Story | 06 Jun, 2017
Saving the world’s rarest primates by involving indigenous communities
A community-based conservation programme in northeastern Viet Nam is actively involving indigenous communities in Ha Giang and Cao Bang Province to protect the habitats of two Critically Endangered primates, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) and…
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 | 19 May, 2017
Milestone: CEPF awards $1 million in small grants
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) has reached another milestone in Indo-Burma: over US $1 million in small grants have been disbursed to conservation projects within the region.
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 | 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 | 29 Nov, 2016
IUCN reaffirms commitment to tackling illegal wildlife trade at high-level conference in Viet Nam
The Hanoi Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, held on November 17 and 18, brought together global leaders with the goal of eradicating illegal wildlife trade, and to ensure effective protection of endangered wildlife from the imminent threats of extinction.
Story | 22 Nov, 2016
Representatives of 54 countries met in Hanoi, Viet Nam, from 17-18 November for the Hanoi conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, the third conference of its kind after London (2014) and Kasane (2015). The goal of the conference was to eradicate illegal wildlife trade, and to ensure effective…
Story | 03 Sep, 2016
The IUCN CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (IUCN SULi), IUCN Viet Nam, the IUCN Indo-Burma Group, the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) and TRAFFIC, are holding a regional workshop for Southeast Asia with a focus on the Lower Mekong Region to…
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…