When conservation affects local people, the question of who pays and who has a voice in decisions can make or break species recovery.

As governments prepare to gather in Yerevan, Armenia, this week for the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (COP17), new research identifies 13% of Earth's land area as hotspots for biodiversity conservation, highlighting where conservation efforts are most urgently needed.

The world aims to mobilise $200 billion a year for biodiversity by 2030, but current funding remains far below target. Here’s what COP17 must address on finance, subsidies and private investment.

From renewable electricity and the elimination of single-use plastics to water management, biodiversity protection and connections with local communities, the Sani/Ikos Group 2025 ESG Report shows how environmental and social performance is being integrated into one of the most dynamic investment programmes in Mediterranean hospitality

/PRNewswire/ -- Published today ahead of COP17, new international research by children's rights organization KidsRights, has found that more than six in ten...

Rewatch the event Conversation on traditional medicine continued this year at the World Health Summit (WHS) 2026 in Berlin. This marked the third event at the WHS since 2025, in which a dedicated session explored the challenges and opportunities of traditional medicine in advancing global health goals. The panel, moderated by Dr Hiba Boujnah, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre at the Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), reflected on the question, what can traditional medicine contribute to building more resilient health systems? Dr Mustapha Ferjani, Minister of Health of Tunisia, opened the event, signaling a strong political commitment. He highlighted his country’s commitment to the integration of traditional medicine with wider health systems to achieve resilient, fit-for-purpose, and accessible-for-all health-care system. He underscored the need to combine respect for traditional knowledge with rigorous scientific evaluation, quality assurance and patient safety, linking to biodiversity protection, One Health approaches and digital health transformation and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i. of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, further enlarged the discussion of resilience by building the capacity of people, communities, systems and the environment to attain, restore and sustain balance. She highlighted the need for country-led, evidence-informed approaches that place equity, trust and sustainability at the centre of health policy, and outlined WHO’s emerging Living Well initiative as a platform for connecting traditional knowledge, science, innovation and international cooperation in support of healthier and more resilient societies.  Vivian Camacho, an Indigenous health leader from Bolivia, added that health, as a human right, remains closely linked to cultural identity, community values and harmony with nature. Drawing on the Indigenous concept of Sumaq Kawsay (living well), she shared Bolivia's experience in recognizing traditional healers and integrating ancestral medicine into the national health system. For example, she highlighted Indigenous-led responses during the COVID-19 pandemic that combined public health messaging with traditional healing practices to support the health of the mind, body and spirit. Dr Sohel Saikat, WHO Senior Advisor on Primary Health Care, echoed Ms Camacho’s  perspective and argued that traditional medicine has the potential to strengthen essential public health functions, extending the reach of health services by strengthening trust, cultural legitimacy and community engagement.  For example, Dr Saikat highlighted the role of traditional practitioners in health promotion, prevention, risk communication, early detection and referral, and called for formal two-way referral and learning systems between traditional practitioners and primary health care providers to strengthen prevention, surveillance and health system resilience.  Researcher Amie Steel from Southern Cross University highlighted growing evidence that traditional medicine practitioners already play an important role in preventive health by supporting behaviour change, health literacy and healthy lifestyles. She described these practitioners as an under-recognized public health resource and called for stronger evidence, greater investment and more inclusive research ecosystems that bring together researchers, practitioners, traditional knowledge holders, Indigenous healers and communities as equal partners in generating evidence and informing policy.  Throughout the discussion, a common theme emerged: resilient health systems depend not only on services and technologies, but also on trust, culture, community participation and respect for diverse knowledge systems. Speakers stressed that traditional medicine can make meaningful contributions to prevention, primary health care, mental well-being and community resilience when supported by robust evidence, effective regulation and respectful collaboration across sectors.  The session concluded with a clear call to move from recognizing traditional medicine as valuable in and of itself, to integrating it fully within national health-care systems. Participants agreed this will depend on strengthening evidence, fostering innovation, protecting Indigenous knowledge, promoting equity and building effective partnerships between traditional, public health and biomedical systems. Together, these efforts can help countries develop more inclusive, adaptive and resilient health systems capable of addressing current and future health challenges.

Global Leaders Gather in Armenia to Boost Biodiversity Conservation Efforts - Yerevan, Armenia: With the 2030 deadline for biodiversity targets fast approaching, global leaders, indigenous communities, and stakeholders have convened ... Get Latest News on International only on lokmattimes.com

According to two new UNSW studies, researchers often choose research topics based on personal preferences and cultural attitudes, including exposure to films, TV shows and even zoos, rather than attempting to fill the most pressing gaps in knowledge. The studies are published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

COP17 is the first major review of progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, that aims to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030

A study reveals that fencing feral hogs out of East Texas's Big Thicket National Preserve for seven years led to a remarkable increase in the abundance of woody plants, particularly large-seeded species like hickories, oaks, and tupelos. Discover how hog exclusion can enhance forest regeneration and biodiversity.

Every harvest season, the conversation around Indian agriculture turns to a single figure: how much grain, pulses or cotton a field has produced. What rarely enters that conversation is the far larger, unaccounted for output the same field has produced. Ecosystem services are the benefits people draw from natural and managed ecosystems

Biodiversity panel urges temporary minor bandharas on drains in Canacona to conserve water and recharge groundwater; farmers press WRD for urgent installations.

Beavers are transforming human-altered streams across Switzerland by building dams that create new habitats for aquatic wildlife. A study of 16 streams found that their activity boosted biodiversity, benefiting species such as amphibians, dragonflies, aquatic plants and plankton. However, the gains varied depending on land use and local conditions, highlighting how beavers could help restore damaged waterways beyond natural wilderness areas.

Fisheries expert B. Madhusoodana Kurup, former vice-chancellor and biodiversity researcher, dies at 71 in Kochi, leaving a legacy of coastal studies and policy work.

REPORTAGE - Hôte de la COP17, ce petit pays du Caucase possède une faune et une flore riches menacées par l’agriculture, les mines et le changement climatique. Plusieurs associations et personnalités s’impliquent pour les préserver.

Researchers have found that during the Black Death, when a third of the population of Europe was wiped out, biodiversity fell. Understanding their farming practices could help us increase diversity in modern agriculture.

For decades, the European Union has been a global leader in biodiversity protection. The Natura 2000 network, the Birds and Habitats Directives and, more

The Borocho, a retired cargo ship, has been purposefully sunk off the Florida coast to establish an artificial reef, a project concluded in November 2025. Funded by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Martin County, this initiative seeks to foster marine biodiversity and promote recreational diving opportunities, highlighting an innovative approach to environmental conservation through the repurposing of abandoned vessels.

Europe's leadership at the COP17 in Yerevan next week will depend not only on what we defend in the negotiations, but also on what we are able to implement and finance at home.

Who benefits when biological resources are used for commercial purposes? What's the role of the Nagoya Protocol in it? Following the National Biodiversity Authority’s disbursal of Rs 1.19 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism, here's all you need to know. Also, go to "Beyond the Nugget" to know the outcomes of CBD COP 15 and COP 16.