Story | 18 Apr, 2017
Voices of the future: Involving youth in restoration
Young people have immense potential to contribute to forest conservation and restoration. Watch our video and read on to see how and why IUCN is harnessing their knowledge and skills to tackle some of the world's most pressing issues.
Story | 17 Mar, 2017
Allanblackia oil: from a wild-harvested seed to your morning toast
The fruits of the Allanblackia, a tree considered vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, are harvested in the tropical rain belt of Africa – from Guinea in the west through to Tanzania in the east. Oil from the seeds has been extracted for generations and used for cooking or soap…
Story | 14 Mar, 2017
When farmers and small land holders organise into producer groups to support both livelihoods and forests, remarkable things can happen to a landscape – including a system to sustainably harness energy from forests. That is exactly what happened in a small agroforestry venture in Thailand – and…
Story | 02 Mar, 2017
The building blocks of pledging to the Bonn Challenge – Cameroon’s story
Cameroon recently announced a 12 million hectare restoration pledge to the Bonn Challenge by 2030 – the largest thus far from Central Africa. The question arises, how do countries decide to commit? What is the groundwork that goes into it? We look closer at Cameroon’s experience.
Story | 17 Feb, 2017
Cameroon to restore 12 million hectares of forest in species-rich Congo Basin
Cameroon has committed to restoring over 12 million hectares of deforested and degraded land by 2030 as part of the Bonn Challenge initiative. The pledge is the biggest made so far in the species-rich Congo Basin, home to the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest.
Story | 13 Feb, 2017
The power of radio – empowering farmers in Uganda to restore their lands
In 2014, IUCN’s Forest Programme partnered with Farm Radio International (FRI) to roll out an interactive radio series for farmers living in the ecologically-fragile Mount Elgon region. A recent evaluation of the initiative, published in the journal Society and Natural Resources, revealed that…
Story | 02 Feb, 2017
A roadmap to protect the Miombo Woodlands
In July 2016, the Miombo Network – southern Africa’s oldest regional network – met in Mozambique to discuss the conservation of the endangered Miombo woodlands. The meeting resulted in a roadmap for the protection of this fragile ecosystem.
Story | 26 Jan, 2017
World Wetlands Day: Strengthening resilience and collaboration to reduce disaster risk
On February 2nd the world celebrates its wetlands – complex ecosystems that provide a wide variety of services and benefits for people and nature. Wetlands such as estuaries, mangroves, marshes, and swamps play, beyond their biological role, a key part in helping people cope with disasters. Yet…
Story | 18 Jan, 2017
Uganda assesses restoration potential, identifies approximately 8 million hectares as suitable
The Government of Uganda, in partnership with IUCN, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and other government agencies, conducted an extensive assessment of restoration potential in the country. The study identified 8,079,622.1 ha. of land that could benefit from restoration and will help Uganda…
Story | 02 Nov, 2016
Until recently, the significance of forest dependence had not been well understood. It was generally assumed that the livelihood value of forests was primarily derived from cash commodities like charcoal – and particularly for poorer households, as a safety net to help them through hard times.…