Beijing Time: 21:00 – 22:30, Wednesday, February 15, 2022Eastern Time (US): 08:00 – 09:30, Wednesday, February 15, 2022

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James N. Levitt, Director of Land and Water Conservation Programs, Lincoln Institute of Land PolicyLiu Shenmin, Asia Representative, International Land Conservation Network (ILCN), Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Chen Yunzhu, Senior Program Officer, Global Environmental Institute (GEI)Giovanni Soliman Bete Reyes, Chair, Philippine ICCA ConsortiumMelissa Junaidi Payne, Deputy Director, Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP

In December 2022, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) adopted the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A core target of this framework calls for conserving 30 percent of the planet’s land, coastal areas and inland waters by 2030 (the 30×30 goal). Across Asia, conservation practitioners have rolled out diverse on-the-ground initiatives to advance this target. This webinar will present an overview of grassroots and community land conservation efforts across Asia, with a special focus on Southeast Asia, alongside real-world case studies from various subregions. The panelists will also share their experience on partnering with local Indigenous communities and non-governmental organizations to deliver the 30×30 conservation target.

Chen Yunzhu serves as Senior Program Officer for Ecological Conservation and Community Development at the Global Environmental Institute (GEI) based in Chaoyang District, Beijing. She holds multidisciplinary expertise covering wildlife and plant conservation, protected area management and biodiversity governance. She also acts as the lead coordinator of the East and Southeast Asia Community Conservation Network, driving the development and implementation of projects including mangrove conservation, community participation schemes and rural renewable energy initiatives.She earned her undergraduate degree in Marine Science from Hainan University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto, Canada. Prior to joining GEI, she worked as a Conservation Specialist at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), an environmental NGO in Ontario, Canada, before taking up the role of Field Project Assistant at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

Giovanni Soliman Bete Reyes is a Kankanaey Igorot born in Sagada, a mountainous province in the northern Cordillera Highlands of Luzon, the Philippines. As Chair of the Philippine Indigenous and Community Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCA) Consortium, he brought together 16 Indigenous communities as its member groups.Giovanni is a key member of the GEF High-Level Working Group on Global Biodiversity Financing Needs, the Global ICCA Consortium, and a founding member of the East and Southeast Asia Community Conservation Network. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the Philippine State University, and advocates rights-based conservation as the most effective approach to biodiversity protection.

Melissa Junaidi Payne is a Sabahan based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and Deputy Director of the Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP). She has over 11 years of experience in environmental consulting and planning, with extensive expertise in natural resource management and conservation governance.Melissa has led a wide range of environmental impact assessments, governmental research programs and private-sector planning projects focused on biodiversity and water resources in Sabah, Malaysia, and possesses rich experience in multi-stakeholder coordination and engagement. Currently, she leads SEARRP’s work on scientific outreach, policy advocacy and capacity building through government collaboration, grassroots partnerships and environmental education initiatives. Most recently, she has participated in a GEF Small Grants project exploring Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in Malaysia and their implications for national conservation policies and planning frameworks.

Vol. 8 Nature Conservation Series: Understanding OECMs – New Models of Collaborative Conservation in AustraliaVol. 7 Nature Conservation Series: Land Conservation, Human Health and WellbeingVol. 6 Nature Conservation Series: Symbiosis – Incentive Mechanisms in Environmental Governance & Freshwater Ecosystem RestorationVol. 5 Nature Conservation Series: Global Survey of Conservation Finance & Legal Instruments for Private Land Protection in the EUVol. 4 Nature Conservation Series: Linking Universities with Land Trusts & Environmental Protection in Commercial AgricultureVol. 3 Nature Conservation Series: Experience Sharing and Collaborative Leadership for Large Protected Areas; Environmental Policy Tools Under Common and Civil Law SystemsVol. 2 Nature Conservation: ILCN Earth Day Online ConferenceVol. 1 Nature Conservation Series: Developing Standards and Guidelines for Private Protected Areas; Discussion on Comprehensive Conservation Challenges in the 21st Century