We’ve created a list of major conservation events this year

From the newsletter

For the first time in over a decade, the World Congress on Agroforestry (WCA2025) returns to Africa, with Kigali set to host its 6th edition on 20th October. Just days earlier, Cape Town will welcome the 15th International Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference (EOW2025), marking the event’s first relocation from North America since its inception.

• The WCA2025 will focus on sustainable land use under the theme “Agroforestry for People, Planet and Profit.”  while EOW2025 will address wildlife protection from oil spills, with a spotlight on the African Penguin and global response collaboration.

• The third event,  IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 will be held in Abu Dhabi from 9th October, focusing on “Powering Transformative Conservation” through a hybrid format that unites global actors in biodiversity and climate action.

More details

• The 6th World Congress on Agroforestry (WCA2025) will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 20 to 24 October 2025. Organised by the International Union for Agroforestry in collaboration with Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment, this global event follows the 2022 congress in Québec, Canada. WCA2025 aims to highlight Africa’s increasing leadership in sustainable land use and agroecological innovation while fostering inclusive dialogue on global agroforestry priorities.

• Under the theme “Agroforestry for People, Planet and Profit,” the congress will examine how trees can enhance farmer incomes, support climate action, and contribute to resilient landscapes. Through panels, workshops, and field visits, WCA2025 will showcase both African and global solutions that link productivity with sustainability, while presenting Rwanda’s restoration agenda to hundreds of participants from research, policy, investment and community sectors.

• The 15th International Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference (EOW2025) will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 13 to 17 October 2025, marking the first time the event is held in Africa. This decision reflects a strategic effort to raise awareness of the conservation crisis facing the Critically Endangered African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) and to engage a broader global network of practitioners, particularly from Africa and the Global South.

• EOW2025 is co-hosted by the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, a Delaware-based organisation with decades of experience in responding to oil spills affecting wildlife. The conference will gather experts from wildlife rehabilitation, marine ecology, oil spill response, industry and government to share best practices in emergency treatment, long-term recovery and policy development.

• The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 will take place in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 October, marking the first fully hybrid edition of the event. Under the theme “Powering Transformative Conservation,” the congress will convene global experts, Indigenous leaders, and policymakers to promote bold action on biodiversity, climate, and environmental governance across five key thematic areas that will shape the future of conservation.