyiv Institute of Modern Psychology and Psychotherapy, in collaboration with Black Turtle Conservation, the study aims to better understand the well-being and motivation of people involved in .

The survey is:
🔒 Anonymous and voluntary
⏱️ Approximately 10–12 minutes
💻 Available online in English

Your answers can help shape better support for everyone who looks after our seas. Take part: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdo_Om578Qq4Zg6sswYSZHAJIP5Gng6x2A1vLhopRv_adAqzA/viewform

Questions about the study? Contact the researcher using the details on the poster.

04/11/2026

🌿 A new learning experience, with the same commitment to free, accessible learning for nature.

Learning for Nature has modernized its platform to make it easier to discover learning resources and build practical skills for biodiversity action.

Whether you want to deepen your understanding of biodiversity finance, ecosystem restoration, gender-responsive biodiversity planning or the , there are resources to support your learning.

Explore self-paced courses, short learning journeys, videos and practical toolkits – all free to access. You can browse the catalogue without an account and create a free account when you’re ready to enrol.

Visit the new platform and find your next learning opportunity:
https://www.learningfornature.org/en/

03/11/2026

🌍 The 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference has ended with nearly 50 decisions adopted in Yerevan.

Countries reviewed progress towards the 2030 biodiversity targets and agreed that action must accelerate. The Yerevan Pathway is part of the response, setting priorities for addressing the gaps that are slowing implementation.

Swipe through for seven outcomes to know.

03/11/2026

🌍 The October BES-Net Blast is here, full of news from BES-Net and its from partners. This month, our stories travel from the Dominican Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina, from a personal reflection on our relationship with nature to a closer look at what it takes to support young people working for biodiversity.

Also inside: a new UNDP publication and an upcoming webinar on Indigenous Peoples, business and biodiversity.

Catch up on the latest issue and see what’s happening across BES-Net: https://www.besnet.world/newsletter-3/

02/11/2026

Join IPBES, UNESCO and the Network of the Centres of Distinction on Indigenous and Local Knowledge to explore findings from the 2026 IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment.

How does business affect Indigenous Peoples, local communities and nature? What can we learn from the ways communities build sustainable economies and define their own well-being?

Hear directly from the assessment authors, as well as from Indigenous Peoples and local communities, as they share their findings and experiences and discuss ways forward.

📅 17 November 2026
🕑 2–4 p.m. Paris time
🌐 English, French and Spanish

Save your place: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ntKGzfcVQXaZjGqChCxBqQ

02/11/2026

🌍 Here’s a chance to help write the next global plan for the world’s land.

If you’re an expert from Central and Eastern Europe working on policy, science or technical issues related to land and drought, you can now apply to join the working group drafting the Convention’s post-2030 strategic framework.

Selected experts will also assess the indicators of the current 2018–2030 framework, so the new one builds on what has been measured so far.

📅 Apply by 11.59 p.m. CET on 12 November 2026.

Full details and terms of reference: https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/notifications/open-call-iwf-fsf-2026-2028-independent-experts

31/10/2026

Indigenous Peoples and local communities hold valuable knowledge for managing landscapes and living with fire.

In some ecosystems, traditional and cultural burning practices can help reduce fuel loads and the risk of severe wildfires. Supporting these practices means recognizing the rights, expertise and leadership of knowledge holders, including their authority over what knowledge is shared and how it is used.

As the global biodiversity and climate agendas advance from Yerevan to Antalya, this knowledge must be part of the conversation.

Discover how action on land, biodiversity and climate can come together to protect people and nature: https://feature.undp.org/nature-climate-land-2026/

30/10/2026

Countries are working with different pieces of the same implementation challenge.

Some need stronger ways to bring biodiversity evidence into planning. Others need financing mechanisms that can support national priorities. Many are also strengthening the institutions responsible for carrying those plans forward.

The UNDP Nature Pledge supports countries across these connected areas. Through initiatives like BES-Net and The Biodiversity Finance Initiative - BIOFIN, evidence and finance are linked more closely to the policies, capacities and decisions that shape biodiversity action.

Watch the video to learn more about how it works. ⬇️

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