IUCN trans-boundary policy dialogue recommends joint action by Bangladesh and India for sustainable Hilsa fisheries management (Kolkata) The International Trans-boundary Policy Dialogue on Hilsa Fisheries Management between Bangladesh and India presented an elaborate set of policy recommendations in Kolkata, India on 24 July to conserve the Hilsa fisheries. The recommendations have been included in a draft plan of action submitted to the governments in both countries for their consideration and adoption. The recommendations include the proposal for an annual ban on Hilsa fishing during the same period of the year in both countries to protect the juvenile and brood fish and a stock assessment of marine and freshwater Hilsa at regular intervals using a common methodology. The trans-boundary dialogue is a part of IUCN’s project Ecosystems for Life: A Bangladesh-India Initiative. > Full story
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Basins of the Future: Connecting water from source to city (Beijing) Growing urban populations and economic growth are putting more pressure on the watersheds and infrastructure supplying water to cities. This is where IUCN and Integrated Wetlands Assessment (IWA) have joined forces in pulling together their knowledge, networks and resources to strengthen nature-based solutions for water security in urban areas. With a continued increase in water demand for food production, water abstractions for energy, and more irregular patterns of water availability due to climate change, multiple challenges abound globally for ensuring water security in urban centres. For example, water withdrawals are predicted to increase by 50 percent by 2025 in developing countries, and by 18 percent in developed countries. Increased water use also means increased wastewater, impacting downstream landscapes and further posing water management challenges. IUCN is already working in various watersheds across the world in assisting governments and other Members to protect and manage their watersheds for safe and secure urban water supply. For example, the Miyun watershed in China supplies the capital city of Beijing with 70 percent of its water. IUCN is supporting the Chinese government and partners in land management practices to protect the Miyun watershed. > Full story
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Environmental training for Tonle Sap Great Lake Rangers in Cambodia (Phnom Penh) The IUCN Mekong Water Dialogues project provided technical and financial support to Cambodia's Department of Wetlands and Coastal Zones of the Ministry of Environment to organize a capacity development training course on Ranger-Based Data Collection for local rangers who are working based at the Boeung Chhmar Ramsar Site of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, Tonle Sap Great Lake. The capacity building course provided an overview of wetland conservation; wildlife and fish identification, including habitats and threats; use of Global Positioning System for navigation,observation and recording information related to key wildlife and human activities; and use of Management Information System software programme to support storing and processing of data. Capacity of the Boeung Chhmar rangers was tested through pre and post course surveys. > Full Story >
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Nepal Government to update National Conservation Strategy (Jeju) At the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, The Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission (NPC) announced plans to update its National Conservation Strategy. In the 1980s, Nepal was among the pioneering countries to formulate a National Conservation Strategy. The 1988 National Conservation Strategy, developed by NPC with technical cooperation of IUCN, was well received in the country and recognized internationally among the scientific community and development practitioners. The updated strategy will address new socio-economic and environmental challenges in Nepal such as climate change,rapid urbanization, food, water and energy scarcity. > Full story
> IUCN Nepal
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India and Sri Lanka join hands in conserving the living resources of Gulf of Mannar Biodiversity of the Gulf of Mannar provide many ecosystem goods and services, and these benefits are being compromised due to lack of information, awareness and inadequate policies. Current threats to biodiversity in the Gulf of Mannar include pollution unplanned coastal development, illegal activities like coral mining, dynamite fishing, dredging and siltation and over exploitation of biological resources. To address this, Mangroves for the Future is working with IUCN Sri Lanka and IUCN India to raise awareness and build a knowledge base on coastal and marine biodiversity, identify values and threats and identify gaps in legal and policy frameworks that hinder the survival of biodiversity and its benefits in the Gulf of Mannar. > Full story
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IUCN World Conservation Congress IUCN Asia played a significant role in the IUCN World Conservation Congress held from 6 to 15 September 2012 in Jeju, Republic of Korea. The world’s largest and most important conservation event, it is held every four years and aims to improve how we manage our natural environment for human, social and economic development. About 140 Forum events directly related to Asia. Out of the 137 Resolutions and 46 Recommendations adopted, around 20 percent relate to Asia geographically and many more relate to Asia thematically (click here for full list). A wide range of news stories were released by IUCN during the Congress and you can watch them online here. Three Regional Councillors for South and East Asia were elected; Arzu Rana Deuba from Nepal, Meena Gupta from India and Shinichi Kitajima from Japan (click here for IUCN election results). The IUCN Congress website is rich with resources, so please visit at: www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org
