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 | 18 Jul, 2017
Developing a management plan for the wise use of the Gulf of Mottama
On January 23-24, 2017 in Mawlamyine, the second at state/region consultation workshop on developing a management plan for the wise use of the Gulf of Mottama was organised as a part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Community-Led Coastal Management in the Gulf of Mottama…
Story | 26 Jun, 2017
New tools to assess vulnerability of wetlands in the Mekong
From June 19 to 21, IUCN staff, partners, and local officials from the Xe Champhone and Beung Kiat Ngong Ramsar sites in Lao PDR gathered in Champhone District for a training on the use of a new series of tools to assess the vulnerability of the areas’ wetlands. The…
Story | 16 May, 2017
Conserving wetlands in Myanmar: Gulf of Mottama is Myanmar’s fourth Ramsar site
Myanmar is home to an extraordinary diversity of wetlands, which include mountainous wetlands; large freshwater marshes and lakes; and coastal mangroves, mudflats and coral reefs. These ecosystems support fisheries, provide clean water, store carbon and protect local people from the impacts of…
Story | 04 May, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…
Story | 26 Apr, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…
Press release | 03 Apr, 2017
Enhancing regional cooperation to protect and restore Indo-Burma wetlands
The importance of regional cooperation took centre stage at the first Steering Committee meeting and inception workshop for the Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI), held on 29 and 30 March in Bangkok, Thailand.
Story | 20 Jan, 2017
Adopting a wetland management committee in the Gulf of Mottama
A National Wetland Management Committee was successfully established at the "Pre-Consultation and Forming a Wetlands Management Committee Workshop”, jointly organised by HELVETAS, Network Activities Group (NAG), Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) and IUCN on 23 November…
Story | 02 Aug, 2016
IUCN has launched a call for proposals for the management and delivery of the Project Preparation process for the ‘Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems in Mekong Countries’ project. Approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council in April 2016, the project will be…
Story | 29 Jul, 2016
Fierce yet fragile: Coexistence in a changing world
Tigers once inhabited vast parts of Asia, from Indonesia to the Central Asian states; they have now vanished from over 90% of their former range. On International Tiger Day we look at how IUCN's tiger programme is helping humans and tigers coexist – and making sure these magnificent predators…