Story | 14 Nov, 2014
Behind the frontlines: Interagency cooperation supporting rangers' work in Thailand
Updating SOS on project developments from an emergency funding grant for work in Thap Lan National Park, Thailand, Eric Ash of Freeland Foundation, an IUCN Member, is succinct. “While it is critical to support front-line rangers and other park-based stakeholders first and foremost, reducing…
Story | 28 Jul, 2014
Rising murder toll of park rangers calls for tougher laws
With poachers responsible for more than half of ranger deaths over the past two years, IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the International Ranger Federation (IRF) call for a toughened stance against wildlife crime globally, marking World Ranger Day celebrated across…
Story | 15 Apr, 2014
Director Virunga National Park shot
Emmanuel de Mérode, director of Virunga National Park in DR Congo, was shot on Tuesday in an ambush on the road from Goma to Rumangabo. He is in serious but stable condition. No further details are available on the attack at the present time.
Story | 20 Mar, 2014
Supporting our forest guardians
Almost exactly a year ago, on the 14th of March 2013, 33-year old Thaweesak Chomyong, a ranger working in Thailand’s Pang Sida National Park was fatally shot when a group of poachers fired upon his patrol team before fleeing the scene. This was not an isolated incident. The neighbouring Thap Lan…
Press release | 02 Feb, 2014
IUCN welcomes Total’s ‘no-go’ commitment in World Heritage sites
Oil and gas company Total has confirmed that it will not carry out extractive operations within natural World Heritage sites, including Virunga National Park. IUCN welcomes this decision and calls on all oil and gas companies to follow suit.
Story | 22 Jul, 2013
Improving access to forest resources
It is commonly claimed that forest tenure reform that provides rural people with rights to access and use of forest resources can contribute to improved forest management and poverty alleviation. But, at least with respect to poverty alleviation, there are few experiences with formal forest…
Story | 21 Jul, 2013
Rethinking economics, markets and incentives
Based on a review of the experiences gained during the course of LLS, this paper documents insights and lessons about using markets and incentives to strengthen forest landscapes and livelihoods. It aims to interrogate just what a ‘landscape approach’ means in economic terms, to identify how…
Story | 20 Jul, 2013
Improving ecosystem functionality and livelihood
This paper examines how interventions intended to improve functionality and productivity of forested landscapes to improve livelihoods of the poorest populations, might actually yield co-benefits in terms of biodiversity conservation. It argues in favour of a ‘landscape’ approach to achieve…
Story | 15 Jul, 2013
Unusual Partnership - Doe Mae Salong Landscape, Thailand
The Doi Mae Salong watershed in the north-west of Thailand is the headwater of the Mae Chan River, a tributary of the Mekong River. As such, it is an extremely important landscape for the economy of the region. The landscape has the particularity of being designated a Military Reserved Area and…
Story | 02 Aug, 2012
IUCN invests in rainforest rehabilitation to offset Congress footprint
To help compensate for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the 2012 World Conservation Congress in Jeju, IUCN has selected a credible, sustainable project for effective offsetting. The project is Infapro, by Face the Future, and is based on improved forest management in Borneo.