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IUCN at the 11th Conference of the Parties, Convention on Biological Diversity, Hyderabad, India Delegates from the Asia Regional Office along with representatives from the Secretariat (including staff from Global Thematic Programmes, Global Secretariat and Regional Offices), members of Commissions, Councilors, and IUCN National Committees represented IUCN in the 11th Conference of Parties, Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India to evaluate progress towards the implementation of decisions taken at the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit in 2010. The meeting saw examples of concrete conservation action and a strong focus on turning the decisions taken in Nagoya into action on the ground. Approximately 6000 delegates representing Parties, other governments, NGOs, international organizations, UN agencies, indigenous and local community representatives, academia and the private sector were in attendance at the CoP. IUCN prepared eight position papers which contained IUCN’s policy recommendations for COP11 on relevant agenda items for IUCN. IUCN’s position papers were well received and appreciated by the Parties. > Learn more
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Hydro Diplomacy - Bridging the gap between science, policy and action Water use issues typically cross natural, social and political boundaries and can be local, national, regional and global in nature. As the world develops, economies expand, populations increase, and aspirations for higher standards of living grow. This has resulted in mounting demands for industry, energy supply, agriculture, food production and land use, all of which put pressure on our natural ecosystems. Reaching agreement on sharing of resources is even more complex when two or more countries share a common river basin. To address this pressing issue, IUCN gathered leading diplomats, political scientists, economists, and water resources professionals from more than 25 countries in Chiang Rai, Thailand to discuss and debate the complexities and ways forward in hydro-diplomacy. > Learn more
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9th MFF Regional Steering Committee meeting emphasizes enhanced regional cooperation. Mangroves are today a global issue. They represent a natural capital which provides a wide range of goods and services to the environment as well as society as a whole. All over Asia and the western Indian Ocean, Mangrove ecosystems and coasts are being recognized for their intrinsic ecological values and economic potential. However, their protection and management remains a challenge for governments and communities to overcome. The 9th Regional Steering Committee Meeting of the Mangroves For The Future (MFF) initiative brought together its eight member countries and implementing partners to address and discuss the progress, challenges and opportunities relating to effective coastal management in the region. Held in Karachi, Pakistan from 18 - 12 November, the meeting focused on ways to build coastal and community resilience with the onset of climate change and the increasing role of businesses and the private sector in better management of coastal ecosystems. > Full story
> MFF RSC 9 Field trip to Thatta region, Pakistan
> Visit the Mangroves for the Future website
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Mekong film explores hydropower development in Southeast Asia The Mekong River is the 7th longest river in South Asia spanning a length of more than 4350 Kms. With more than 140 dams planned in its lower basin, it poses a major concern on the environment, ecology and livelihoods of the more than 60 million people who depend on the river for food and income. Earlier this year, IUCN's Mekong Water Dialogues project, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and CGIAR Challenge Program for Water and Food (CPWF) funded the making of the film 'Mekong' which examines the issues of hydropower development and its impact on the Mekong citizen's lives. The film is being screened in national languages in Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Lao PDR through a partnership with the Goethe Institute. For more information visit to www.mekongcitizen.org > Learn more
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Mangroves For The Future initiative issues Mangrove Restoration 'Call for Action'. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India - an IUCN Member, hosted a Mangroves Colloquium on 30-31 August 2012. Representatives from IUCN, GIZ, and government agencies from across the MFF region participated in the event to discuss the economic and environmental values of mangroves, lessons learned from mangrove rehabilitation projects, guidelines for good practices, and relevance to climate change. The 300 page proceedings includes 24 papers submitted by technical experts. As a way forward, participants endorsed a "Call to Action" statement based on the recommendations from the meeting.
> Download Sharing Lessons on Mangrove Restoration Proceedings and Call for Action
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IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature © 2012
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IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice.
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