Healthy ecosystems produce goods and services that provide livelihoods for people and the potential for economic development. These include fresh water, agricultural productivity, fisheries, forest products, energy and protection from natural hazards. But when human activity degrades the environment, these goods and services decline, hampering economic and social development and leaving rural, marginalized communities more vulnerable.
About conservation and social policy
The old ways are the best—reviving traditional knowledge in West Asia
An ancient conservation practice born in the Arabian desert more than 1,500 years ago is now being revived in the battle-scarred greenery of Lebanon to help meet the complex challenges of a modern economy. …
01 Jul 2011 | News story
Greener ways to end poverty
Poverty and environmental degradation go hand-in-hand throughout the world; each can cause the other. With the global population likely to reach nine billion by 2050 there is an urgent need to address both in tandem when devising new economic development models. …
27 Jun 2011 | News story
CEESP Sharing Power Conference Film
A short film produced by participants at the CEESP Conference in Whakatane, New Zealand (January 2011) …
15 Jun 2011 | Video
IUCN pioneers work on gender equality in tackling climate change impacts
The importance of involving women in preventing and managing disasters is widely recognized but doing so in an effective and holistic way is more challenging. …
12 May 2011 | News story
Community based adaptation: local solutions for a global concern
Community-based adaptation is about helping people cope with the impacts of climate change. At the recent 5th annual conference on “Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change” in Dhaka, Bangladesh, researchers, practitioners and policymakers gathered to share knowledge and experience in planning and practicing adaptation at different levels. …
06 Apr 2011 | News story
Climate change resilience and good water governance in Mesoamerica
A recent workshop in the Sixaola River watershed, located on the Caribbean side of the Costa Rica-Panama border, highlighted the vulnerability of communities to increasing climate change impacts. … | Spanish
28 Mar 2011 | News story
IUCN hosts UN discussions on making gender environmental benchmark
Gender issues could be the common thread running through global environment and development work, and therefore be at the centre of restructuring the UN system to be more consistent across agencies, programmes and conventions. …
24 Mar 2011 | News story
World Water Day: thirsty cities
Coping with the growing water needs of cities is one of the most pressing challenges of this century. Half of the world’s population now lives in cities and it’s estimated that within two decades that will increase to nearly 60% of the population, or 5 billion people. … | French | Spanish
22 Mar 2011 | News story
World’s poorest billion to gain from managing own forests
The lives of a billion of the world’s poorest people could be improved though investing in community forest management, according to a recent IUCN study. As the world celebrates World Forest Day, IUCN urges decision-makers to recognize the various benefits of forests for forest-dependent communities. …
21 Mar 2011 | International news release
Supporting traditional water systems in Pakistan
Karez systems in Pakistan are traditional practices of water tapping and channelling. Due to overpumping of groundwater aquifers in Balochistan province, of an estimated 800 karezes, 175 have dried up in recent decades. …
10 Mar 2011 | News story
