Between 9 to 15 October 2025, the IUCN World Conservation Congress took place in Abu Dhabi, gathering governments, scientists and conservation practitioners from around the globe. 

Organised under the theme "Powering Transformative Conservation", the event proved to be a platform for insightful discussions revolving around how to turn biodiversity preservation ambition into scalable action for species, habitats and people. In this regard, REST-COAST hosted a session on “Advancing Large Scale Restoration Programmes through Sharing Insights of EU Funded Nature Restoration Projects”, which was facilitated by the project members of IUCN, Giulia Costa Domingo and Zoë Zürn.

The discussion was opened with a keynote speech by Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, highlighting the importance of restoring coastal and aquatic ecosystems in the region and recognising the key role of people’s contributions.  This is particularly crucial in coastal regions, which are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels. 

Giulia Costa Domingo of IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, presented the project’s work and shared how targeted research and practical experiences can inform effective restoration frameworks and feed into effective and ambitious National Restoration Plans, which are considerate of climate change.

Highlights from the session include the emphasis that restoration must go hand in hand with stakeholder engagement, cross-sectoral collaboration, empowerment of local communities and innovative financial pathways for implementation. The discussions underscored that restoration is not only about nature, but also about people, resilience, and connectivity — from source to sea and catchment to coast.

Moreover, the project was showcased at the exhibition booth of the REST-COAST communication and dissemination partner Pensoft Publishers. Along with other Horizon Europe projects, REST-COAST has been highlighted through its information collateral, including pilot site factsheets, policy briefs, brochures and video materials. Participants at the congress, amongst whom were project partners from CMCC and Seaboost, were spotted at the booth chatting with the Pensoft representatives and exploring project materials.