Story | 29 Jul, 2016
Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Nature Key to Protected Area Governance and Management
Cultural and spiritual bonds with nature are among the strongest personal drives and motivators for nature conservation yet they are not often taken into account in the governance and management of protected areas.
Story | 22 May, 2016
Key hotspots of species loss and water risks identified in new transboundary river basins report
On 22 May the global community marks ‘International Biodiversity Day’, celebrating the variety of life on earth. Yet, extinction risks range from moderate to very high in 70% of transboundary river basins, according to a new study: Transboundary River Basins: Status and Trends. Climate change,…
Story | 17 May, 2016
A vision for protected areas in Europe
By Andrej Sovinc, WCPA Regional Vice Chair for Europe. With more than 120,000 protected area sites, Europe accounts for more protected areas than any other region. Many of these areas reflect Europe's rich cultural heritage and long lasting co-existence of man and nature which shaped different…
Story | 14 Apr, 2016
Exposing illegal trade in elephant tusks
Following a seizure of ivory, a suspected illegal trader has been sentenced to imprisonment. Paul de Ornellas of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), a grantee with IUCN’s SOS initiative, explains how ZSL helped expose the crime.
Story | 21 Mar, 2016
IUCN Green List – A new Standard for Conservation in Vietnam
Hanoi – IUCN's pioneering Green List edged closer to being fully set in motion in the Asia region last week with an inception workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the new global standard for protected and conserved areas will soon enter an important implementation phase.
Story | 04 Mar, 2016
Getting SMART about tackling wildlife crime on the frontline.
With illegal wildlife trade being a core issue of the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, the role and value of SMART conservation software is pertinent. Marking World Wildlife Day March 3 2016, we travel to the Okapi Faunal Reserve in Democratic Republic of Congo to learn more about…
Story | 01 Feb, 2016
World Wetlands Day: Wetlands & Sustainable Livelihoods
Each year, 2 February marks World Wetlands Day, to celebrate our planet’s wetlands but also to draw attention to the challenges that their degradation brings.
Story | 20 Jan, 2016
Could conservation become a new investment asset class?
A new IUCN-backed report released yesterday identifies three new investment structures that could help catalyse finance to meet the world’s pressing environmental challenges and sustainable growth goals.
Story | 07 Jan, 2016
The List of World Heritage in Danger is not a disgrace, but an opportunity
A key success of 2015 was the removal of Colombia’s Los Katíos National Park from the List of World Heritage in Danger. It was danger-listed in 2009 at the request of the government, after suffering extensive damage from illegal activities. The park authority has now regained control of the site…
Story | 05 Jan, 2016
Twelve nomination files reviewed for natural World Heritage in 2016
IUCN’s World Heritage Panel gathered last December to consider 12 files for possible inscriptions of natural sites on the World Heritage List in 2016. This includes proposals for boundary changes in two natural World Heritage sites in Russia. As the official Advisory Body on natural World…