Story | 23 Apr, 2018
The wonders of Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Lebanon
Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, accounting for a quarter of the remaining cedar forest in Lebanon, was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in July 2005. Covering approximately 50,000 hectares - or 5% of the total area of Lebanon, the legendary cedar is still revered and remains prominent in…
Story | 24 Jan, 2018
Innovative and collaborative: The future of plastic waste management in Sri Lanka
Plastic has become an essential part of life nearly everywhere in the world. Its durability, malleability, light weight and low production cost makes it one of the most widely-used material on the planet, which, in turn, has led to equally-widespread consequences for the environment.
Story | 08 Jan, 2018
Youths unite for sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka
Nishanthan Sobana and her husband are a young couple from Sri Lanka's Mannar District who finished school in the crippled economy of the war-torn Northern Province. Even with her Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Nishanthan initially found it challenging to find a permanent job with a…
Story | 20 Sep, 2017
The northern province of Sri Lanka has gone through some tough times. Between 1980 to 2009, a civil war left over 60,000 people dead, 20,000 missing and 300,000 without homes. The province suffered another setback in 2004 when the Indian ocean struck and displaced over 5000 families.
Story | 17 Aug, 2017
Health N’ Delft: Low-salt dried fish for the health conscious
On Delft, an island in the Palk Strait north of Sri Lanka, approximately 1,200 out of a population of 4,502 rely on fisheries for their livelihoods. As freezer facilities to store fish are not available in the island, fishermen are forced to sell their daily catch to buyers from the mainland,…
Story | 07 Aug, 2017
In Iranawila village in Puttalam, a district situated on the west coast of Sri Lanka, 90% of the population relies on fishing for their livelihoods. In the past decade, villagers have been cutting and selling mangroves trees for the construction of dwellings, for firewood and for making…
Story | 14 Jun, 2017
IUCN and Anantara collaborate to protect marine turtles in Sri Lanka
At a time where increasing pressure is being placed on the environment, the private sector is realising the importance of conserving natural habitats and biodiversity in order to protect the viability of their businesses. In Sri Lanka, as a symbol of their pledge to…
Story | 26 Apr, 2017
Towards Deep-Sea Conservation in Lebanon
Following the first analysis of the deep sea expedition in unexplored areas of the Lebanese coast, the Deep-Sea Lebanon project has held on April 27th, 2017, the first workshop to discuss with relevant national stakeholders the feasibility of creating deep sea MPAs in Lebanon. .
Story | 28 Nov, 2016
Over 200 species found during Deep-Sea surveys of submarine canyons in Lebanon
After a one month deep sea expedition in unexplored areas of the Mediterranean, scientists have found over 200 species, including new records that have only been previously reported in the Atlantic Ocean and in polar regions.
Story | 06 Oct, 2016
Asia Protected Areas Partnership continues to gain momentum
IUCN Asia’s regional protected areas initiative, the Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP), has made significant headway with the adoption of the APAP constitution, alongside several other new developments.