Publication | 2020
IUCN EICAT categories and criteria : first edition
A unified classification of alien taxa based on the magnitude of their environmental impacts has been developed in response to these issues. EICAT (Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa) is a simple, objective and transparent method for classifying alien taxa in terms of the …
Story | 26 Aug, 2020
At an online ceremony hosted by the International Union for the Conservation for Nature (IUCN) and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the prestigious Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability was…
Story | 10 Aug, 2020
An ocean hero dedicated to vaquita conservation succumbs to COVID-19
IUCN is deeply saddened by the loss of Mexican conservationist Paco Valverde, who dedicated his life to protect the vaquita – the world’s smallest porpoise and most threatened marine mammal. Paco was regarded as an ocean hero who inspired his community to care for the marine environment on which…
Story | 05 Aug, 2020
The IUCN SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (“the Task Force”) today announces the approval of thirteen new Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in the Extended Southern Ocean Region.
Story | 17 Jul, 2020
Blue carbon and more: mangroves as superheroes
Mangrove forests and swamps are nature's superheroes, a vital ecosystem for climate mitigation, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and many other benefits for humans and animals alike. On this International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem 2020, we present an interactive…
Story | 06 Jul, 2020
Deep-sea mining effects may be felt from top to bottom, surface to seabed
Seabed mining effects will probably not be confined to the sea floor, argues a Proceedings of the National Academy (PNAS) journal article from the University of Hawaii, co-authored by IUCN's High Seas Adviser, Kristina Gjerde. The effects will be…
Story | 30 Jun, 2020
Building ambition for the High Seas Treaty: June IUCN webinar series. What did you miss?
The goal of the three sessions was for all to better understand the UN Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (the High Seas Treaty), to address potential points of divergence, and to build ambition for the …
Story | 13 May, 2020
Blue Finance builds an alliance to monetise and more effectively protect Marine Protected Areas
A key obstacle to effectively managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is a lack of economic resources, but at the Oriental Mindoro MPA in the Philippines, a consortium of dedicated partners is turning one of the world`s most productive ecosystems…
IUCN Statement | 30 Apr, 2020
IUCN deplores the brutal killing of 17 people in Virunga National Park
IUCN is deeply shocked by the tragic loss of 12 park rangers, a staff driver and four civilians close to Virunga National Park, following an attack by armed militia on 24 April. One of the world’s most biodiversity-rich areas and home to the last remaining mountain gorillas, Virunga is Africa’s…
Story | 25 Mar, 2020
Nature-based Solutions for Water Infrastructure at your service
'Natural water infrastructure' is not built infrastructure. Instead, it is shaped, grown, eroded or deposited by nature over time. It refers to services nature provides for free, such as mangroves protecting shorelines from storms, peatlands sequestering carbon, wetlands filtering contaminated…