Exclusive Interview with the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Interviewed by Raghida Haddad, Editor-in-Chief of Al Hima Magazine
Dr. Grethel Aguilar of Costa Rica has served as Director-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2023, leading the world’s oldest and largest environmental network, with members, experts, and offices across the globe. Throughout her career, she has contributed to the development of environmental laws and policies in collaboration with governments, local communities, and civil society organizations. Through field-based initiatives, she has supported communities in gaining access to clean water, advanced environmental justice, strengthened Indigenous peoples’ rights to their natural resources, and promoted gender equality in environmental governance.
In this exclusive interview with Al Hima magazine, Dr. Aguilar reflects on IUCN’s ambitious agenda and shares her vision for the future of biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and the power of partnerships in protecting nature.
- As the Director General of IUCN, what do you see as the most pressing global conservation challenges today, and how is IUCN uniquely positioned to address them?
Today’s greatest challenges – climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and the accelerating degradation of ecosystems – are deeply interconnected. They are driven by unsustainable economic systems and escalating inequities. What makes this moment especially urgent is that we are reaching ecological tipping points that could become irreversible, and in many ways, we have yet to realise just how interconnected we are – how our own survival, prosperity and health are intrinsically linked to the health of this planet.
At a time when the world is increasingly divided, these crises remind us that nature does not recognise borders. No country, community, or sector can respond alone. We need renewed solidarity, shared responsibility, and cooperation across political, cultural, and economic divides. Only by working together can we restore balance, safeguard our planet’s life-support systems, and ensure a just and sustainable future for all.
We are also expanding our work to support countries in accessing and deploying finance for nature, +strengthening capacity for conservation planning, and building partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities whose stewardship is essential for long-term resilience. Increasingly, we are helping bridge the gap between global policy processes—such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement—and the needs of people on the ground by providing evidence, monitoring systems, and implementation support.
IUCN is uniquely positioned to meet the pressing challenges of today, because we unite governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, scientists, and the private sector. This model of inclusive governance allows us to generate consensus-based standards, credible science, and practical guidance that countries can implement. By working across sectors and across scales – at local, regional and international levels – we help translate global ambition into action on the ground, through science-based, nature-centric solutions.
- You have served as IUCN’s Acting Director General multiple times and were officially appointed in 2023. How has your approach to leadership evolved during your tenure?
Each tenure deepened my understanding of what shared leadership truly means. IUCN is a diverse and global Union; leadership requires humility, empathy, and a commitment to listening. Over the years, I have focused on strengthening collaboration, clarity of purpose, and ensuring that all voices are heard – from Indigenous peoples to the youth, to women and local communities across the regions.
My leadership today is more deliberate in building resilient teams, creating safe spaces for innovation, and ensuring that our decisions reflect the voice of our Members and partners. IUCN is also privileged to count with 19,000 experts around the world, so being a Director General of IUCN is not a solo act. It is an opportunity to coordinate voices, knowledge and commitments, and more importantly, it is a process of constant learning. I believe leadership must inspire trust – and that trust is built by consistency, transparency, and shared values.
- The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi centred on “ .” What do you see as the most significant outcome?
The Congress reaffirmed that incremental progress is no longer enough. The most important outcome was a clear, collective commitment to systemic change. We are proud to have adopted the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, that lays out a bold roadmap for urgent, collective action.
I can summarise the five key pillars as follows:
Reaffirm nature as foundational — Protect, restore, and conserve biodiversity as essential not only for ecosystems but for human health, well-being, culture, livelihoods and development. Support local custodians, Indigenous peoples and community-led initiatives.
Strengthen multilateral cooperation — Promote effective, cooperative governance across borders and sectors, ensuring that international law, policy, and collective action consistently integrate nature across climate, development, trade, and environmental agendas.
Ensure justice and inclusive participation — Embed fairness, equity, and human rights at the core of conservation: empower women, youth, Indigenous peoples, local communities, and environmental defenders. Promote inclusive decision-making across all levels.
Advance knowledge, innovation, and education — Combine rigorous science, traditional ecological knowledge, and innovative technologies. Invest in research, capacity-building, citizen science and education to underpin effective, evidence-based conservation.
Scale up resources for nature and climate action — Mobilise and align financial, technical, and human resources for nature-positive, climate-resilient economies: redirect harmful subsidies; invest in restoration, protection, and sustainable development; support community-led conservation.
We emerged from Congress with stronger mandates for nature-based solutions, clearer pathways to achieve 30×30, and a surge of new partnerships bridging conservation, technology, and the private sector. The Congress demonstrated that the global community is ready to move from discussion to transformative implementation.
Our Members also voted for the adoption of the IUCN Strategic Vision and Programme. More than just strategic frameworks, the Unite for Nature on the Path to 2045: A 20-year Strategic Vision for the Union and the Nature 2030: One nature, one future – The IUCN Programme 2026-2029 are a shared roadmap for the future.
- How did hosting the Congress in a major energy-producing nation like the UAE influence discussions around climate and nature transitions?
Holding the Congress in the UAE brought essential voices to the table – those from the energy sector, financial institutions, and rapidly growing economies. It encouraged frank dialogues about the scale of transition required and the need for innovation, accountability, and partnership.
It also highlighted that energy-producing nations can and must be part of the global shift to nature-positive, low-carbon economies. The UAE’s leadership in restoration, protected areas, and clean energy provided important examples of what such transitions can look like.
For example, the Arabian oryx, once extinct in the wild, was restored in the UAE through visionary breeding and reintroduction programs. Today, thousands roam protected reserves, supported by local communities and linked to the nation’s heritage. This recovery also reflects wider stewardship of wetlands and nature, showing how species revival strengthens cultural identity and ecological balance across the Arab world.
