At the 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC), experts discuss how integrating nature into urban planning is essential for building resilient, sustainable, and equitable cities. Considering a substantial portion of the global GDP is generated in cities, the way urban areas work with nature has a profound impact on both people and the planet.
Ingrid Coetzee (Director, Biodiversity, Nature & Health, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability), Rogier van den Berg (Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities), Alec Crawford (Director, Nature for Resilience, International Institute for Sustainable Development), and Edwin Andrews (Deputy Mayor, Cape Town, South Africa) explore how cities can align urban growth with ecological sustainability—through nature-based solutions, collaborative governance, and rights-based approaches that improve quality of life for all.
Credit: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
Video Producer: Rosalie Boyle
Videographer: Andres Felipe Carvajal Gomez
For more information about the IUCN World Conservation Congress, please visit: https://enb.iisd.org/2025-iucn-world-conservation-congress