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In an oped for the World Economic Forum Agenda, Razan Al Mubarak makes the case that policies can address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.  In the op-ed she writes: "While the United Arab Emirates, which I am proud to call home, is known for its vast deserts, it is also home…

World Atlas interviewed Razan Al Mubarak and four women who have received grants from the Mohamed Bin Zayed Conservation Fund for a special series of articles on the critical role that women play in biodiversity conservation.  A strong advocate for advancing gender equality in all fields, Ms.Al Mubarak told World Atlas: “Like many fields dominated by…

In an op-ed published today in the World Economic Forum's Agenda, Razan Al Mubarak discusses why it is essential that women are fully engaged and equally represented in biodiversity conservation — at the grassroots level and in the leadership of governments and NGOs. Ms. Al Mubarak writes: “Women in many parts of the world, especially…

This week The National published a feature story about the history, mission and impact of the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Fund). The article highlighted the successes and importance of microfinancing species conservation projects in the field. A return to the successful practices of the golden age of conservation in the 1960s and…

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) have endorsed Razan Al Mubarak for President of the IUCN. This is the first time that either organization has endorsed a candidate for the IUCN Presidency.  In the endorsement, the AZA stated:  “We need a leader who offers skilled…

In an interview published in The National on International Women’s Day, Razan Al Mubarak discusses the differences in her experiences as a woman in the UAE and on the international stage:  “I can honestly say that I wasn’t stereotyped [in the UAE]. Maybe I was too young and too naïve to recognise that I had…

Razan Al Mubarak joined Dr. Jane Goodall, a pioneer of the modern conservation movement, for a special episode of her new podcast, the Jane Goodall Hopecast.  Dr. Goodall and Ms. Al Mubarak discussed the state of conservation today and how to engage people from all walks of life in the fight against biodiversity loss.  A…

In an interview with the Financial Times, Razan Al Mubarak discusses why she believes the existential twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are the greatest challenges of our time.  “From a biodiversity perspective, an estimated 10,000 species are lost to extinction each year at a rate one thousand times faster than any other…

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has endorsed Razan Al Mubarak for President of the IUCN. This is the first time in the organization’s history it has endorsed a candidate for the IUCN Presidency.  In the endorsement, the AZA stated:  “We need a leader who offers skilled management and a courageous, strategic vision. Someone…

Biodiversity loss needs to be elevated as an existential challenge on the global agenda, equal in urgency to climate change, according Razan Al Mubarak, who told a Reverse the Red live webinar on December 9th that IUCN is best positioned to lead the effort.  Reverse the Red is a global movement that ignites strategic cooperation…

At the third annual Paris Peace Forum, Razan Al Mubarak challenged government and business leaders worldwide to expand the meaning of “environmental protection” beyond fighting climate change by funding conservation and biodiversity initiatives to the same extent.  “Governments around the world are making big gestures by injecting money into the economy,” said Ms. Al Mubarak…

Razan Al Mubarak has written the foreword for the 2020 edition of the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World, the most complete, stand-alone summary of the current taxonomy and distribution of every currently recognized species of mammal. With editors from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and Global Wildlife Conservation, this…

Razan Al Mubarak, Founding Managing Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, affirmed that biodiversity conservation must receive equal priority with climate change action during Dubai Climate and Biodiversity Week on October 21, 2020. Hosted by Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE’s platform for galvanizing global action, the event brought together over 40 established and…

Many grassroots conservation organizations are facing layoffs, cutbacks, and even the prospect of ceasing operations completely because of the twin crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and global recession. In response to the crises, Razan Al Mubarak, the Founding Managing Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Fund), announced this week that the…

Some good news has risen from Abu Dhabi with the help of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Conservation Fund), where Razan Al Mubarak serves as the founding managing director.  As reported by The National, a Steppe Whimbrel, of which only 100 exist today, was photographed on Saadiyat Island by two members of…

For more than a decade, scientists like Luis Ortiz-Catedral have been working to protect the Galápagos pink land iguana (Conolophus marthae). The species faces a range of threats including feral cats and rats, which prey on eggs and young reptiles. Their scientists' work, however, came to an halt in April when the COVID-19 lockdown in…

In 2019, facilities accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) donated more than $231.5 million to conservation programs globally. But in the United States alone, its zoos, aquariums, and museums are losing $33 million daily due to the coronavirus pandemic.  In an op-ed written for Connect, the publication of the AZA, Razan Al Mubarak…

As reported by Lonely Planet, World Atlas and Gulf News, the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns have severely disrupted species conservation activities worldwide according to a survey of more than 300 conservationists in 85 countries. The survey was conducted by The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, (MBZ Conservation Fund) where Razan Al Mubarak…