- The Arab region faces unique environmental challenges. How is IUCN adapting its strategies, and what initiatives stand out?
Water scarcity, land degradation, and coastal pressures require tailored, locally driven solutions. IUCN is working closely with regional partners to strengthen adaptive water governance, restore drylands, protect marine ecosystems, and build resilience in communities most affected by climate impacts. We want to build solutions with our partners, not for them – listening carefully to what their needs are is key.
One successful initiative is our collaboration on protected and conserved areas – expanding coverage, strengthening management effectiveness, and promoting nature-based solutions that address both ecological and socio-economic needs. Our work with national governments, NGOs, and local communities has led to advances in sustainable rangeland management, wetland restoration, and coastal protection.
In addition, we are investing in knowledge generation and capacity strengthening through regional hubs, training programmes, and partnerships with universities and research centres. These efforts help equip local practitioners and decision-makers with the tools they need—from ecosystem assessment methodologies to community-led conservation models.
A standout feature of IUCN’s approach in the region is our emphasis on elevating Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and youth as essential partners. By building their leadership and ensuring they have a voice in decision-making, we help create conservation outcomes that are rooted in local priorities and more sustainable over time.
- The Hima model received strong recognition at the Congress. How can it serve as a template for other regions?
The Hima is a powerful example of how traditional knowledge and modern conservation science can reinforce one another. Rooted in community stewardship and shared responsibility, it offers a governance model where conservation benefits both nature and people.
Its success demonstrates that global targets can only be achieved when communities are empowered, rights are respected, and local knowledge guides decision-making. Many of us around the world can learn from the Hima model’s combination of ecological integrity, social cohesion, and cultural heritage.
IUCN supports Hima models by recognizing them as community-led conservation systems that align with global biodiversity goals, empowering local stewardship while protecting nature and cultural heritage. Through its Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA), IUCN works with partners like the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) to strengthen and scale Hima sites across Lebanon, Jordan, and the Gulf. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Hima was showcased as a model that connects cultural heritage with biodiversity conservation, strengthening community identity while protecting ecosystems.
- Given your background in environmental law, what are the biggest obstacles to enforcing states’ obligations, and how can the global community overcome them?
The only way to conserve nature is with a rights-based approach to conservation. This includes consultations and participatory procedures – to make the voices of the many count. Environmental Law needs to be linked with Human Rights particularly those related to life, health and culture.
The main obstacles are insufficient political will, inconsistent implementation, and gaps between national laws and international commitments. Limited financial and technical capacities further impede progress, especially in vulnerable countries.
To overcome this, we need stronger monitoring systems, more equitable financing, and clearer accountability frameworks. International cooperation must support states, helping build capacity, strengthen institutions, and create incentives for compliance. Civil society and Indigenous Peoples must also be fully included, as they are often most affected by environmental changes, and play a crucial implementation role.
I want to stress what IUCN said when we addressed the International Court of Justice for the Advisory Opinion on Climate Change – climate change threatens fundamental human rights: life, food, water, health. States’ duty to protect the climate system arises not just under climate-change treaties but from the full corpus of international law: customary international law, human-rights law, environmental law (including the law of the sea), and treaty law.
- Can you provide examples of successful nature-based solutions that balance conservation with human well-being?
We have seen powerful examples across the world:
- Mangrove restoration in Asia and the Middle East reducing coastal erosion while supporting fisheries and livelihoods.
- Forest landscape restoration in Latin America and Africa boosting biodiversity, water security, and rural employment.
- Rangeland management programmes in the Arab region improving soil fertility and supporting pastoralist communities.
In every case, these solutions succeed because they recognise that nature and people are interconnected.
- How is IUCN ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ knowledge and rights are embedded in conservation policy?
This is central to our mission. IUCN supports rights-based conservation, and we work to integrate Indigenous and local leadership into policy frameworks, protected area governance, and international processes.
We promote the respect of traditional knowledge, Free, Prior and Informed Consent, strengthening community land tenure, and ensuring that our standards – such as the Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions – embed social equity. Indigenous organisations sit within our Union structure, ensuring their voices shape the direction of global conservation.
Conservation cannot be successful in the long term without the involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples.
- You champion gender equality. What initiatives are you leading to bridge the gender gap in conservation?
We are strengthening gender-responsive policies across all IUCN programmes and supporting countries to implement the Gender Action Plan under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
IUCN is also investing in leadership training for women environmental defenders, supporting women in restoration and green economy initiatives, and ensuring gender data informs conservation planning. When women lead, conservation outcomes are stronger and more sustainable.
- How do you engage with young people and the next generation of conservationists?
Young people are not future leaders – they are leaders today. IUCN works with youth networks globally, providing platforms for participation in decision-making, supporting youth-led projects, and integrating young experts into our Commissions. We also have the IUCN Youth Strategy 2022-2030 which you can learn more about online.
At the Congress, youth voices shaped debates on climate risk, finance, and nature-based solutions. Their creativity, courage, and energy give me tremendous hope.
- What gives you optimism in the face of the global environmental crisis?
The science is clear and the challenges immense – but so is the momentum for change. I am inspired by communities protecting their lands, young people mobilising for climate action, governments adopting ambitious commitments having positive impact on the ground, and the private sector beginning to shift its priorities.
Most of all, I am optimistic because nature is resilient and we humans have the power to achieve great results when working together. When given space and protection, nature recovers. If we act decisively now, we can still shape a future where people and nature thrive together.
- What do you hope will be your lasting legacy as Director General of IUCN?
I hope to be remembered for strengthening the unity and influence of the Union, for amplifying the voices of communities and Indigenous Peoples, and for ensuring that equity, science, and rights-based approaches remain at the heart of conservation.
If I have helped build a more inclusive, more effective, and more compassionate global conservation movement, then I will consider my legacy fulfilled.
