Indian Conservationist Vivek Menon Becomes First Asian Chair of IUCN Species Survival Commission

On the 7th day of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, IUCN Members elect Vivek Menon as the new Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) for the 2025-2029 quadrennium.

Abu Dhabi, 15 October 2025 — In a landmark announcement during the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Abu Dhabi, Indian wildlife conservationist Vivek Menon has been elected as the new Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) — becoming the first Asian to lead the Commission in its 75-year history.

A leading Indian wildlife conservationist, environmental commentator, author and photographer with a passion for elephants, Vivek Menon is a conservation leader whose lifelong dedication has created positive, global change for wildlife and natural habitats. Through expert guidance to premier organisations, participation in landmark initiatives, and training of enforcement personnel across more than 50 countries, Menon has advanced solutions to critical challenges like illegal wildlife trade and species protection. His impact stretches from establishing reserves in Myanmar to helping shape international conservation policies through active roles in CITES, UNESCO, and national advisory boards.

With a career spanning over three decades and visits to more than a hundred countries, his hands-on commitment represents the power of expert collaboration, community-driven advocacy, and bold strategic action.

“My goal is to strengthen the SSC into a more resilient, inclusive, and globally impactful network that drives action and shapes policy. I believe in the power of this global network of over 11,000 experts, united by a shared passion for life on Earth, and as Chair, I will lead it with integrity, transparency, and dedication,” said Vivek Menon.

In India, he has been instrumental in founding five environmental & nature conservation organisations, including the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which, over the last 26 years, has grown to become one of India’s foremost conservation organisations. Under his leadership as Founder and Executive Director, WTI has led several pioneering initiatives, such as the identification and protection of critical elephant corridors, large-scale anti-poaching and wildlife crime training, and numerous species-specific recovery and rehabilitation programs.

In the international arena, Menon is the Councillor of the IUCN, Chair of the SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, Chair of the IUCN Governance and Constituency Committee, a Member of the Advisory Board of the IUCN Strategic Initiative on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, a Steering Committee member of the SSC and a member of the Conservation Translocation Specialist Group. With experience of over 25 years of work with the IUCN, he has served at various earlier times on the Asian Rhino Specialist Group, Cat Specialist Group, Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group and the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group. Apart from his work on species-specific matters, he has also served on the Motions Working Group and Review Committees of the World Conservation Congress for the IUCN.

An accomplished writer and photographer, Menon has authored ten wildlife books, including the best-selling Indian Mammals: A Field Guide — the first of its kind by an Indian author in post-independence India. Translated into several languages and widely distributed, the book has inspired a new generation of naturalists and conservationists. His photographs have been exhibited by esteemed institutions such as Max Mueller Bhavan and the Government of Armenia (Yerevan, 2023).

Menon is the recipient of the Clark R. Bavin Award (2019), the Whitley Continuation Award (2018), the Samskara RoundGlass Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), and the Rufford Award (2001) for his work on Asian elephant conservation. In 2024, he was made a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and was granted the Freedom of the City of London by the Lord Mayor.

His election represents a major step forward for IUCN — expanding leadership to Asia and the Global South, while reaffirming the SSC’s central role as a science-driven, inclusive, and action-oriented force in global species conservation.

About the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC):

The SSC is a science-based network of more than 11,000 volunteer experts from almost every country in the world, working together to conserve biodiversity and ensure the survival of species. It plays a crucial role in IUCN’s mission by assessing the conservation status of species (including through the IUCN Red List), shaping conservation policy, and implementing species recovery initiatives.