Story | 23 Feb, 2017
Canada protects unique glass sponge reefs
The conservation community is celebrating a new marine protected area (MPA) for Canada’s ancient and unique glass sponge reefs, which provide a vital habitat to a wide range of marine animals including endangered rockfish. The designation came about through the tireless work of The Canadian…
Story | 26 Jan, 2017
World Wetlands Day: Strengthening resilience and collaboration to reduce disaster risk
On February 2nd the world celebrates its wetlands – complex ecosystems that provide a wide variety of services and benefits for people and nature. Wetlands such as estuaries, mangroves, marshes, and swamps play, beyond their biological role, a key part in helping people cope with disasters. Yet…
Story | 14 Dec, 2016
Update on global statistics from Protected Planet Report 2016
The latest update to the Protected Planet Report 2016 shows that there are now just under 15,000 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) spread across 18.5 million square kilometres of ocean and sea. Up to 13% of territorial waters are now protected, and dramatic progress has been made towards achieving…
Story | 12 Dec, 2016
PANORAMA at the CBD COP 13 in Cancún, Mexico: Creating dialogue, expanding the partnership
Following the launch of the new PANORAMA platform at the recent IUCN World Conservation Congress, the partnership and web platform is growing and expanding. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s 13th Conference of the Parties (CBD COP13) in Cancún, Mexico, provided the stage for two PANORAMA…
Story | 17 Nov, 2016
Safety net: climate change response and recovery in northern Panay, Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan wrought destruction in the Philippines exactly three years ago, in November 2013. The island communities of northern Panay were particularly hard-hit. Recovery efforts relied heavily on coastal resources, and especially on fish for subsistence survival, yet boats, nets and other…
Publication | 2016
Marine protected areas and climate change
The ocean is a major player in the regulation of the world’s climate system. The purpose of the report is to provide information to underpin the outcomes of COP21 and in particular to demonstrate the importance of the role of MPAs in climate change adaptation and mitigation. To do this the…
Story | 07 Nov, 2016
World Commission on Protected Areas - Marine: making a big splash for the future of our ocean
The 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney saw a significant scaling-up of recognition of ocean issues by IUCN, WCPA-Marine and partners. Since then, much has taken place behind the scenes to expand WCPA-Marine action areas,whilst strengthening existing programmes, membership services and…
Story | 07 Sep, 2016
Using ecosystems to solve societal problems is the way forward, say IUCN members and United Nations representatives at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawai’i, this week.
Publication | 2016
Explaining ocean warming : causes, scale, effects and consequences
Ocean warming may well turn out to be the greatest hidden challenge of our generation. This report represents the most comprehensive review to date on ocean warming. To build up the report, leading scientists from around the world were invited to join with colleagues to contribute individual…
Publication | 2016
Nature-based solutions to address global societal challenges
This report has been prepared as part of an effort by IUCN to define its position on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and plan for future work to advance this concept and support effective implementation of NbS to enhance ecosystem services provision and address societal challenges. The report…