A literal seed of hope has blossomed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Conservation Fund), where Razan Al Mubarak serves as the founding managing director, and the Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia in Spain.  As reported by World Atlas, a global news…

Razan Al Mubarak's vision for the IUCN is built on a fresh, energetic commitment to working closely with all constituencies, especially youth and local communities. To that end, Ms Al Mubarak recently met with more than 225 young conservationists from the United Arab Emirates for an interactive dialogue on the intersection of politics and conservation…

As humanity comes together like never before to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, Razan Al Mubarak is more committed than ever to her campaign to serve as President of the IUCN beginning in January 2021. In this video message, Ms Al Mubarak discusses why the work of the IUCN, the world's foremost scientific authority on conservation…

While the global lockdown has led to unprecedented reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, there is increasing evidence that the pandemic is bringing critical conservation efforts to a halt, harming efforts to prevent biodiversity loss worldwide.  In an op-ed written for Mongabay, the global conservation and science news outlet, Razan Al Mubarak calls for a post-COVID…

In a profile of Razan Al Mubarak for Wired Middle East, contributor Caterina Minthe looks at how Ms. Al Mubarak is pioneering micro-grants for critical species conservation around the world.  “A little bit of money can go a long way toward saving a species from the brink of extinction,” said Ms. Al Mubarak, who leads…

The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call that a seemingly innocuous event in one part of the world can have a profound effect on the other side of the planet in just a matter of days. In an op-ed written for The Ecologist, Razan Al Mubarak makes a powerful case for the need for conservationists to…

For a recent episode of Inspire Middle East on Euronews, Razan Al Mubarak met with correspondent Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham in Abu Dhabi's Jubail Mangrove Park to discuss conservation initiatives she is leading in the UAE, Chad, and beyond. Mangroves planted in Abu Dhabi forty years ago now absorb more than 41 million tons of carbon-dioxide equivalents, according to…

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 12 February 2020 — The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced yesterday that Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, has been chosen as one of two candidates who will stand for election of President of…

An Emirati environmentalist will run for the presidency of a global conservation body working to preserve wildlife and nature. Razan Al Mubarak was chosen as one of the two candidates to head the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ms Al Mubarak, managing director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and…

Razan Al Mubarak has been at the forefront of the UAE's successful efforts in the conservation of key species over the last decade. Like most mothers, she aspires for her daughter to grow up in a world of clean air and water, graced by nature. Unlike most three-year-olds, however, that little girl has a parent…

As preparations get underway for a landmark UN-sponsored conference on biodiversity in China next year, a leading conservationist has given warning that the issue needs to be seen as separate to the climate change agenda. Razan Al Mubarak, the head of the Mohammed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, told a panel at the Paris Peace…

Within the next year, we will see important environmental negotiations and hopefully commitments to decisive actions by the world's nations. There will be the drive to agree to a new set of targets for halting biodiversity loss during the 2020 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference. Furthermore, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) will take…

In 2008, Abu Dhabi hosted the first IUCN Species Survival Commission's Specialist Group Chairs meeting. It was a decisive moment for the SSC. It was the first face-to-face meeting of all the Specialist Group Chairs. Since then, the SSC leadership has met in Abu Dhabi in 2012 and 2015 and again in October 2019. Four…

Under the patronage of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EAD, the Species Survival Commission, SSC, of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, today opened its four-day Leaders' Meeting in the UAE capital. The conference has brought together more than 350 conservation experts, including the IUCN Secretariat and other IUCN commissions, Red List…

The highly anticipated gathering of international experts aims to heavily influence the functioning, growth and integration of species conservation work. Eleven years after the first International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SCC) Leaders' Meeting held in Al Ain in 2008, the leadership of the IUCN and SSC will meet again from…

Environmental leaders have warned that the Arabian Gulf faces a daunting challenge in combating climate change. Razan Al Mubarak, managing director of the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, told delegates at the World Ocean summit that the region was particularly vulnerable to increases in global temperatures. Read the full article in The National.

It's called the “blue marble” for a reason. Looking at the Earth from space, the enormous swaths of brilliant turquoise and navy blue dominate the picture, yet we focus so much of our attention on the landmasses floating amid all the water. Our oceans are the largest ecosystem on Earth – responsible for generating approximately…

Ban was having a conversation with Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, secretary-general of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, about “Sustainable Development Goals in practice,” at the Future Sustainability Summit. The former UN chief appreciated the UAE's sustainability initiatives: “Many countries should emulate what the UAE is doing. Its leadership is investing wisely in the nation's resources as…