News Blog

On 3 April, Hanns Seidel Foundation, Korea met Mimi Kessler at IUCN and Matthew Toomey at the University of Tulsa. They visited Yu-do Islet which is located in the Civilian Control Zone(CCZ), Jogang wetlands, and Siam wetlands. The IUCN and Hanns Seidel Foundation, Korea shared activities related to wetlands and biodiversity conservation in the border area. Protecting wetlands is an important mitigation measure for climate change and also the prevention of damage from floods. Hanns Seidel Foundation, Korea, and IUCN reminded the result from CMS COP14 to plan cooperation of wetlands, biodiversity conservation, and peace in the future.

Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Namibia participated in the Green Hydrogen Symposium, organized by the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), held from 26 to 28 March 2024, in Windhoek, Namibia. The symposium provided a mid-term status report on the pilot projects and Youth for Green Hydrogen (Y4H2) scholarships funded under the Joint Communique of Intent (JCoI) signed between the Namibian Government and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). A key message of the event emphasized Namibia's positive trajectory toward commencing the production of green hydrogen. Small-scale production in the pilot projects is anticipated to begin by the end of the year. Numerous scholarships have been granted to master's students to bolster...

On March 26, 2024, Dr. Hyunah Choi, Senior Researcher, and Minjae Baek, Regional Climate Project Coordinator at Hanns Seidel Foundation visited the ICLEI Korea office to meet with Bonghee Son, Deputy Director, and Minwoo Chun, Climate & Biodiversity Officer. ICLEI Korea is an international network for governance that gives local governments a voice and advocates for sustainability in the global community. Currently, more than 2,500 local governments in 125 countries are members, and as of March 2024, the Eclay Korea office is working with 58 local and regional governments in South Korea. The Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea office presented the Foundation's activities and shared the results of a side event and meeting with the ICLEI Africa office at the 14th Conference...

Get Ready to Shape the Future! The pre-launch meeting of the MENA Regional Network on Climate Change (MENA RNCC) presents a fantastic opportunity for you to be part of a collaborative effort to tackle environmental challenges in the MENA region. Your participation and expertise will be crucial in building a strong foundation for the MENA RNCC. Join the event https://hanns-seidel-stiftung.webex.com/hanns.../j.php... #HSF #ThinkGlobal #sustainability #menarncc

The commencement of UNEA 6 in Nairobi, Kenya signals the initiation of deliberations at the UN Environmental Assembly, which serves as the governing body of UNEP, the UN Environmental Program. For one week, representatives and stakeholders from nations across the globe gathered to discuss strategies for tackling global environmental crises. This year, a significant focus was on the crucial role of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The Hanns Seidel Foundation maintains a global Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNEP and actively participates in environmental initiatives across various countries. Member states have engaged in productive discussions and events addressing global environmental challenges and exploring opportunities for collaboration. The preservation of climate and biodiversity remains a top priority on the national agendas of member...

The weekend was a beehive of activities ahead of UNEA6 taking place at the UN Complex in Nairobi, Kenya. We were privileged to attend the 20th Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) 24 - 25 February 2024. This was an opportunity for civil society to share their inputs before the final document can be presented to UNEP. #transparencyandinclusiveness

The Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF) helps Major Groups and Stakeholders to prepare their input and participation in the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The forum takes place just before UNEA. It is the world’s highest decision-making body for environmental issues and provides an avenue for civil society to craft their stances, statements, and contributions to the UNEA-6 process. Accredited Major Groups to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) of UNEP are invited to take part in this very important forum. This year, the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) was represented by four people from the Regional Sustainability Network. It took place on 24th and 25th February 2024. UNEP works with the following nine Major Groups: Non-governmental organizations, Farmers, Indigenous peoples...

On the 13th of February 2024, as part of the CMS COP14, a side event was held, co-organized by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), the International Crane Foundation (ICF), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). During the event, insights from flightway frameworks aiming to protect migratory birds were discussed. Various approaches, successes, challenges, and measures to enhance connectivity along migratory routes were highlighted. The significance of these issues for the CMS Flyways Programme and the Central Asian Flyway Initiative was also emphasized.  Vinayagan Dharmarajah moderated the entire event from BirdLife International.  Bernhard Seliger (HSF), Spike Millington (ICF), and Pasha Kalid (IUCN) presented current discussions from various flightway initiatives focusing on the connectivity of long-distance migratory birds. Pic1. From...

The HSF participated in CMS(Convention on Migratory Species) COP(Conference of Parties)14 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from February 12 to 17, 2024. During this event, all aspects of international cooperation for conserving the migration of mammals, birds, fish, etc were discussed.

The global environmental crisis affects not only humans but also animals. Especially migratory species. These animals rely not only on specific locations but also on their so-called migration routes, wintering, and summering grounds, as well as their resting places. Therefore, they are susceptible to habitat loss and other threats. Hence, CMS COP14 took place to discuss solutions for the protection of migratory species collectively.

Approximately 1300 researchers, conservationists, and government officials met in plenary sessions and a variety of working groups and side events to discuss the status and guidelines for the protection of migratory species and their habitats worldwide.

HSF Korea office is working to contribute to the CMS Central Asian Flyway (CAF) Initiative as part of the global climate project for Northeast and Central Asia. The HSF participated in the event for the first time, alongside representatives from Mongolia, Korea, Uzbekistan and Central Asia.

The alliance of people for the protection of migratory birds encompasses many important aspects: preserving biodiversity, ensuring the well-being of local communities, and mitigating climate change.

Among the significant outcomes of COP14 are strengthened measures to combat the illegal and unsustainable removal of migratory species and new global guidelines addressing the impacts of light pollution on migratory species. Furthermore, Dr. Seliger, Dr. Choi, and Ms. Baek as members of the CMS Flyways working group are supporting the flyways initiative.

Have you ever seen a flock of birds flying across the sky last autumn? You are not alone in this, as the flocks of migratory birds can be observed every year in spring and autumn. However, these birds are threatened, primarily by us. The journey of migratory birds is impressive: From the farthest north of our planet to the southernmost point of the Earth, they cover distances ranging from Northern Europe to South Africa. How the animals maintain their overview and orientation during this journey is still a mystery to researchers. Recent findings suggest that the Earth's magnetic field plays an important role in the birds' sense of orientation. The number of these birds is also impressive: Approximately 4,000 of all...