News

In Portland, Oregon, annual rainfall exceeds a staggering 37 inches (the US average is about 32). When it rains, excess storm water collects dirt, soil, and other pollutants and then drains into the main water system. In 2017 it was estimated that Portland has spent a cumulative $370 million on infrastructure, such as pipes and […]

Last week at the Manchester Festival of Nature celebration event at Heaton Park, Manchester became the first UK City to sign up to the International CitiesWithNature portal, a Global network aimed at sharing best practice approaches around Nature conservation. CitiesWithNature is a partnership between ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability, IUCN (International Union for the Conservation […]

  Mathew White and colleagues surveyed 19,806 adults in England on how much time they had spent over the past week in natural environments, such as fields and woodlands (but not including their own garden), and their self-reported health and wellbeing. They show that people who reported spending 120 minutes or more in nature were […]

In celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity, CitiesWithNature – a global knowledge sharing platform launched by ICLEI, IUCN and The Nature Conservancy – has a new tool to help integrate nature into cities. The Nature Pathway on CitiesWithNature is a collection of guidance, tools and inspirational examples that help local and regional governments to […]

With the release of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) global assessment, it is increasingly clear that biodiversity and natural ecosystems play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the planet, particularly in the face of climate change. The natural environment provides many valuable and free services that contribute directly to […]

A new international scientific report warns of grave impacts to come as nature declines at an unprecedented rate. The report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimated that one million species are threatened with extinction today and that extinction rates are accelerating. It is the first global assessment on the state of […]

By Rob McDonald, Lead Scientist for Global Cities, The Nature Conservancy This century will be remembered as the urban century. Our generation will witness the most significant urban growth in human history. By 2050, there will be 2.4 billion more people in cities, a rate of urban growth that is the equivalent of building a city […]

The health of natural ecosystems is crucial to the health of cities and urban populations. From essential services like water purification, flood control and climate regulation to a range of physical and mental health benefits, societies thrive by building a strong connection to nature. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem changes are a reality in our urban […]

On 20 June 2018, at the ICLEI World Congress in Montreal, Canada, three highly respected global organisations launched a unique initiative that recognizes and enhances the value of nature in and around cities across the world. Called CitiesWithNature, this exciting initiative builds on previous international programs and significant experience and expertise of the founding partners […]

The concept of ecosystem services or ‘nature’s benefits’ recognizes that the natural environment provides many critical and free services that contribute directly to human wellbeing and livelihoods. However, defining the spatial location of the areas that generate these benefits in order to mainstream them into planning frameworks remains a challenge in many cities of the […]