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 | 08 Feb, 2017
In January 2017, Antonio H. Benjamin became the first Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law to ever visit Vietnam. WCEL membership has great potential to grow and the IUCN Vietnam Country Office in Hanoi provides great opportunities for increased cooperation. Additionally, the…
Story | 11 Jan, 2017
It started with ten farmers sitting around a fire: a tale of a community forestry enterprise
Nearly a decade has passed since a small group of farmers gathered around a fire to lament the increasing costs of their trade, and the toll that modern practices and inputs was taking on their land. As the embers of the fire settled, they resolved to take action to improve their farms,…
Story | 12 Dec, 2016
Value we see in trees: innovation and the exchange of ideas
Innovation is a key to improving the rights and livelihoods of farmers and small land holders while encouraging them to plant trees and effectively restore landscapes. During a regional knowledge exchange in Thailand, the Tree Bank offered one such innovation.
Story | 13 Oct, 2016
Video: Key stakeholders’ perspectives on International Water Law in the Mekong
International rivers, such as the Mekong, are crucial arteries carrying the lifeblood of freshwater that sustains human existence and ecosystems around the world. It is estimated that there are 276 transboundary river basins (TRB) and 200 transboundary aquifers around the world but 60…
Story | 10 Jun, 2016
Wildlife trade and dams putting natural World Heritage at risk – IUCN
Natural World Heritage sites face major threats, such as commercial logging, poaching, gillnet fishing and dams, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In its recommendations to the World Heritage Committee, which meets in July, IUCN has advised that three…
Story | 30 May, 2016
IUCN recommends five World Heritage listings
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, recommends World Heritage status for five sites nominated for their outstanding natural values. The advisory body on natural World Heritage, IUCN also recommends action against major threats in listed natural sites and danger-listing for two…
Story | 04 Mar, 2016
Getting SMART about tackling wildlife crime on the frontline.
With illegal wildlife trade being a core issue of the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, the role and value of SMART conservation software is pertinent. Marking World Wildlife Day March 3 2016, we travel to the Okapi Faunal Reserve in Democratic Republic of Congo to learn more about…
Story | 15 Nov, 2015
Report calls on aluminium industry to respect indigenous peoples' rights
Geneva, Switzerland, 16 November 2015 – While global demand for the world’s most popular metal – aluminium – continues to rise, it is critical that the aluminium industry address its environmental and social impacts, particularly in indigenous peoples’ territories, according to new report…
Press release | 02 Jul, 2015
Jamaica’s first World Heritage listing ups the number of natural sites to 229
The Blue and John Crow Mountains has become Jamaica’s first World Heritage site today, following advice from IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, responsible for evaluating the site’s natural values. Extensions of South Africa’s Cape Floral Region Protected Areas and Viet…