Project R-14029

Internal and external capacity building for international biodiversity conservation: a headstart for activities in Red Listing and the IUCN Parasite Specialist Group (Education)

Only 1 of over 150 000 species assessed worldwide for the IUCN Red List is a parasite. Since the majority of species are parasites, the effort required to catch up in the representation of parasite species in the Red List is huge. Currently, prof. Vanhove figures as Steering Committee Member for Europe of the recently established IUCN SSC Parasite Specialist Group. During the execution of this project, we will build internal capacity to fill knowledge gaps in assessing parasite species, researching parasite population trends, and professional training or science education on parasite conservation. We will organise symposia with internationally recognised experts of other IUCN Specialist Groups and Commissions to debate on the ethical aspects of parasite conservation and provide hands-on workshops on the assessment procedures in the framework of the Red List. To measure the broader public's perception of parasite species and how this links with parasite conservation, the parasite species for which a Red List assessment exists will be gradually incorporated into a dedicated adaptation of the online survey developed for the WASP (World Archives of Species Perception) project (http://www.waspproject.net/).

01 September 2023 - 31 August 2025