Story | 10 Sep, 2018
Second phase of FFF gets going in Vietnam
The first phase of the Forest & Farm Facility (FFF), which ran from 2012 to 2017, was a clear success. In the 10 focal countries, over 900 forest and farmer producer organizations (FFPOs) were strengthened, 279 business plans were completed, 51…
Story | 14 Aug, 2018
Rethink plans to dam Mekong after Laos disaster
Barrage collapse highlights risks and need for alternative energy sources - The collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam after heavy rains last month that killed more than 30 in Laos and left thousands of Lao and Cambodian people…
Story | 05 Jul, 2018
How to increase the value of Vietnam’s forestry sector?
On a visit to Quang Tri in 2016 we asked a forest ranger where the best forest was. He said it was in remote areas too inaccessible for illegal logging or land conversion. If an area has fertile soil and is easy to access, people will turn it into farmland. When we asked a young farmer in Yen…
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 | 11 Jun, 2018
Bangladesh National Committee of IUCN Members celebrates the World Environment Day 2018 in Dhaka
On 5 June 2018, the Bangladesh National Committee of IUCN Members organised a symposium to celebrate World Environment Day at the National Press Club in Dhaka. The presenters at the symposium discussed the theme of this year’s World Environment Day (“Beat Plastic Pollution”) and focussed on…
Story | 10 May, 2018
The Xe Kong 1 dam: why it matters for Vietnam
The Xe Kong, which rises in Thua Thien Hue before flowing into Lao PDR and then into Cambodia, is the last unobstructed major tributary of the Mekong and is of irreplaceable value for regional food security and the productivity of the Mekong Delta. …
Story | 03 Apr, 2018
E-learning course on integrated land use planning launched in Tanzania
Under the leadership of the Environmental Law Centre, IUCN and UNITAR have jointly developed a new e-learning course on ‘Integrated planning for climate change and biodiversity’. The course was launched on 20 March 2018, in Mbeya, Tanzania, by Dr Anna Sabrina Wollmann of the UN Institute for…
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 | 19 Mar, 2018
Nijhum Dwip in Bangladesh: Loud voices for the “quiet island” on World Wetlands Day
To celebrate World Wetlands Day on February 2, IUCN, MFF, and USAID, in collaboration with ECOFISH, WorldFish and the “Climate Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods” project, organised a number of activities in Nijhum Dwip to highlight the importance of the island,…
Story | 05 Feb, 2018
60 year-old Sau Dung is a fisherman who lives by the Hau River, a tributary of the Mekong in Viet Nam’s Hau Giang Province. His family relies on his catch, and with his skill and hard work, he can earn VND 6 million (US$ 265) every month. But there are not many…