The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Members and almost 15,000 volunteer experts in 160 countries. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature based solutions to global challenges. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice in relation to nature conservation.

The IUCN European Regional Office, located in Brussels, supports AQUACROSS by tapping into its vast network of expertise across the world, primarily in relation to ecosystem-based management in marine ecosystems. IUCN ensures that AQUACROSS results, which contribute to the achievement of the main goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy, are communicated within international fora and shared among IUCN networks of members and partners. IUCN is involved with Stakeholder Engagement and Communication activities in WP1, and Policy Orientation activities in WP2, and brings its expertise on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources to the conceptual design of the Assessment Framework in WP3. IUCN also supports WP4 - Drivers of Change and Pressures on Aquatic Ecosystems, and provides input for WP5 - Causalities between Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functions and Services and WP 8 - Ecosystem-based Management - Towards Policy Objectives.

Chantal van Ham

Chantal van Ham is the EU Programme Manager Nature Based Solutions in the IUCN European Regional Office. She is responsible for IUCNs activities on urban biodiversity and the cooperation with subnational governments in Europe. She develops and coordinates projects for biodiversity and ecosystems services conservation, restoration and valuation that help policy-makers, cities, local and regional governments find nature-based solutions for sustainable development, by mobilising IUCN knowledge and best practices. She represents IUCN in networks and fora at the European and global level to raise awareness of the value of nature-based solutions for improving quality of life, as well as economic prosperity. Chantal holds a Master’s Degree in International Business and a MSc in Forest and Nature Conservation Policy. Before joining IUCN she worked as Finance Specialist with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the Netherlands. Chantal supports work packages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 of AQUACROSS.

Helen Klimmek

Helen Klimmek is a Junior EU Programme Officer at the IUCN European Regional Office. Helen supports the development of IUCN’s engagement with local and regional governments and the promotion of nature based solutions for sustainable development. In the past, she has worked on projects related to EU marine governance, in particular assessing existing barriers to effective ocean governance and marine biodiversity conservation in the EU Overseas entities. She was also involved in the EU-funded Sea for Society project which brought together 28 partners from 12 countries to uncover citizen and stakeholder views of the ocean, and identify solutions to promote the sustainable management of the marine environment. Helen holds a BA degree in Politics and a Master’s Degree in Tourism, Environment and Development from King’s College London. Helen supports Work Packages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 of AQUACROSS.

Bianca Vergnaud

Bianca Vergnaud is the Communications Assistant for the IUCN European Regional Office. Bianca produces the internal and external communications for IUCN which aim at enhancing the visibility of the IUCN European Regional Office. She assists with the implementation of communications components of office projects, and provides communications support to knowledge products produced in the region, such as the IUCN European Red List. Bianca is also involved in the EU-funded SWOS (Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service) project, which is a consortium of 13 partners working to promote and underpin wetland conservation in policy implementation. Bianca Holds a Master’s Degree in Oceanography from the University of Southampton and a BSc in Environmental Geoscience from the University of Edinburgh. Bianca provides support for Work Package 1 of AQUACROSS.

Job title:

Communications Expert

Twitter Handle:

@bianca_vergnaud