New Global Biodiversity Framework highlights importance of local island champions

Earlier this week we saw the world come together in Montreal, Canada, to agree on targets for addressing the loss of nature amid an extinction crisis threatening a million species on Earth. The Biodiversity COP is less heralded than its more famous cousin, the Climate COP, but no less urgent as these interlinked crises existentially threaten our whole natural world as we know it.?

Having the world to agree on ambitious targets is no mean feat, but for me what is even more impressive are the unsung heroes on the ground who are working at local level to help address the many issues their islands or the islands they work with face. They keep hope alive, and it is them that will be the building blocks, and provide the know-how and inspiration to make the new global biodiversity framework remotely possible.?

Many of these heroes unsurprisingly hail from islands, fragile ecosystems that exist at the epicentre of both the climate and extinction crises.

With that said, I’ve had the honour and privilege this year to interact with some really special persons of this mould through our inaugural GLISPA Fellowship which we launched in April. Fellowship may be a misnomer; because make no mistake about it, this group of awesome women and men were the fully formed package when they came into our GLISPA orbit. We just want to provide a platform to showcase the remarkable work they are doing in their local communities to the rest of the world.?Awesome work by our team member Jabal Hassanali who led the GLISPA Fellowship programme.

Their work cover a breadth of issues, but today I just want to highlight five (5) who are making waves in the biodiversity conservation space. Each of them produced a video or story map telling the story of their island and their work. Wilson Junior Maeriua Sun Veer Moollye

Through Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) , Local2030 Islands Network and other networks like Climate Strong Islands Network and SMILO - Small Islands Organisation we will continue to highlight and provide a platform for these voices.

1. Aydah Gwaena Akao - Network for the Indigenous Peoples Solomon (#SolomonIslands)

Four hundred metres above sea level, the women of Hageulu in the Solomon Islands lead the charge for biodiversity conservation. They work towards the preservation of the Hageulu tubi tree, an endemic species of the Isabel Province threatened by plans for nickel mining. In Hageulu, the tubi tree is foundational to the culture and lifestyles of the people. As Coordinator of the Network for Indigenous Peoples Solomon, Aydah promotes the contributions of women in biodiversity conservation with a particular focus on the role of traditional knowledge in climate change mitigation, biodiversity loss and preservation.

1. Wilson Junior Maeriua - To'okina Tribal Land Conservation Association (#solomonislands )

TTLCA is an incorporated nonprofit community-based organization based in Su’u Village, Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. It was established after the members of Hunakuma tribal land decided to preserve and conserve their natural resources and biodiversity amid increasing threats from destructive industries like logging. In his role of Assistant Coordinator in the TTLCA, Wilson works toward the empowerment of indigenous peoples using community development initiations, educational programs, and economic opportunities for the benefit of themselves and their communities.

1. Ana Carolina Moreira - Our Blue Hands (#Brazil)

As a surfer and lover of the sea, Ana Carolina is deeply invested in the protection of the marine environment. Pursuing this passion, she is a founding member of the Our Blue Hands project, which has gone on to create a monitoring network for microplastic in the Brazilian Coastal Zone. Ana and her team empower communities and citizens who want to engage and contribute to the acquisition of plastic pollution data to create Good Environmental Status (GES) indicators and produce information for decision making. The Blue Hands Project teaches about the impacts of plastic and microplastic on the terrestrial and marine environment, and create reports on this impact, engaging communities and citizens constantly. Today, they monitor the occurrence, abundance and distribution of microplastic in approximately 15 beaches and 5 islands and have successfully replicated this project outside of Brazil, all the way across the Atlantic, in the Small Island Developing State of Cape Verde.

1. Adi Khen - Scripps Institution of Oceanography & The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (#Palmyra)

Adi is currently a PHD candidate at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Adi has been documenting oceanic life for over ten years, digitising images in research facilities or depicting them as artistic renditions on her personal blog. Her archivist efforts have contributed to the global repository of information on marine life like seaweed, fishes, corals, and marine invertebrates. She has also exhibited these scientific illustrations around the world, co-authored several scientific research papers, and mentored other students on their academic journey.

1. Sun Veer Moollye - Marine Megafauna Conservation Organization (#mauritius )

From the age of 7, Sun’s love for the ocean began. He combined his interest in technology with this love, focusing his academic pursuits on the marine environment and achieving an MPhil in Marine Chemistry and Environmental Monitoring. In Mauritius, Sun and his team at the Marine Megafauna Conservation Organization (MMCO) patrol the waters to protect whales, turtles, dolphins and sharks. They work to involve the local communities to educate and empower them so that they can maintain a healthy marine ecosystem together.