Project Workshops & Conferences
2019
Grasslands & Savannahs – neglected ecosystems? Time to act
Conference in Berlin on June 4th, 2019
Grasslands and savannahs occupy 30 % of the earth’s land surface and harbour up to a third of terrestrial biodiversity. But they are under tremendous threat and have received far less attention than forests, oceans and wetlands.
In consequence, grasslands are less well protected, disappearing more quickly, and often suffering knock-on effects when other conservation drives land-use change into grasslands instead. In Brazil for example, the Cerrado is disappearing twice as fast as the Amazon, and at present rates the whole ecosystem will disappear within a decade.
To discuss the Protection, Sustainable Management and Restoration of grasslands and savannahs representatives from 12 countries (China, Mongolia, Nepal, Australia, US, Mexico, Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon and Germany) and great speaker from UNCCD, KBA/WCS, Savory Institute and Equilibrium Research came together in Berlin.
The group exchanged experience about grassland and savannah conservation and ways for sustainable management. Expert provided an overview of status, ecosystem service, trends, threats and opportunities in these amazing habitats.
Participants agreed to try to raise the profile of these unique and beautiful ecosystems.
You find more information and all presentations here:
Nigel_Dudley_Grasslands_Savannas_around_the_World_190604
Jean_François_Timmers_Brazil_Forest_Upside_Down_190604
Baron_Joseph_Orr_UNCCD_190604
Key_Biodiversity_Areas_Programme_overview_190604
Stephan_Boehm_Savory_190604
Project Workshop on Grasslands & Savannahs
Berlin from June 5th to 7th, 2019
As a follow-up of the grasslands & savannah workshop in Berlin in June 2019, the international WWF network started a “Global Grasslands and Savannahs Initiative” to protect, manage and restore these unique ecosystems in an internationally aligned approach. The initiative has positioned savannahs into international policy frameworks, like the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework.
An IUCN Motion “010 – Protecting and restoring endangered grassland and savannah ecosystems” was handed in and accepted by Sulu jointly with other supporters https://www.iucncongress2020.org/motion/010
On March 20th, 2019 the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the Humboldt University of Berlin (HU) with the support of Fundación Horizonte Verde (FHV) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organised a workshop on community-based governance in flooded savannahs in the Municipality of Paz de Ariporo (Department of Casanare, Colombia).
2018
On May 8th, 2019 the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the Humboldt University of Berlin (HU) with the support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organised a workshop on community-based governance in the Pantanal of Paraguay (District of Bahía Negra, Department of Alto Paraguay, Paraguay).
2017
First project workshop in Berlin from September 11th to September 15th, 2017
After one year of work the first project workshop with all partners took place in Berlin in the week of September 11th – 15th, 2017. The teams from WWF Germany, Colombia and Paraguay worked together the whole week, talked about the status quo and discussed first results and upcoming activities. One day was dedicated to the partners and another to present the progress to the BMUB / IKI and other external partners.
SuLu-Project_Workshop_Overview_Colombia
SuLu-Project_Workshop_Overview_Paraguay
The workshop ended on Friday with a farm visit with Mr. Piesker, owner of the organic farm “Muri” in the biosphere reserve “Spreewald”. The farm has 1220 ha in total, 234 ha farming land, 986 ha grassland with 1006 suckler cows and is part of the WWF project “agriculture for biodiversity.
