Press release | 08 Jun, 2010
Coasts of life: helping tropical seaside communities cope with climate change
Climate change is hitting coastal areas hard: rises in sea levels, ocean acidification, extreme events, bleaching and death of coral are all climate impacts which will require adjustments socially and economically. A new IUCN report, published today, provides practical guidance for coastal…
Story | 26 May, 2010
REDD payments as incentive for reducing forest loss
"Strategies for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) could become an important part of a new agreement for climate change mitigation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Story | 25 May, 2010
Can conservation and development really be integrated?
"Most biodiversity conservation projects in poor tropical countries also aspire to alleviate the poverty of local people. The results of these integrated conservation and development projects have often been disappointing. This paper argues that it would be impossible for both practical and…
Press release | 24 May, 2010
Seismic threat to Critically Endangered whales
A seismic survey planned by the Russian petroleum company Rosneft in summer 2010 poses a major threat to the Critically Endangered Western Gray Whale population. In a letter to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (…
Story | 23 May, 2010
Asia-Pacific Science, Technology and Society Network (APSTSN)
With a focus on developing stronger regional networks and collaborations in the Asia-Pacific, the APSTSN has formed to better address environmental, cultural, social, ethical, and political and policy issues raised by scientific innovation and technological change in our region. Membership is…
Story | 23 May, 2010
Mediating forest transitions: ‘grand design’ or ‘muddling through’?
"Present biodiversity conservation programmes in the remaining extensive forest blocks of the humid tropics are failing to achieve outcomes that will be viable in the medium to long term. Too much emphasis is given to what we term ‘grand design’—ambitious and idealistic plans for conservation…
Press release | 22 May, 2010
One step forward to halting biodiversity loss?
Governments have made “positive moves” towards coming up with a plan to reduce the current loss of biodiversity, which is threatening the future of our planet. Over the past two weeks, delegates at a meeting in Nairobi have been discussing the scientific and technical aspects behind a new “big…
Story | 22 May, 2010
Forest management in Africa: is wildlife taken into account?
"Human activities in tropical forests are disruptive processes and can trigger numerous, yet not completely understood, mechanisms or effects which will in turn alter, in a more or less significant way, the overall function, structure and composition of the ecosystem.
Story | 21 May, 2010
Reconciling conservation and development: are landscapes the answer?
"The landscape scale is being used for complex initiatives that have the dual objective of conserving biodiversity and alleviating poverty in developing countries. Working at landscape scales greatly expands the level of ambition of conservation organizations. The skills and competencies needed…
Press release | 19 May, 2010
Are protected areas in Africa harbouring invasive species?
Protected areas, long thought of as safe refuges for animals and plants, are under increasing threats from invasive species which not only affect biodiversity but also people’s livelihoods. Protected areas can have huge social and economic value, particularly in Africa, where national parks are…