A key foundation of any science is a common nomenclature that practitioners can use to describe—in a mutually intelligible way—the problems they are facing and the solutions they are using. For example, if a conservation project team faces the threat of “cattle” and another “grazing” and yet another “beef production,” they may not realize that they are all dealing with the same issue. As a result, cross-project learning is difficult, and the ability to meaningfully roll-up information across projects is greatly hampered.
The taxonomies presented here began with a collaborative effort between the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and CMP to create standard classifications of direct threats and of the conservation actions conservation actors can take to counter them. CMP updated the classifications in June 2016 to incorporate lessons learned and experiences from conservation teams applying Version 1 across hundreds of projects around the globe. In December 2024, IUCN and CMP developed an updated joint Direct Threats Classification, version 4.0. Read more about the classification in Conservation Biology. An updated IUCN-CMP Actions Classification is expected in late 2025 or early 2026.
Threats Classification (Version 4.0, Version 2.0, Version 2.0 en français, Version 1.0)
