Nature and climate security: Reframing conservation in a changing world

This panel will bring together activists, practitioners and experts across the Asia-Pacific region to explore the continued relevance of nature and conservation in addressing today’s interconnected climate and security challenges. At the heart of national security and prosperity is a thriving and secure ecosystem. The threat and disproportionate impacts of biodiversity loss, however, is not limited to national borders – research shows that between 1970-2020, wildlife populations have declined by 73% worldwide.
In a highly connected world, growth and increasing demands, such as food production, results in increasingly scarce resources and over-exploitation, fuelling greater conflicts within and between countries, political instability, intensified natural disasters, disease outbreaks and economic insecurity. There remains the question, however, whether environmental degradation is a driver of these threats or simply a multiplier of already existing risks. 
At the same time conservationists argue that catastrophising biodiversity loss threatens perceptions around the value of conservation. The Asia-Pacific region indeed has many such examples where species loss has been reverted. As we examine both perspectives and engage in a candid discussion on how to mitigate the challenges around climate change and nature loss, join us at the FCCT clubhouse to hear from:

Veerawit Tianchainan, executive director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia;

Juliana Masseloux, programme coordinator, Zoological Society of London – Thailand; 

Paritta Wangkiat, editor-in-chief, Mekong Eye.

Further speakers to be confirmed.

Moderator: Matthew Perkins, economic affairs officer, Sustainable Urban Development Section, Environment and Development Division, ESCAP.

The event will be open to all, with the discussion followed by a drinks reception.