All Speakers

Speaker Shaemma MEBWANA
Shaemma MEBWANA

Marine Biodiversity Specialist

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Shaemma Rashed Mebwana is a passionate Marine Biodiversity Specialist and sustainability advocate, driven by a mission to bridge science, policy, diplomacy, and community action. With over four years…
Speaker Harry JONAS
Harry JONAS

Co-Director

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy 2021-2025

International lawyer and Senior Director at WWF. 
Speaker Manh Hiep NGUYEN
Manh Hiep NGUYEN

Biodiversity Coordinator

IUCN Secretariat

Speaker Tiffany MARCELLE
Tiffany MARCELLE

Project Coordinator

Caribbean Youth Environment Network

Tiffany Marcelle is the Latin America and Caribbean Focal Point for the UNCCD Youth Caucus, where she plays a key role in shaping youth engagement on issues of land degradation, desertification, and…
Speaker Jean-Pierre COLIBEAU
Jean-Pierre COLIBEAU

CLS

I am part of CLS, a CNES subsidiary pioneering satellite-based solutions for environmental monitoring. My work focuses on strengthening international cooperation and advancing innovative technologies…
Speaker Ella-Jo Mehta
Ella-Jo Mehta

Director

Stop Ecocide International

Jojo Mehta co-founded Stop Ecocide in 2017, alongside barrister and legal pioneer the late Polly Higgins, to support the establishment of ecocide as a crime at the International Criminal Court. As…
Speaker Sebastien TURBOT
Sebastien TURBOT

Director

Earthna - Qatar Foundation

Sebastien guides governments, cities, businesses, and civil society in creating content and community-driven platforms that turn ideas into action. In his Earthna role, he develops the center’s…
Speaker Alejandro IZA
Alejandro IZA

Director, Environmental Law Centre

IUCN Secretariat

Ex Officio. Dr. Alejandro Iza, Director of the Environmental Law Centre. From a combined academic and practical background, he brings to IUCN a combination of expertise including a broad knowledge…
Speaker Yolanda RAMIREZ VILLACORTA
Yolanda RAMIREZ VILLACORTA

Directora de Gestión del Conocimiento

AIDER

Anthropologist with academic training in Sociology, Amazonian Studies, Audiovisual Pedagogy, Gender, and Conservation.Extensive experience in: socioeconomic and cultural research of rural and…
Speaker AIITA JOSHUA APAMAKU
AIITA JOSHUA APAMAKU

Conservation Associate

WILD Foundation

 Aiita is a Wildlife Biologist and National Geographic Explorer from Uganda, passionate about protected areas and how they're managed and governed. He holds an MSc. in Biodiversity, Conservation…
Speaker Kate Brown
Kate Brown

Executive DIrector

Global Island Partnership

With over 25 years dedicated to building partnerships that advance resilience and sustainability, I work across sectors and regions to create practical solutions for island communities facing…
Speaker Johan ROBINSON
Johan ROBINSON

Head GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025

Johan Robinson is a Global Expert in sustainable environment management, strategy and conservation with over 30 years as an Environmental Specialist with high profile organisations such as the United…
Speaker Barbara LAUSCHE
Barbara LAUSCHE

Director, Marine Policy Institute, Mote Marine Laboratory

Mote Marine Laboratory

International environmental lawyer, advisor, and legal drafter in conservation law and policy with more than 30 years’ experience nationally and internationally, especially in developing countries;…
Speaker Celia LE RAVALLEC
Celia LE RAVALLEC

Senior Advisor

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Célia Le Ravallec is a specialist in international cooperation and biodiversity conservation, with more than 15 years of experience in designing and coordinating complex multi-stakeholder projects…
Speaker Valentina BALESTRA
Valentina BALESTRA

Researcher

Politecnico di Torino, European Cave Protection Commission

Researcher and field ecologist. Main topics: Microplastic pollution, subterranean biology, karst systems, fauna monitoring and conservation
Speaker Fiona WILTON
Fiona WILTON

Sacred Lands and Waters

The Gaia Foundation

+30 years experience in the non-profit sector, in South America and globally, working on a range of conservation and environment issues; accompanying indigenous communities in reviving bio-cultural…
Speaker Daanish QAMAR
Daanish QAMAR

Projects Coordinator

The Waste Lab

Daanish Qamar is a sustainability and projects specialist based in Dubai, with extensive experience in driving environmental initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and climate education across the MENA…
Speaker Alexandra Kalandarishvili
Alexandra Kalandarishvili

Senior Policy Coordinator

The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)

Speaker SETH KEN APPIAH-KUBI
SETH KEN APPIAH-KUBI

National Director

A ROCHA GHANA

Profile: Dr Seth Appiah-KubiSeth is a passionate advocate for and contributor to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Through his work, he has gained extensive knowledge and experience…
Speaker Karl BURKART
Karl BURKART

Deputy Director

One Earth

Karl Burkart has been at the forefront of scientific research that explores the connections between human systems, the natural world, and climate change. Formerly the Director of Science &…
Speaker Melanie HEATH
Melanie HEATH

SENIOR DIRECTOR – GLOBAL PROGRAMME OFFICE at TRAFFIC

TRAFFIC

Senior Director of Global Programmes at TRAFFIC. Leading role in the development, promotion and marketing of the work of the Global Programme Office, with specific attention to global and multi-…
Speaker Britta HACKENBERG
Britta HACKENBERG

Senior Technical Associate

Namibia Nature Foundation

I am a passionate female conservationist with a Master’s degree in Sustainable Forestry and Land Use Management, an Engineer degree in Landscape Design and 18 years’ work experience in the field of…
Speaker VAN MANH LAI
VAN MANH LAI

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Economics

ISPAE

Dr. Lai Van Manh is the Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and and Environment (ISPAE).He has several research…
Speaker Patricio Roberto ROBLES GIL MESTRE
Patricio Roberto ROBLES GIL MESTRE

Artist in Residence

The WILD Foundation

Artist, conservationist, activist. Founder of two Mexican conservation organizations, thatworked with endanger species and securing biodiversity wild lands. In the last forty years, heproduces, and…
Speaker Naresh SUBEDI
Naresh SUBEDI

Member Secretary

National Trust for Nature Conservation

Speaker Yolanda MUTINHIMA
Yolanda MUTINHIMA

PhD Researcher

Stellenbosch University

Yolanda Mutinhima is a biodiversity conservation researcher passionate about inclusive conservation and bringing indigenous and local communities to the centre of conservation. She is a PhD student…
Speaker Jailab Kumar RAI
Jailab Kumar RAI

Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Tribhuvan University (TU)

Has a PhD in Community Forestry Practices and Social Space Making of Indigenous peoples in Nepal. Has more than 20 years long working experience in teaching and research in a range of issues,…