Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of IUCN and Managing Director of the MBZ Species Conservation Fund, reflects on the importance of community for World Environment Day:

“Community begins with place. Across our diverse world, human identities and social bonds have always been shaped by the environments we inhabit.

On this World Environment Day, I want to highlight that community is not merely about human connections—it is about the intricate web of relationships that sustain us all.

In the UAE, we have designated 2025 as our "Year of Community" —a celebration that recognizes our strongest communities are those that acknowledge their dependence on, and responsibility to, the natural world.

This connection between community and conservation transcends borders. When ecosystems thrive, communities thrive. Healthy coral reefs ensure food security. Mangroves protect coastal villages. Thriving forests preserve biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.

Through my work with the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, I've witnessed firsthand how small grants to conservationists in 170 countries have protected thousands of species while supporting local communities who depend on these ecosystems.

The upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi represents a critical moment for us all—a chance to strengthen the links between biodiversity protection and community wellbeing.

When we protect nature, we don't just preserve the past—we create possibilities for the future. The wellbeing of our communities and the health of our planet are truly one and the same.

Happy World Environment Day.”

World Environment Day draws global attention to the pressing issues of land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience, underscoring their critical impact on ecosystems and human welfare.

About a quarter of the Earth’s surface is degraded, affecting over a billion people worldwide. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 and President of the IUCN, addresses these challenges in a special video message. She outlines her championed initiatives that integrate nature into climate solutions, including ambitious targets like achieving zero deforestation by 2030, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

In the video, Razan emphasizes the importance of empowering local communities and Indigenous Peoples, whose involvement is crucial for successful land restoration and building resilient communities. She advocates for radical collaboration across all sectors of society to transform degraded lands into thriving ecosystems.

Watch Razan's full message here.

Razan’s call to action is clear: unite in efforts to restore degraded lands and ensure a sustainable future for all.