Kijani Pamoja – based in Tanzania – has joined CitiesWithNature as an official partner! Kijani Pamoja is a youth-led Pan-African re-greening movement to activate, inspire, and educate communities to regreen cities and urban spaces and care for the environment. CitiesWithNature and Kijani Pamoja will collaborate on developing and sharing practical guidance around tree planting – […]

Light pollution and its impact on migratory birds is the focus of World Migratory Bird Day 2022, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Activities to mark the day will be held globally under the theme “Dim the Lights for Birds at […]

To implement nature-based solutions successfully in urban areas we need smart policies and effective ways of working together with many different stakeholders. The Urban Nature Atlas is a great place to learn from various nature-based solutions that cities have already implemented. Take a look at this database developed by CitiesWithNature partner organisation Naturvation below.  Visit […]

Montréal in Canada is leading the way by weaving nature into its urban fabric. The city, which hosts the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), works on various initiatives to protect ecosystems, promote nature in the city and encourage residents to take part in local initiatives, as part of the city’s ecological […]

Here on the CitiesWithNature platform, over 200 cities from around the world are connecting, sharing their experiences and actions, and benefiting from access to a range of partner organisations and practical tools. CitiesWithNature enables local governments and their partners to: – Showcase their city’s actions and plans, understand how they contribute to global nature goals […]

Learn how participating cities can publish their nature and biodiversity commitments and progress on the CitiesWithNature Action Platform, share their journey with other cities, and use the Action Platform to generate reports and inform decision making in their own council and community. Join leading Australian cities at this webinar hosted by ICLEI Oceania to learn […]

Why should cities commit and take action for nature on the CitiesWithNature Action Platform? CitiesWithNature Action Platform recognises the critical role cities play in protecting and restoring nature Visit the Action Platform here Why do we need nature to make our cities more sustainable and resilient? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdFIDwSK4wM By 2050, two thirds of people will live […]

CitiesWithNature Action Platform recognizes the critical role cities play in protecting and restoring nature The new CitiesWithNature Action Platform will accelerate bold action for nature by enabling cities to make voluntary commitments that contribute towards achieving global and national biodiversity targets. By joining CitiesWithNature and using the Action Platform, cities become part of a global community […]

Momentum is growing for a strong new decision on the role of cities and subnational governments in the world’s biodiversity plans and actions until 2030. As the Geneva resumed meeting on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is ongoing, ICLEI, a major city network involved closely in the negotiations, and the Geneva Cities Hub, a platform fostering local and […]

At the Geneva meetings in March ahead of the UN Biodiversity Summit (COP15) later this year, the local and subnational governments major group delivered a strong statement at the Joint Opening Plenary Session of OEWG-3, SBSTTA 24 & SBI-3. The resumed sessions of the twenty-fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological […]

Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks. People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released on 28 February. […]

Delivered by Kobie Brand, – Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General: ICLEI  The famed author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, once wrote that “every blade of grass, every insect, ant, and golden bee, all so amazingly know their path.” It seems that, unfortunately, human beings may be the only element of nature deflecting from this natural path, with consequences […]

The second UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) Cities and Regions Summit challenges us to see cities as champions of nature and accelerators of a sustainable future. Experts and city leaders will speak about the value of nature-positive strategies in rethinking the way cities are planned, and how to scale up action for nature. Various CitiesWithNature partner […]

How cities can contribute Wetlands are our most powerful ecosystems to combat climate risk, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems and more than a quarter of wetland species globally, are threatened with extinction. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation […]

City and regional governments can look forward to exciting new offerings on the CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature platforms, including global insights, tools to develop local solutions, and new ways to connect with each other and partner organisations. This year, forward-thinking governments from cities and regions will continue looking for opportunities to work with nature to build […]

New York City has become the 200th city to join CitiesWithNature, a global partnership initiative that strengthens collective action and impact to protect biodiversity and reconnect urban communities with nature. New York is taking up this leading position alongside London, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Cape Town, Barcelona, Montreal and Melbourne. This comes in the wake […]

Urban food gardens, measuring ecological performance in cities, and San Antonio in Texas. What do all these things have in common? They feature in the newest edition of the CitiesWithNature Buzz, of course! Don’t miss the latest roundup of urban nature news, opportunities and events from around the world in the November edition. Click here to […]

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are all the rage, and rightly so. Working with nature makes sense. But urban systems and ecosystems are complex, so using NbS requires smart governance and technical know-how. Find what you need on the CitiesWithNature Tools & Resources Hub! By Pieter Botha, CitiesWithNature Global Coordinator: Technical Development and Knowledge Management Nature-based solutions […]

Wetlands are an important component of our global climate system, and crucial for water security and resilience. As the world meets on climate change in Glasgow, the Convention on Wetlands (also known as the Ramsar Convention) is hosting several events highlighting the multiple benefits of wetland conservation and restoration. The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands […]

 The UpLink BiodiverCities Challenge is live!The BiodiverCities Challenge is a global call for innovative solutions that are enabling cities to become nature-positive and fulfil their potential as engines of equitable and sustainable development, resilience, and well-being.This challenge aims to identify, select, and showcase innovative solutions that have been successfully implemented and contribute to advancing the […]

CitiesWithNature and its partner organisations are at COP26 in Glasgow making the case for climate and nature goals to be pursued together in the urban context. They are hosting various in person, hybrid and virtual events in and around COP26, starting 31 October and running until 12 November. Read on for a summary of important […]

Nature-based Solutions and Cities | Geneva NbS Dialogues We are facing a triple planetary crisis – climate change, nature loss and pollution. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are a powerful ally to address a societal and environmental challenges. As per IUCN definition, NbS are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems […]

  On 20 October, an expert panel convened by ICLEI and the Humboldt National Research Institute of Biodiversity in Colombia is discussing “Cities Working With Nature to Improve Resilience and Urban Life”. This exciting event forms part of the World Bank’s webinar series “Bringing Nature to Cities: Integrated Urban Solutions to Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change”. The 20 October session […]

Enhancing urban nature via indigenous land management in Australian cities Urban nature areas can benefit from indigenous land management practices such as cultural burns. The Australian city councils of Adelaide, Cairns and Yarra shared how they are partnering with Traditional Owners to achieve this at a recent webinar hosted by ICLEI Oceania. The speakers explored […]

An exciting new initiative dedicated to regional governments and their nature work is being launched today at Daring Cities 2021, the global virtual forum for urban leaders taking on the climate emergency. RegionsWithNature will be a dynamic online space where regional governments and their partners can connect, demonstrate their commitment to biodiversity goals, and access resources to […]

Biodiversity management practitioners from local and national government in South Africa will be sharing their experiences at a virtual forum on 22 September 2021. This learning event is hosted by the Local Government Biodiversity Learning Network, an initiative of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the South African […]