World Congress Conservation – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Nature-based Solutions and Young Professionals – Perceptions and Integration

By: Joaquín Gutierrez

 

On September 5, IFSA had the opportunity to participate as an invited panel during the World Conservation Congress. Along with other panelists from different institutions, such as WWF, IUCN-CEM, Youth4Nature, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, and Ficus-Peru / CIFOR, they were in charge of conducting an exciting session regarding Nature-Based Solutions and the perspective of young professionals regarding this topic.

IFSA presentation (IUCN, 2021)

The IFSA online presentation was responsible for opening the session by responding to young forestry professionals’ opportunities when making decisions in NbS projects. (Image 1). The answer given at the congress was worked on in conjunction with the task force that enriched the content with different perspectives of the reality of each member: Aditi Mishra from India (Head of UNFCCC Sub-Commission), Volodymir Kravets from Ukraine (Head of Partners Commission), Agustín Rosello from Chile (Head of Tree-House Sub-Commission) and me, Joaquín Gutierrez from Peru (Head of IUCN Sub-Commission). This response consisted in the fact that the inclusion of young forestry professionals for decision-making in said projects is scarce; likewise, the dissemination of information on the subject (NbS) is insufficient in academia in different parts of the world, which leads to a not so clear understanding of the concepts of the standards.

Joaquín Gutierrez (IUCN, 2021)

Subsequently, the session gave rise to the views of the other panelists, young professionals from different associations, who mentioned critical points like the lack of knowledge on the subject among young people, the difficult access to information on international regulatory policies regarding NbS projects, the limited participation of young people in decision-making by the governments that carry out the projects, among others.

Daniela Rizzi and Manuel Pulgar (IUCN, 2021)

Finally, the speakers, made up of Daniela Rizzi (ICLEI Europe) and Manuel Pulgar Vidal (WWF), enriched the panel with their ideas experienced over the years. Daniela emphasized the different online platforms on NbS from an urban point of view that exist and that contribute to the learning and knowledge of this subject and that it is open to all the public; likewise, she highlighted the importance of young people, and children, within the proposal of the projects. Manuel, on the other hand, briefly explained the concepts of the NbS and highlighted that the concepts were not the problem, but rather their inclusion in the CBD to complement the mitigation and adaptation work against climate change, which would promote the dissemination of the information on these issues, and consequently many doubts about the NbS concepts would be clarified. Finally, he suggested that for young people to be more involved in decision-making, they should have a broader knowledge about the process to make concrete suggestions.

As the sub-commission leader, IFSA’s intervention in current issues such as those discussed in the session is of vital importance to involve young forestry professionals in work areas that can open new paths for our professional development. It is our duty, as foresters, to ensure the conservation of ecosystems and promote sustainable development in projects that involve the management of ecosystems.

 

You can find all the session in here.