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Situated in the western part of Switzerland, the Canton de Vaud is the 4^th largest Swiss canton, and covers 3,212 km2, or 7.8% of national territory. Its population is estimated at around 800,000.

Its landscape is characterized by a varied topography encompassing a mix of mountainous, hilly, and lowland areas. The Canton borders the Lac Léman and the Alps to the south, and the Jura Mountains to the north, consisting of rolling hills and plateaus. Numerous rivers and streams traverse the landscape, carving valleys and gorges along their paths. Approximately 10% of the Canton’s surface area is dedicated to habitat and infrastructure, and agriculture occupies around 41.6%. Forests cover around 32.3% of the land, especially in the Jura Mountains, providing habitat for diverse flora and fauna; lakes constitute roughly 12.1% of the Canton’s landscape.

“������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� warmly welcomes the Etat de Vaud’s membership and commends its dedication to addressing the pressing environmental challenges that are threatening biodiversity in the Canton. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration to advance conservation efforts and sustainable policies to promote resilience and protect the environment here in Switzerland, and further afield” says Dr Grethel Aguilar, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Director General.

The Canton de Vaud has prioritized the protection of its diverse ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Conservation efforts include the establishment of nature reserves, restoration of degraded habitats, and initiatives to protect endangered species.

“The population of the Canton de Vaud has overwhelmingly adopted in June 2023 (63 %) a provision to inscribe the preservation of the biodiversity in its Constitution as one of the core missions for the State. This is the culmination of years of dedicated action to preserve and enhance the habitat for its rich diversity of species. It adopted an ambitious biodiversity action plan alongside a new law containing innovative mechanisms to protect its natural heritage. (The Canton is also currently working on defining a truly functional ecological infrastructure that contributes fully to the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.) For the Etat de Vaud, to become a member of the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� offers a great platform to develop partnerships and share good practices with other regional institutions. It provides also an opportunity for the Canton to underline the attachment and the pride it has in hosting the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� HQ on its territory", commented Vassilis Venizelos, State Councillor of the Canton de Vaud

The Etat de Vaud hosts the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Headquarters in Gland and joins 20 other Subnational governments that have become ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Members since the creation of the new membership category at the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� World Conservation Congress held in Marseille, France in 2021; 1 each in Argentina, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, 6 each in Spain and France.

For more information, please contact:

Constantine Makris, Membership focal point for Europe. E-mail : [email protected]