News Blog

Regional Sustainability Network (RSN) Annual Gathering 2025 / Pre-COP30  Date: 29th September – 2nd October 2025 Venue: Maanzoni Lodge, Kenya Theme: Bridging Regions, Building Synergies: RSN–MENA Collective Path to Climate Resilience 1. Background The Regional Sustainability Network (RSN), an initiative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), convened its 2025 Annual Gathering in Kenya as part of preparations for COP30. The event brought together regional representatives from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions under the Global Project for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC). The gathering provided a unique platform for dialogue, peer learning, and strategic alignment on climate action priorities in the lead-up to global negotiations. Participants included climate practitioners, researchers, civil society leaders, and...

How can we keep global warming below 1.5°C? That was the challenge tackled by participants during the Online Climate Action Simulation: “How Do We Build a Net Zero World?”, hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Namibia under the Global Project for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC). Facilitated by Viktor Jósa, Co-founder and Partnerships Manager at the Proteus Foundation (Hungary) and En-ROADS Climate Ambassador, the interactive session transformed participants into world leaders, energy executives, and climate activists negotiating urgent solutions for the planet. Using the En-ROADS Climate Action Simulator, developed by Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, participants explored the impact of various climate policies—from renewable energy and carbon pricing to sustainable land use—testing in real time...

The eBird and Merlin Asia Meeting took place on 28–29 October in Songdo, Republic of Korea, bringing together key partners from across the Flyways - East Asian-Australasian and Central Asian Flyways. Dr Bernhard Seliger and Dr Hyun-Ah Choi of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Korea participated alongside partners, including Nature Foundation, Wildlife Science and Conservation Centre of Mongolia, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, and Birds Korea. The meeting aimed to strengthen regional collaboration for bird conservation and enhance knowledge exchange across Asia. To date, more than 2.3 billion bird records have been collected through eBird, the world’s largest citizen-science platform, accounting for over half of all known biodiversity data. While the first billion observations took until 2021, the second billion were...

On October 14, the workshop “Global Flyways, the Emerging Central Asian Flyway Initiative and Conserving Habitat” took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Organized by the Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea under the Global Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC) program, in collaboration with the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), the workshop focused on the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and its significance for Kazakhstan. The final part of the day emphasized opportunities for collaboration across the Central Asian region, underscoring the shared consensus that regional cooperation is essential for effective conservation. The event opened with welcoming remarks from Marina Koshkina (Strategic Partnership Coordinator, ACBK), H.E. Matthias Kiesler (Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Almaty), Sergey Sklyarenko...

"Global Flyways, the Emerging Central Asian Flyway Initiative, and Habitat Conservation" 📆 Date: Tuesday, 14 October 2025 🕓 Time: 10:00 – 17:00 (Almaty time, GMT +6) 🗣 Language: English We are pleased to invite you to this international event, focusing on the protection of migratory birds along global flyways and the growing importance of the Central Asian Flyway Initiative. Together with experts from science, conservation, and international organizations, we will discuss strategies to preserve critical habitats and strengthen cross-border cooperation. 👉 How to Participate: Register via the following link or simply scan the QR code: 🔗 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ado4jy0FScu-oSxGn6QZMw We look forward to welcoming you to this important exchange!

COP30, indigenous territories, and national elections: fertile ground for climate change work in Bolivia The Bolivian context towards 2025 presented a challenging scenario in environmental terms, where multiple elements, actors, and processes converge to create fertile ground for work on climate change. Amid a dynamic political and social climate, spaces for dialogue and consultation are opening up where different voices are building collective responses to the country's environmental problems. Within this framework, the Hanns Seidel Foundation, in strategic alliance with the Bolivian Platform on Climate Change (PBFCC), a national network that brings together more than 55 civil society organizations and institutions, has developed a capacity-building process through the Road to COP30 Program aimed at PBFCC members. Face-to-face meeting of the Road...

We are excited to share that one of Think Global network members, Northlight Green Services (NGS) from Uganda, is featured in the latest issue of the HSF's newsletter 'Global Perspectives'. NGS is a non-profit organisation working in northern Uganda, particularly in the Acholi and West Nile sub-regions. They support communities in tackling challenges such as youth unemployment, gender inequality and limited access to land and financial resources. They focus on empowering women, young people, and marginalised groups by equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to build sustainable livelihoods. One of their newest initiatives is the Dragon Fruit Learning Site at the NGS Learning Centre in Gulu City. Launched in May 2024 as one of the pilot projects supported by...

Strengthening Flyway Conservation: The Role of Hanns Seidel Foundation We are proud to share that Dr. Bernhard Seliger and Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi of the Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea have published a new peer-reviewed article highlighting our role in international cooperation for migratory bird conservation. Special thanks to Ms. Minjae Baek for her dedicated coordination of the GMACC Project (2023–2024) - this achievement would not have been possible without her efforts. Together, let’s continue building bridges for biodiversity.  Citation: CHOI, H.A. and SELIGER, B. 2025. Strengthening flyway conservation through NGOs' engagement: Case of Hanns Seidel Foundation. Avian Research, 100287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2025.100287. Read the full article on ScienceDirect:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000660?via%3Dihub#ack0010

From July 23 to 31, 2025, the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Centred on the theme “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future,” this year’s conference emphasised the essential role wetlands play in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Wetlands are among the world’s most valuable ecosystems. They purify water, store carbon, mitigate floods, and support diverse forms of life, including migratory birds, fish, and amphibians. Despite their importance, wetlands are vanishing at an alarming rate due to unchecked development, pollution, and the impacts of climate change. Delegates from 172 countries participated in plenary sessions, workshops, and side events, sharing insights and strengthening global cooperation to protect wetland...

New Factsheet Available! Learn more about wetlands, migratory birds, and biodiversity along the Central Asian Flyway. Download our new factsheet (Russian version) and explore the key challenges and conservation efforts supported by HSF Korea and its partners. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Ms. Karina Yessimova for her support with the Russian translation.