WTI founder Menon becomes first Asian to chair key IUCN panel

The SSC is one of the six expert commissions under the global body that advises the IUCN secretariat on matters concerning biodiversity and species conservation. The commission and its specialist groups play a key role in preparing the IUCN’s red list of threatened species.

Following his election, Menon said that as the first chair from Asia, it will be his focus to ensure leadership from the Global South is included in the SSC and it drives policy in the region. “My focus will also be on scaling up recovery for threatened species, leveraging technology and data-driven tools to make science speak to policy and ensuring every effort we undertake has measurable, lasting conservation impact,” he told The Indian Express.

On tackling the rising threats to survival of biodiversity due to anthropogenic impacts, Menon said the SSC’s strength lies in mobilising global expertise, adding that conservation must move as fast as the anthropogenic forces that threaten it.

An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More

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