Dubai – Expo City Dubai, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC), have established the world’s first Centre for Species Survival (CSS) dedicated to fungi – one of the most critical gaps in biodiversity conservation, with untapped potential for solutions in areas including carbon storage, ecosystem resilience, plant health and nutrient recycling.
IUCN is the world’s largest and most influential environmental network, dedicated to conserving nature and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges. Its flagship IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the authoritative source on extinction risk, shaping conservation policies worldwide.
The Centre for Species Survival Fungi (CSS Fungi) – based at and staffed by experts from Terra, Expo City Dubai – is testament to the UAE’s commitment to sustainability and biodiversity, with Expo City Dubai serving as a hub for collaboration on environmental solutions and Terra driving awareness, innovation and action. The CSS Fungi will work closely with the IUNC SSC Fungi Conservation Committee and the fungi specialist groups that are part of the largest network of volunteer experts in the world, with more than 11,000 members in 186 territories.
Marjan Faraidooni, Chief of Education and Culture, Expo City Dubai, said: “It is imperative that we leave no stone unturned as we tackle the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The UAE has always pushed the boundaries of innovation, and the new Centre for Species Survival demonstrates our commitment to fulfilling the UAE leadership’s vision for Expo City Dubai: a hub to launch initiatives focused on preserving and sustaining our planet.
“We are proud that Terra – the heart of Expo City’s sustainability legacy – will house and drive this pioneering initiative in partnership with the IUCN SCC, powering global exploration into this great scientific frontier as we continue to test and scale nature-first ideas with global impact.”
The centre will be the first IUCN Centre for Species Survival in the Middle East and will initially focus on fungi from the region. Its priority is to launch assessments for a global fungi-focused Red List – IUCN’s comprehensive, scientific evaluation of the extinction risk of species and a credible source and catalyst for safeguarding and mitigation efforts.
Rarely included in environmental frameworks, fungi represent more than 90 per cent of the world’s unknown biodiversity, supporting nearly all plant life, regulating greenhouse gases, repairing polluted environments and offering breakthrough innovations in climate solutions, food systems, medicine, agriculture and architecture, as well as in fashion and design.
Professor Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, said: “Fungi span from the smallest (a chytrid fungus) to the largest (humongous fungus, Armillaria ostoyae) organisms studied by the network of experts of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. As a group, the number of species that they encompass is mind boggling, certainly reaching into the millions.
“There are currently 1,300 fungi on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, so there is a lot to do to document and understand their threats to guide policy and action. I am delighted by the creation of the Centre for Species Survival for Fungi at Terra, Expo City Dubai, and look forward to the transformative conservation impact that it will bring.”
To mark this milestone, Terra hosted an official launch event, open to media, on Tuesday 24 June, bringing together mycologists, conservation organisations, F&B and wellness providers, academic institutions and government representatives to highlight the array of fungi’s unexplored applications and their potential benefits to people and planet.
Designed as a blueprint for sustainable urban living, Expo City Dubai advances a vision for a better future – one that lives in harmony with nature, engages the public on pressing social and environmental issues and serves as a hub for collaboration around global sustainability. Its strategic location, with direct access to the MENA and North Africa region, makes it the ideal base for the latest Centre for Species Survival (CSS).
Terra brings the city’s commitment to sustainability to life, acting as a catalyst for change across the UAE, the region and beyond. Designed as a net zero energy and water building, it offers a transformative experience that highlights fungi’s vital ecological role, empowering visitors to make more sustainable choices. As the heart of Expo City’s sustainability education, Terra sparks curiosity among students through immersive, beyond-the-classroom learning, and is also home to the Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots youth education initiative.
The IUCN SSC Centres for Species Survival are hosted by leading zoological and conservation organisations actively focused on species conservation efforts. The centres work closely with relevant SSC groups in catalysing priority efforts for ‘assess-plan-act’ at various geographic scales or taxonomic or thematic focuses.
IUCN will hold its prestigious World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi this October, bringing together global leaders, scientists and policymakers to drive nature-based solutions and sustainable development, and demonstrating the UAE’s dedication to international environmental collaboration and leadership.
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About Expo City Dubai
Expo City Dubai, the legacy city of Expo 2020 Dubai, is an innovation-driven, people-centric community rooted in the belief that collaboration can propel sustainable progress. Its prime location and world-class connectivity place it at the centre of Dubai’s future – the lynchpin between Dubai Exhibition Centre, Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port and a key driver of Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33)
- A world-class free zone, it is home to a thriving business community that supports cross-sector collaboration and provides a springboard for businesses of all sizes to scale and grow, enhancing Dubai’s position as a global centre of trade and reinforcing the UAE’s development and diversification ambitions
- Its residential communities redefine urban living, exemplifying best practice in innovative, environment-friendly design with a focus on wellbeing and happiness
- An incubator for innovation, it is a testbed for solutions and a platform for groundbreaking ideas that benefit both people and the planet
- Packed with educational, cultural and entertainment offerings, with more than 30 indoor and outdoor venues attracting globally significant events, it celebrates human creativity and ingenuity and inspires future generations
- Designed as a blueprint for sustainable urban living and one of five hubs on the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, its roadmap to achieving net zero by 2050 and its broader decarbonisation targets raise the bar on responsible urban development
About the IUCN Species Survival Commission
With over 11,000 members in 186 territories, the Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of the seven expert commissions of IUCN and enables it to influence, encourage and assist societies to conserve biodiversity by building knowledge on the status and threats to species, providing advice, developing policies and guidelines, facilitating conservation planning, and catalysing conservation action. The IUCN SSC has been recognised as “the world’s largest volunteer conservation-science network” by Guinness World Records®. Learn more at www.iucn.org/ssc.
About TerraTerra – The World’s Living Wonder – is the beating heart of Expo City Dubai’s sustainability vision, and a regional catalyst for climate solutions, biodiversity intelligence, and systems innovation. Beyond its immersive architecture and educational outreach, Terra acts as a consulting platform to co-develop scalable, science-backed strategies that drive climate resilience, nature-based solutions, and data-informed development.
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