Story | 21 May, 2017
Banning vs. legalise and regulate in forest management
Two years ago, on a field survey in Bac Kan Province in Viet Nam, we heard about a farmer who needed 30 stamps to get a permit to harvest a single Styrax tonkinensis tree that was growing on his land. Even though the tree was on land that was designated as plantation forest and the farmer had a…
Story | 15 Mar, 2017
Training tour guides on the beauty of nature in Ha Long Bay
“The beauty of Ha Long Bay lies in its unique geographical, landscape, biodiversity and cultural-historical values. Currently, its biodiversity values are poorly known and tourists need more information on this issue. We lack knowledge to turn these values into better products and experiences…
Story | 08 Aug, 2016
Ha Long Bay decision: Polystyrene banned and must be replaced
The Ha Long City People’s Committee officially announced last week the decision to ban the usage of polystyrene in floating villages and fishing activities around the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site.
Story | 19 Jul, 2016
Viet Nam: Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance third leadership committee meeting
On July 6, IUCN organised the semi-annual Leadership Committee meeting of the USAID-funded Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance (HLCBA) at the Vinpearl Ha Long Resort on Reu Island in Ha Long Bay. The 66 participants included senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Ministry of…
Story | 12 Jul, 2016
Tackling Ha Long Bay’s polystyrene plague
From a distance, the scattered beaches of Vietnam’s iconic Ha Long Bay appear pristine. But as you get closer you realize that the picturesque World Heritage Site is engaged in a battle to prevent itself from drowning in trash.
Story | 30 Jun, 2016
Action for a green Ha Long: Volunteers unite to clean-up bay
As part of the USAID-funded Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance (HLCBA), a clean-up day was organized by IUCN and Au Co Cruises on June 14 in Ha Long Bay with over 100 volunteers from across Viet Nam.
Story | 11 Nov, 2015
IUCN and UNESCO welcome no-go pledge for World Heritage sites by Tullow Oil
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, the official advisory body on natural World Heritage, and UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre have welcomed a new commitment by British company Tullow Oil plc to stay out of World Heritage sites. The firm had received a licence to explore for…
Story | 08 Sep, 2015
World Heritage status for wilderness helps respond to climate change
Nature experts, including several IUCN specialists, are calling for a new approach to conserving wilderness areas under the World Heritage Convention in a paper published today in Conservation Letters. Inscribing wilderness sites on the World Heritage List and improving their connectivity…
Press release | 24 Jun, 2015
Climate change and dams threaten natural World Heritage, warns IUCN
Climate change and large dam projects are putting natural World Heritage sites at risk, says IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, the official advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, meeting this Sunday in Bonn, Germany.
Story | 08 Jun, 2015
To have healthy oceans we need healthy marine wildlife
According to the United Nations, World Oceans Day is about a healthy planet being based on healthy oceans – so true and in so many ways! The ecological pressures on Earth’s oceans are as diverse and daunting as the storms that can roll across its blue horizons. But there is hope rolling in the…