From commitments to action: Celebrating biodiversity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Each year, on 22 May, the world observes the International Day for Biological Diversity, a moment to reflect on the vital role biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth. The 2025 theme, Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development, highlights how healthy ecosystems underpin human well-being, prosperity, and resilience.

Photo: Camp Alatoo

This year’s campaign draws attention to the critical connection between the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). At its core is the recognition that addressing poverty, improving health and education, and achieving equitable growth are not possible without thriving ecosystems.

How IUCN supports biodiversity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia?

IUCN’s efforts in the region span species conservation, landscape restoration, transboundary cooperation, and supporting national biodiversity reporting. Its global programme, Nature 2030, is fully aligned with the GBF and SDGs, focusing on halting biodiversity loss and restoring ecosystems. Knowledge products such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, and the Global Ecosystem Typology help countries measure progress and plan effective conservation.

The IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia also serves as a CBD technical cooperation centre, created to help countries implement the GBF through tailored, region-specific solutions. Since 2017, IUCN has hosted the Biodiversity Task Force of the Western Balkans (BDTF WB), showcasing the power of regional collaboration to strengthen biodiversity policy and drive sustainable development.

As a Union of governments, civil society, and experts, IUCN is working across the region to support conservation, improve biodiversity governance, and scale up Nature-based Solutions. We are taking you on a journey showcasing some of the recent Union’s efforts.

The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica), assessed as Vulnerable (VU) per the IUCN Red List

Photo: Zapovedniks Ecocentre

Photo: Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC)

Photo: Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Preserving Sturgeons in the Black Sea Watershed

Photo: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

The Critically Endangered (CR) Balkan Lynx (Lynx lynx ssp. balcanicus)

Photo: Balkan Lynx recovery program

Celebrating Biodiversity Day in Uzbekistan over the years

Photo: UNDP

Photo: Camp Alatoo

Photo: Zapovedniks Ecocentre

Exploring and protecting biodiversity in North Macedonia with iNaturalist

Photo: iNaturalist (screenshot)

Strengthening Persian leopard conservation in Armenia

Since its first camera-trap sighting in 2013, the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana), Endangered on the IUCN Red List, has become a conservation symbol in Armenia’s Caucasus Wildlife Refuge (CWR). Managed by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), the refuge was established in 2010 to protect fragile ecosystems and restore key migratory corridors for large carnivores. FPWC’s community-based conservation model has helped secure vital habitats for at least seven individual leopards, enabling movement between protected areas in Armenia and neighboring countries, critical for genetic diversity and species resilience. One resident male, known as Neo, regularly traverses CWR and the Khosrov Forest State Reserve, affirming the area’s importance. FPWC continues to expand habitat protection, restore corridors, and advocate for policy recognition of privately protected areas like CWR.

Annual school competitions in Georgia

The Niko Ketskhoveli Prize, established in 2016 with funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation, is an annual environmental school competition in Georgia. Through this initiative led by the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), eco clubs earn points by undertaking activities that protect and enhance local ecosystems. The program educates students about biodiversity's critical importance while encouraging hands-on projects that benefit both nature and communities. Each year, the competition adopts a different theme aligned with the SDGs. The 2025 focus is Biodiversity and Protected Areas, inspiring schools to engage in peer education, species conservation, clean-up campaigns, tree planting, and community advocacy efforts to support local biodiversity.

Protecting puffins in the Russian Arctic

To promote responsible wildlife tourism and safeguard one of the Arctic’s most charismatic seabirds, new guidelines for observing the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica), Vulnerable globally per the IUCN Red List, have been developed and distributed to over 70 travel agencies operating in Russia’s Arctic regions. The initiative, led by the "Protected Areas Embassy" charity fund, the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve, and the Zapovedniks Ecocentre, aims to minimise human disturbance in sensitive puffin habitats such as the Ainovy Islands. In addition to the tourism guidelines, camera traps have been installed to monitor puffin behaviour, alongside ongoing scientific research. These efforts help protect one of the region’s key puffin colonies, ensuring these iconic birds remain part of Arctic biodiversity for generations to come.

