The Faces of Conservation

In our globalized world, species conservation is no longer about local solutions to local problems. WWF's Global Species Programme Director Dr. Carlos Drews aruges that because we are all connected, conservation is everybody's business.

About Carlos

Carlos Drews is the director of WWF´s Global Species Programme. A native of Colombia, Carlos has a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cambridge University and has carried out research into wildlife behavioral ecology in Africa and Latin America.

Before joining WWF in 2003, he was on the academic staff at the International Institute for Wildlife Conservation and Management, based at the National University of Costa Rica. He headed up WWF´s marine work in Latin America until 2009, including the conservation of marine turtles, whales and dolphins, fisheries, and marine habitats.

His recent publications address the link between biodiversity and society, including attitudes and practices toward nature in Central America, the economics of marine turtle consumption and conservation, a concept and methodology for species conservation with a livelihoods focus and more recently, adaptation to climate change.

He currently leads WWF´s efforts to save elephants, rhinos, great apes, pandas, polar bears, tigers, sea turtles and cetaceans from extinction.

An avid runner, Carlos lives with his wife and two kids in Switzerland, drinks lots of tea and is fond of Asian cuisine.