Wilderness Foundation Global and the WILD Foundation, in partnership with the Sanctuary Nature Foundation and the Government of Rajasthan, India, announced a new opportunity for the public to influence and take part in a growing international movement to defend Earth’s remaining wilderness.

The 11th World Wilderness Congress (WILD11) will address the essential role of wild nature in providing for human well-being, and highlight powerful policy and on-the-ground tools to preserve natural, life-giving processes. It will convene in Jaipur, India between March 19-26, 2020, around the theme of “For life, livelihoods, and love.”

The World Wilderness Congress is the world’s longest-running, public, environmental forum. It gathers leaders from all sectors of society – science, the arts, business and finance, activism, government, and Indigenous Peoples – to coordinate on new solutions and common objectives for the defense of Earth’s wilderness. Its 45 years of conservation accomplishments are found here.

WILD11 convenes in 2020 – a historic year for wilderness conservation – in advance of two United Nations’ conventions on the climate and biodiversity crises. WILD11 serves as a vigorous channel to these events, energizing and mobilizing global publics around the urgently needed policies required to end the Sixth Extinction and address the climate crisis.

WILD11 aims to influence the global conservation agenda, encouraging world leaders to fully embrace this critical moment in history, and take the ambitious and necessary step of agreeing to protect and interconnect at least 50% of Earth’s land and seas.

At this critical juncture in the environmental movement India has been selected as the host country for WILD11 because of the inspirational leadership of Indian conservationists in restoring wildlands to save the tiger. Half of the world’s nearly 4,000 remaining tigers are in India, and even though they still need much more natural habitat to thrive and support Indian ecology, Indian tiger conservation is a noteworthy success story.  

India continues to pioneer effective new solutions to restore wildlands and reintroduce animal and plant species, working hand-in-hand with local communities to also rejuvenate human livelihoods. 

WILD11 advances its programmatic mission of nature-based solutions for wilderness, climate, and community with two streams that focus on global and regional conservation goals. While the global program will build and strengthen leadership for the protection of Earth’s biosphere, the regional program will elevate important issues that are often overlooked in wilderness conservation. From the protection of grasslands and deserts to the preservation of the quickly dwindling Great Indian Bustard (less than 150 remain), WILD11 will advance knowledge and coordination for a more comprehensive approach to the conservation of all wildlands.

ABOUT WILDERNESS FOUNDATION GLOBAL

Focused on developing leadership and implementing effective action for protecting wilderness and wildlife while meeting the needs of human communities, WFG is the only global conservation organization born and based in Africa. As a founding member of WFG, WILD Foundation has continuing operational responsibility for the World Wilderness Congress since its inception in 1977.

ABOUT SANCTUARY NATURE FOUNDATION

With India’s most established, nation-wide experience and network in conservation communications and media, Sanctuary’s flagship publication is Sanctuary Asia, India’s premiere monthly conservation publication.  Considered the main “crossroads for conservation” in India, Sanctuary works at the interface of biodiversity, economics and climate change. Of its many programs, Sanctuary’s Kids for Tigers Program is a +1 million network of youth, advocating constantly for outreach, and protection of the Bengal tiger and its wild home. The Sanctuary Community Owned Community Operated Nature (COCOON) Conservancy is a rewilding program, nested within the larger Nature Needs Half/WILD Foundation umbrella.

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT OF RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Represented by The Honorable Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister; Ms Shreya Guha; Principal Secretary: Department of Tourism, Art and Culture; and, Forest, Environment, and Tourism.