Preserving sturgeons in the Black Sea Watershed

Sturgeons - ancient icons of freshwater biodiversity - are surviving in the Black Sea basin, but unfortunately in very diminished numbers and with only a few remaining spawning habitats. Conservation efforts across the region aim to reverse their decline through a combination of community engagement, scientific research, and technological innovation through the IUCN Save Our Species Sturgeons initiative. In Georgia, Fauna & Flora International, supported by La Prairie Group AG, is enhancing sturgeon monitoring systems and increasing local engagement with fishers to reduce poaching. Parallel efforts by Tamar Beridze, with support from the Fondation Segré Conservation Action Fund, employ a mix of population genetics, species identification, and acoustic telemetry (AT) to better understand sturgeon migration and habitat use.

Improving ecological conditions for the Balkan Lynx

The Critically Endangered Balkan Lynx (Lynx lynx ssp. balcanicus) continues to face mounting pressure from habitat degradation in its core range across the Western Balkans. Insufficient protection within some designated areas has failed to prevent forest degradation, further threatening the survival of this elusive and iconic species. To support habitat recovery and improve landscape connectivity, targeted Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts are underway in Bukovikj (North Macedonia) and Pashtrik-Morina (Albania), covering approximately 40 hectares of degraded forest. These interventions are implemented by the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), Protection and Preservation of Environment in Albania (PPNEA), and IUCN.

Celebrating Biodiversity Day in Uzbekistan over the years

From interactive games to creative contests, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan and UNDP Uzbekistan are regularly celebrating the Biodiversity Day with growing enthusiasm and youth engagement. In 2023, the “Biodiversity Express” brought together over 100 participants, mainly students, for a biodiversity-themed competition. The event featured stations on clean energy, wetlands, desertification, and climate change, combining short presentations with quiz-based learning. In 2024 participants learned about Uzbekistan’s progress under the GBF, while a drawing contest for schoolchildren inspired creative expressions of biodiversity protection. In 2025, a CBD knowledge-based game will bring students, experts, and NGOs together to highlight national conservation efforts, combining education, competition, and shared commitment to nature.

New digital game engages youth in snow leopard conservation

The board game Saving the Snow Leopard and Its Habitat is now available online, expanding access across Central Asia and beyond. Originally developed in 2018 to promote wildlife and ecosystem protection, the game was digitised with support from the project Adaptation of Mammals to Climate Change in Central Asia and tested by CAMP Alatoo Public Foundation. Players take on roles such as hunters, tourists, and community members to collect cooperation cards and create a “quiet zone” where the snow leopard can thrive. A moderator guides the game, enhancing interactivity and strategic thinking. By combining education and entertainment, the game fosters a deeper understanding of biodiversity conservation and the importance of collaboration in protecting fragile ecosystems.

Rare Bird Sightings in Primorye

Two of Primorye’s rarest bird species - the Cinnamon Sparrow (Passer rutilans) and the Japanese Thrush (Turdus cardis) - have been recorded for the first time in a decade within the Far Eastern Marine Reserve. Both sightings occurred on Bolshoy Pelis Island, a strictly protected area in the south of the region. The presence of these rare species highlights the positive impact of long-term conservation measures. The protection of this island’s natural habitats continues to support biodiversity and provide a critical refuge for rare and sensitive wildlife. Such rare sightings underscore the importance of strict protection and long-term monitoring in safeguarding avian diversity in the face of global change.

Exploring and protecting biodiversity in North Macedonia with iNaturalist

From the serene springs of Vevčanski Izvori to the green corridors of Skopje, local communities are using the iNaturalist platform to document and celebrate biodiversity. Located on the slopes of Mount Jablanica, the Natural Monument “Vevčanski Izvori” spans 1,370 hectares and hosts diverse flora and fauna, while Skopje’s parks, riverbanks, and surrounding hills are home to surprising biodiversity in an urban setting. By uploading photos of plants, animals, fungi, and insects, citizen scientists are helping researchers monitor species, track environmental changes, and support conservation efforts. This initiative of Eko-svest fosters a deeper connection with nature and empowers everyone to contribute to safeguarding North Macedonia’s natural heritage.

Jutta Benzenberg

Biodiversity is life’s safety net. By protecting nature, we invest in our own resilience.

Biodiversity for a sustainable future

The GBF’s ambitious mission, to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, as well as the SDGs can only be achieved through collaborative partnerships, transparent monitoring, and broad societal engagement. Biodiversity is not just an environmental concern; it is a foundation for peace, prosperity, and resilience.

As we mark International Day for Biological Diversity 2025, IUCN calls on governments, communities, businesses, and individuals to act with urgency and ambition for biodiversity in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and beyond. Together, we can forge a future in harmony with nature, where ecosystems are healthy, economies are inclusive, and development is truly sustainable.

Let’s unite for nature – join us!

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