Story | 21 Dec, 2011
World Firsts on Henderson Island
The Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB), an IUCN Member, and the Pitcairn Islands Government have announced that the ground-breaking rat eradication operation to restore Henderson Island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in the South Pacific, has been successfully implemented. The…
Press release | 21 Dec, 2011
Seminar on Karez – An Indigenous Water Management System
Widely attended by the government officials, donors, academics, researchers, water experts and the media, IUCN Pakistan held a seminar on “Karez: an indigenous water management system” in Islamabad.
Story | 18 Dec, 2011
IPBES Forum: One for all, all for one
Are you eager to be engaged in shaping an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and defining its goals? Do you want to bring your knowledge and experience to the attention of governments and other decision makers? Here is your chance. The…
Press release | 13 Dec, 2011
Saving Nemo: charisma is not enough
If conservation action is not taken, there may come a time when no one will be able to find Nemo. One in every six species related to characters in the movie Finding Nemo is threatened by extinction, according to a new study by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and Simon…
Story | 06 Dec, 2011
Protecting nature makes sense: IUCN and Rio Tinto assess conservation’s costs and benefits
A new study by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) finds that by financing the restoration or protection of natural areas, companies can offset the negative impacts of their operations and generate significant economic benefits, but the needs of local communities must be…
Story | 05 Dec, 2011
Forest Day: the face of forests at UN climate change negotiations
Forest Day has become something of a tradition at the annual UN climate change conference, the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP). Here at COP17 in Durban, Forest Day 5 was held on 4 December, bringing together over 1000 people who work on – and are passionate about – forestry issues, including…
Press release | 05 Dec, 2011
Empowering local communities defends against climate change
Durban, South Africa, 5 December 2011 (IUCN) — The world’s poorest people are on the frontlines of climate change, with everything to lose and little to cushion the blow of its far-reaching impacts. A new position paper by the Ecosystems and Livelihoods Adaptation Network (ELAN) illustrates how…
Story | 01 Dec, 2011
The role of ecosystems in adaptation is recognized at the international level under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Ecosystem-based approaches to…
Story | 28 Nov, 2011
Sharing water, sharing benefits: lessons on dams from West Africa
More than 150 large dams have been built in West Africa over the past 50 years. Many more are in the planning to meet the region’s demands for energy, water and food. But how can these developments rime with environmental sustainability and participatory processes?
Story | 27 Nov, 2011
More than 180,000 protected areas—national parks, nature reserves and so on—now cover over 12% of the world’s land area and 7.2% of coastal waters. They play an important role in reducing carbon emissions and helping people adapt to the impacts of climate change. These are the findings of a…