Achieving global and national biodiversity targets requires more than setting ambitious goals; it depends on sharing knowledge, learning from others, and building on proven solutions. Over 15 months, IUCN engaged stakeholders from 23 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to strengthen regional and global knowledge exchange in support of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). In collaboration with GIZ under the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, the initiative followed a practical four-step approach—Scoping, Exchanging, Activating, and Success—to understand country needs, connect them with effective solutions, and help turn ideas into action.
The project built on IUCN’s global networks and the PANORAMA Solutions methodology, focusing on practical peer learning. Countries were linked to real-world examples that had already demonstrated results, fostering regional collaboration and South–South exchange. The Scoping step involved listening to over 40 country-level stakeholders and reviewing documents to identify shared priorities aligned with National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). This revealed where countries faced challenges, needed support, and had knowledge gaps.
Insights from the Scoping phase shaped three in-person regional knowledge exchange events in Windhoek (Namibia), Bogor (Indonesia), and Cieneguilla (Peru). Participants included government officials, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, civil society organisations, youth representatives, researchers, technical experts, and solution providers. The Exchanging phase emphasized dialogue rather than presentation, using interactive formats such as Solution Fairs and fireside chats to compare experiences and explore how ideas could be adapted to national contexts. Across the three events, around 40 good practices were showcased, and 58 replication pledges were made, representing concrete commitments to adapt and implement solutions locally.
PANORAMA Solutions played a central role, with solution providers sharing their experiences, lessons learned, and key success factors. For example, participants from Laos drew inspiration from a tourism-based revenue model in Koh Tao, Thailand, while Namibia committed to replicating elements of a protected area management solution from Madagascar. These exchanges enabled countries to translate lessons into practical decision-making, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and foster South–South cooperation. A fourth virtual event focused on biodiversity financing, addressing a shared priority across regions.
The Success phase focused on reflecting on methodology, sharing new PANORAMA Solutions, and supporting continuous knowledge exchange. The project highlighted the importance of facilitated, peer-to-peer learning, especially in person, and of including diverse actors in NBSAP implementation. Matching national needs with tested solutions increased relevance, ownership, and motivation to act. At the same time, follow-up mechanisms are critical to ensure replication pledges translate into implementation, and solution documentation should be embedded within events or supported through resourced follow-up.
This initiative demonstrates that structured knowledge sharing can accelerate biodiversity action. By leveraging what works, strengthening regional networks, enabling practical peer learning, and connecting exchange to sustained support, countries are better equipped to implement their biodiversity objectives. The four-step approach proved adaptable across regions and positions IUCN to contribute to knowledge management as a service within the broader GBF and NBSAP implementation framework. Structured and practical knowledge exchange can serve as a bridge between ambition and action, ensuring that biodiversity commitments translate into tangible change on the ground.
