Welcome to the latest edition of Global Nature Beat. If you are new here, read my About page to find out what this newsletter is, who I am and why I am doing this. Or just dive in. You’ll find news, reporting resources, job postings, links to some great stories and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the world of biodiversity and nature policy.
Taking The Pulse
Forest loss: The world remains off track to meet the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest loss, according to data released last week by the University of Maryland and made available on the World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch platform. It shows that 3.7 million hectares of primary tropical forest were lost last year — the equivalent of ten football pitches every minute. Deforestation rates fell significantly in Brazil and Colombia but there were big increases in Bolivia, Indonesia, Laos and Nicaragua. Outside of the tropics, fire was the major cause of forest loss, particularly in Canada which lost five times more forest to flames than in 2022. Read the press release or WRI’s analysis.
Courts and climate: On 9 April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland has breached the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to implement adequate action on climate change. The ruling is binding and could affect legal action in another 45 European countries. See reaction from the Center for International Environmental Law and this detailed analysis on x.com by Seb Duyck. The decision follows a recent ruling by India’s Supreme Court that an individual’s constitutional ‘right to life’ includes rights to a healthy environment and to protection from the adverse effects of climate change.
UN Ocean Decade Conference: The UN Ocean Decade Conference takes place this week (10-12 April) in Barcelona, Spain. The conference focuses on ocean science in support of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 14 on life below water. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin has a preview and daily coverage of the conference here.
In The Spotlight
Musinguzi Blanshe investigated how timber worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been trafficked from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda over the past two decades.
Fred Pearce reports on plans by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to develop luxury resorts on the delta of Europe’s ‘last wild river’.
Low Choon Chyuan reported on an oil palm plantation in Peninsular Malaysia that has harmed local people, released vast amounts of carbon, increased human-elephant conflict and yielded minimal amounts of palm oil — while enriching those who sell the felled timber.
Boyce Upholt reports on the libertarian, anti-federalist and conspiracy-tinged movement of private landowners opposing the US policy of protecting 30 percent of land for nature by 2030.
Soil isn’t sexy but it should be. Phoebe Weston reports that the UK earthworm population has fallen by a third over the past 25 years raising concerns about soil health and food security.
Tips And Resources
Bangor University is live-streaming a symposium on 17-18 April on links between the health of people and nonhuman primates in the tropics — to register, follow the link in the programme.
On 11 April, Covering Climate Now and Climate Action Against Disinformation are holding a press briefing on climate disinformation; the speakers are Ketan Joshi, Phil Newell, Dharna Noor and Amy Westervelt — register here.
David Obura, chair of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is giving a talk on balancing nature, economy and society on 12 April — register here to attend online.
If you missed last week’s annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists, you can watch recordings of the opening plenary (on the role of climate change in this year’s US election) or the closing plenary (on the future of environmental journalism).
See past editions for more tips and resources.
What Caught My Eye
A court in Indonesia has jailed an environmentalist for raising concerns about illegal shrimp farms, reports Basten Gokkon.
Vietnam intercepted 1.6 tonnes of elephant ivory being trafficked from Nigeria — As Justin Gosling of the Environmental Investigation Agency explains, these two countries are currently the main hubs for illegal wildlife trade.
Mexican scientists Rodrigo Medellin and Jorge Soberón say plans to subsume the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) into the country’s environment ministry will be disastrous.
Iran has freed four cheetah conservationists who have spent five years in prison after being convicted on espionage charges.
Jonathan Lambert interviewed Sabrina Imbler about their recent in-depth story exploring the ethics of de-extinction.
Just six percent of national park land in England and Wales is managed effectively for nature, reports Patrick Barkham.
The bioeconomy will not save the Amazon, says Ricardo Hausmann.
Rebecca L. Root wrote about threats to the Mekong River’s fish, including a stingray (photographed) that is bigger than my dining table.
Dolgormaa Sandagdorj and Odonchimeg Batsukh report on the illegal harvesting of cedar nuts in Mongolia where nut collectors use huge hammers that damage the trees.
The compendium of forgotten foods in Africa identifies 100 healthy food crops that are underused and neglected by research.
The Europeans podcast has a good interview with journalist Zia Weise about the chaos surrounding approval of the EU Nature Restoration Law.
Conservation scientists in South Africa praise the government’s plans to use biodiversity to generate money through the sustainable use of wildlife.
From The Journals
In case you missed it, my latest round-up of new research included papers on: Scientists’ urgent call. Mining threat to apes. Costs of invasives. Polycrisis knowledge gaps. Ecotourism emissions. Canadian pollinators. And much more... Read the summaries here.
Can You Help?
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Jobs And Opportunities
Mongabay is hiring a wire reporter and a staff writer for West and Central Africa — no deadline listed.
Climate Tracker invites applications for its Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship — deadline 22 April.
The Earth Journalism Network has story grants for journalists covering biodiversity and conservation — deadline 5 May.
The John M. Collier Award for Forest History Journalism is open for entries — deadline 15 May.
The eleventh annual Yale Environment 360 Film Contest is now accepting entries — deadline 20 May.
Bonus content: There are 39 jobs, grants, fellowships and other opportunities listed here for Global Nature Beat’s paying supporters. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week. A free seven-day trial is available.
On The Horizon
15-17 April 2024: The 9th Our Ocean Conference takes place in Athens, Greece.
15-19 April 2024: The Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is holding a dialogue on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and a workshop on Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, for Caribbean countries. Both take place in Georgetown, Guyana.
15-26 April 2024: The 23rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues takes place in New York City, United States.
17-21 April 2024: The International Journalism Festival takes place in Perugia, Italy.
22-23 April 2024: The Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference takes place in Bhutan.
23-29 April 2024: The International Negotiating Committee developing a treaty to address plastic pollution will hold its fourth of five negotiating sessions, in Ottawa, Canada.
Bonus content: The full calendar for The Nature Beat’s supporters includes 57 nature-related intergovernmental negotiations, scientific conferences, report launches, and other events up until 2026. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week. A free seven-day trial is available.
Whose Eye Was It?
The eye belongs to a colobus monkey. Photo credit: Eric Kilby / Flickr — Creative Commons
Thanks for reading. For past editions, see the Archive. If you found it interesting or useful, please share and subscribe. If you want to get in contact, you can reach me at: thenaturebeat@substack.com.