Peter Bridgewater is currently Director of the UNESCO Division of Ecological Sciences, and Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere Programme.

Since 1990 he has held the positions of Chief Science Adviser, Environment Australia (jointly with the post of Supervising Scientist, Alligator Rivers Region) (1997-1999), Chief Executive, Australian Nature Conservation Agency (including the statutory appointment of Director National Parks and Wildlife Service) (1990 -1996), Chief Scientist, UK Nature Conservancy Council, (1989-1990).

He has held appointments as Vice-Chairman, subsequently Chairman, International Whaling Commission, Chair, Inter-government Coordinating Council for the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, Vice-Chair, subsequently Chair, Standing Committee for the Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn Convention), and was elected as Chair, Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention in 1996. He also held the positions of a Member of the Science and Technology Advisory panel to the Global Environment Facility and Commissioner to the Commission on Genetic Diversity for the World Humanity Action Trust, Member, Australian National Commission for UNESCO, Commissioner, Parks & Wildlife Commission, Australian Northern Territory, Commissioner, Independent World Commission on the Oceans, Member, Bureau of the SBSTTA of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Rapporteur for the First meeting of that body. He has held the post of Vice-Chair for the Australian Region, IUCN Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas.

He has published over 130 articles on nature conservation, biodiversity and associated subjects, and maintains research interests in the interaction between cultural and biological diversity, landscape ecology and the ecology of coastal zones.