This webinar will showcase a new Technical Report by IUCN’s Protected Areas and Climate Change Specialist Group and the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change on This webinar will showcase a new Technical Report by IUCN’s Protected Areas and Climate Change Specialist Group and the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change on Establishing Marine Protected Areas in a Changing Climate. The report introduces four principles—understanding change, strengthening adaptation and resilience, ensuring equitable design, and generating holistic co-benefits—to guide the establishment of protected and conserved areas in the ocean that are adaptive to future climate conditions. The webinar also features diverse case studies from Indonesia, the Kenya/Tanzania border, and the United Kingdom that demonstrate how protected and conserved areas can be designed to deliver ecological and social outcomes while building resilience to climate impacts.
Climate change poses serious threats to ocean ecosystems and their ability to sustain human life, disrupting ecological, economic, and social dimensions. With the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 3 rapidly approaching (conserving at least 30 percent of the earth’s land, water and seas by 2030), it is critical that qualitative aspects of conservation—including long-term effectiveness—are prioritized alongside quantitative goals. Addressing climate impacts during the establishment and ongoing implementation of new and expanded protected and conserved areas will ensure their resilience in a future shaped by rapidly changing environmental conditions.