IUCN strengthens research capacity in Africa

From the newsletter

Research has become the fastest-growing function at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), expanding by 40% over the past year, according to LinkedIn data. This is likely related to two recent research announcements by IUCN, one on the establishment of a global coral survival centre and a guideline on transboundary conservation.

• The first global Centre for Species Survival focused on corals was launched by IUCN in September 2025. The hub is co-led by Kenyan scientist David Obura from the Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean East Africa and is set to strengthen efforts to protect reefs vital to African communities and economies.

• A month later, IUCN launched a guideline that sets out strategies for countries and conservationists in Africa to create and manage connected systems that sustain transboundary conservation on the continent.

More details

• The world’s first Centre for Species Survival dedicated to corals was launched on 15 September 2025 in Tampa, Florida. The hub is created by the IUCN and The Florida Aquarium and will coordinate global action to protect reefs, with scientists from Africa, Europe and the United States shaping priorities and implementation.

• The guideline, titled Scaling Up Conservation in a Connected World, was launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi. It explores how countries can move from isolated parks to large, connected systems that sustain biodiversity and build climate resilience. 

• The publication tackles practical questions facing governments and practitioners: How big is “big enough” to maintain ecological processes? How can scaling up connectivity help meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets? And what does effective large-scale conservation look like for nature and people, especially Indigenous Peoples and local communities?

• IUCN also expanded its full-time workforce by 5% over the past year to reach 319 employees. Kenya hosts the largest share of the team with 64 employees, followed by South Africa (32) and Cameroon (30), together representing nearly 40% of the regional workforce. 

• Tanzania is the fastest-growing location, recording an 18% increase in employee numbers. Burkina Faso and Kenya also saw notable growth of 12% and 7%, respectively. In total, the workforce recorded 40 new hires and an attrition rate of 6% over the past year. 

• Business Development and Community and Social Services accounted for the highest attrition, while administrative roles showed the lowest turnover at 3%. Despite modest churn, the workforce profile remains stable, with a net loss of two employees to Texula and modest gains from Oxfam and BirdLife International.

• Average tenure among IUCN Africa staff stands at 5.3 years, with particularly high retention in Research and Human Resources, where employees average nearly 15 years. In contrast, Operations and Accounting show shorter tenures, suggesting a blend of long-serving specialists and newer recruits supporting operational expansion. The average professional experience across the workforce is 14.8 years, indicating IUCN’s senior talent base. 

Our take

• A lot of conservation organisations started as research bodies. It’s good to see this is still well funded or getting back there.

• Conservation research helps Africa to get local, accurate data on ecosystems and species and design effective interventions. Research provides evidence that guides where to act and how to measure impact.

• Research generates the data that conservationists rely on to set biodiversity targets and natural resource policies. Without local research, African countries risk depending on external models that don’t fit local contexts.