Story | 29 Jul, 2019
Celebrating the extension of the Ohrid Region World Heritage site in Albania
The oldest and one of the most biodiversity rich lakes in Europe is now recognised as World Heritage in its entirety. The already inscribed part of the Ohrid region, located in North Macedonia, was extended at the 2019 World Heritage Committee meeting held earlier this July in Baku to include…
Story | 07 Jun, 2019
Azerbaijan brings regional restoration commitments to 3 million hectares
Azerbaijan announced it will restore 170,000 ha of degraded lands by 2030 - and an additional 100,000 ha conditional upon receiving funding - under the Bonn Challenge. The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150 million ha of degraded and deforested land into restoration by 2020 and 350…
Story | 07 May, 2019
Towards Natura 2000 in Albania
The centrepiece of EU nature policies, Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected sites in the world. Despite being on a steady rise, the Albanian system of protected areas is facing numerous challenges, stemming from the country’s fast development in recent years. To help…
Story | 10 Dec, 2018
Forest Landscape Restoration in Caucasus and Central Asia
Forest loss, land degradation and decline in ecosystems services is growing across the Caucasus and Central Asia region, resulting in loss of the biological and economic productivity of the land, decreases in environmental benefits, and a substantial negative impact on national economies. Yet,…
Story | 19 Nov, 2018
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as WildArk – A Movement for the Wild are thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural Pathfinder Award for innovation in nature conservation. The…
Story | 06 Jul, 2018
The first Bonn Challenge Regional Ministerial Roundtable for the Caucasus and Central Asia was a massive success with several countries in the region pledging to bring 2.5 million hectares into restoration.
Story | 14 Feb, 2018
Azerbaijan to create the first Marine Protected Area in the Caspian Sea
Azerbaijan is upgrading and expanding the Gizilaghaj State Reserve to become a National Park and will include the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water on the planet. The new MPA will seek to protect six significant marine species on the brink of…
Story | 17 Nov, 2017
COP23 event showcases EU leadership on nature-based solutions
National and regional government officials as well as representatives from the European Commission, business and civil society took part in a panel discussion organised by IUCN Europe at the UNFCCC COP23 in Bonn on Tuesday 14 November on the role of nature-based solutions in helping Europe to…
Story | 15 May, 2017
During the weekend of Earth Day 2017 celebrations, over 80 individuals gathered in a four-day Forum and launched the BalkaNatureNet, set up to become a transnational meeting point for all individuals working in the fields of nature conservation and education for sustainable development (ESD) in…