IUCN launches global strategy to strengthen invasive species research and monitoring

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has launched its first global strategy to coordinate efforts to prevent and manage invasive alien species, calling for stronger scientific data, greater institutional capacity and sustained funding to limit their impact on biodiversity.

The strategy was launched on Oct 21 in Yerevan, Armenia, during the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17). IUCN published its announcement on Oct 23, outlining a framework for its members, commissions and secretariat to work with governments, researchers, civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples and the private sector.

Four objectives set for 2036

The strategy identifies four outcomes that IUCN aims to advance by 2036.

The first is to improve access to data, scientific research, tools and technology that can guide action against invasive species. The second is to strengthen the capacity of governments, civil society and the private sector, particularly in countries with limited resources to address biological invasions.

The third objective is to expand prevention, early detection, rapid response, eradication, control and ecosystem restoration. The fourth focuses on mobilising sustainable financing for prevention and management, as well as the restoration of affected ecosystems.

IUCN says the strategy will prioritise vulnerable and biodiversity-rich locations, including islands, marine and freshwater ecosystems, protected areas and Key Biodiversity Areas. It also calls for invasive species to be incorporated into relevant biodiversity, climate and development policies.

More than 3,500 invasive alien species documented

IUCN reports that more than 3,500 invasive alien species have been documented worldwide. These are animals, plants, fungi or pathogens that have moved beyond their native ranges through human activity and cause harm to the environment, for example by competing with native species, preying on them or spreading disease.

The organisation says invasive alien species have contributed to more than 60% of global extinctions and that the annual global economic cost of biological invasions exceeded US$423 billion in 2019. It also notes that climate change is creating opportunities for some invasive species to spread into new areas.

The strategy builds on existing IUCN resources, including the Global Invasive Species Database, the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa and the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. These tools support the identification, assessment and monitoring of invasive species and help countries report progress against global biodiversity commitments.

How progress will be measured

IUCN intends to assess the strategy’s results through indicators such as the number of invasive species removed from sites, the number of threatened or conservation-priority species benefiting directly from control efforts, and changes in species extinction risk.

The strategy follows consultations conducted in late 2025 and July 2026. IUCN said the first round involved more than 400 respondents from 91 countries, while the second included webinars attended by more than 400 participants from 64 countries. The final strategy was subsequently endorsed by the IUCN Council.

The framework sets out areas for coordinated action, but its launch does not establish that new funding has been secured or that invasive species populations have declined. Its effectiveness will depend on implementation by IUCN members and partners, including the resources and monitoring systems available to them.