Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group Newsletter

The 1st issue of the TB eNews of the IUCN WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group (TBCSG) appeared in April 2010 and the last one was published in October 2017. After a long break, we are enthusiastic to finally welcome back this inspiring publication that presents stories of transboundary cooperation worldwide, combining nature conservation with sustainable development, local communities’ rights and peace building across international boundaries. During these years many things have changed and today our planet is facing old and new challenges. The three major interconnected challenges to biodiversity are: climate change, pollution, and habitat loss/degradation, often framed by the UN as the “Triple Planetary Crisis” alongside the need to meet human needs of food and resources sustainably. These crises impact nature and human societies and require integrated solutions. To deal with these challenges and implement effective solutions, it is essential to collaborate widely, despite any political and administrative barriers. It is often said that nature does not recognise political borders; but climate change, pollution, and habitat degradation do not know borders either. This is why at the last IUCN World Congress, of October 2025, the need for transboundary collaboration was mentioned in many discussions and thematic sessions. We witness with great frustration the growing scepticism and denial of environmental problems among many global political forces. Added to this is the dismay of seeing conflicts and wars increase, and walls rise between countries and communities. These times demand our commitment, our ideals, and our promise to defend the right to existence for all species, natural elements, and people. They call for our desire to live in peace with our neighbors and our willingness to protect the richness and beauty of our planet. We can and must achieve this together. For this reason, I would like to sincerely thank the founders and former chairs of the IUCN WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group, as well as all past and present members. Through your daily work as managers, rangers, researchers, experts, and decision-makers, you are building hope for all.