Story | 30 Nov, 2018
New report lays groundwork for benefit sharing in Meghna River Basin
IUCN’s Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) project has developed a profile and preliminary scoping study on Benefit sharing opportunities in the Meghna Basin for Bangladesh and India. The document is the first of its kind to address the lack of…
Story | 21 Nov, 2018
Sometimes, you just need to let nature take its course
Growing over an estimated area of over half a million hectares, mangrove coverage in Myanmar is the second largest in Asia after Indonesia. These mangroves provide food, shelter and livelihoods to millions of delta and coastal dwellers in…
Story | 05 Oct, 2018
Mangroves For the Future video: A look back
IUCN Asia and Mangroves for the Future (MFF) have produced a video showcasing MFF’s growth and impact in Asia. This video was recently premiered at the 15th meeting of the MFF Regional Steering Committee that took place in Bali, Indonesia, at the end of September…
Story | 12 Jun, 2018
Common pool: Equitable water governance brings prosperity to Sabkhali
The Sundarbans, a vast forest in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal, are considered one of the natural wonders of the world. Lying adjacent is Sabkhali, a largely agricultural village, highly vulnerable to climate change and tidal surges, salt water intrusion, and waterlogging. The area is…
Story | 04 Jun, 2018
Where the heart is: Myanmar’s village conservation committees give people reason to stay
For those who live along the coast of the Pyinbugyi Islands at the mouth of Southeastern Myanmar’s Tevoy River, fishing has always been a way of life. Unfortunately, of late, commercial offshore fishing has meant that many locals aren’t able to fill their nets as they used to. Rice farming,…
Story | 19 Apr, 2018
Smiles and slapstick as Rohingya refugees learn to corral elephants
This article, originally published by AFP, highlights how IUCN, UNCHR and volunteers are using life-sized elephant puppets made of colourful cloth to teach Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's Kutupalong Camp, the world’s largest refugee settlement, how to react when elephants enter their camps. …
Story | 29 Mar, 2018
Cookstoves for forest conservation in Teknaf, Bangladesh
Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary is crucial habitat for many species, but until recently, the forests of the peninsula and the mangroves along the bank of Naf River were the only sources of fuel wood for the nearby villages. The increased prevalence of wood cutting resulted…
Story | 02 Nov, 2017
Cooperative governance of the Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna Basins (GBM) region was strengthened through the recent launch of a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) vision for improved transboundary water management. The vision, which was developed by a network of over 25 CSOs from Bangladesh, Bhutan,…
Story | 18 Oct, 2017
MFF holds 14th Regional Steering Committee Meeting in Myanmar
The IUCN and UNDP regional coastal initiative Mangroves for the Future (MFF) held its 14th Steering Committee meeting in Yangon to assess achievements over the past year and discuss the programme's sustainability beyond 2018.
Story | 23 Jun, 2017
TROSA: New trans-boundary water governance initiative aims to enhance regional cooperation
Over the last decade, IUCN has been working with governments, civil societies and academics in Asia on trans-boundary hydro-diplomacy through its initiatives in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) and Mekong river basins. Based on IUCN’s experiences and its long-term experience in the Mekong…