Press release | 27 Jun, 2024
Albania joins IUCN as its newest State Member
IUCN, the world’s biggest environmental network, extends a warm welcome to Albania as its 87th State Member, following their formal endorsement of the IUCN Statutes. This step demonstrates Albania's commitment to global conservation efforts. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment has been…
Story | 02 Feb, 2020
Cold Winter Deserts of Central Asia among potential World Heritage sites, new IUCN report finds
Cold Winter Deserts in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are among six globally significant biodiversity sites in Central Asia that could potentially qualify for World Heritage status, according to a new report launched today by IUCN, the official advisor on natural World Heritage.
Story | 29 Oct, 2019
Conservationists have a community, an international space for the problems they have conquered, a way to find how others have solved their conservation conundrums, and the building blocks to answer their current and future issues. This is…
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 | 25 Jan, 2019
Fostering water, energy and food security in Central Asia
Water represents one of the greatest challenges for Central Asia. As its population grows -projected to be 90 million people in 2050- so does the need for creating more jobs, producing more food, more energy - yet water resources are limited. Climate change impacts are expected to exacerbate…
Story | 14 Dec, 2018
Identifying potential World Natural Heritage sites in Central Asia
Aiming to ensure the conservation of sites with outstanding natural values in Central Asia, IUCN is engaging with the five countries in the region to spark consultation and build knowledge on the…
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 | 24 Jul, 2017
Places of extraordinary natural value inscribed as World Heritage
UNESCO's 41st session of the World Heritage Committee took place in Kraków, Poland from 2 to 12 July 2017. Four natural wonders that have been inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2017 followed the advice of the IUCN’s advisory body on nature to the World Heritage Committee. Two new…
Story | 17 May, 2016
A vision for protected areas in Europe
By Andrej Sovinc, WCPA Regional Vice Chair for Europe. With more than 120,000 protected area sites, Europe accounts for more protected areas than any other region. Many of these areas reflect Europe's rich cultural heritage and long lasting co-existence of man and nature which shaped different…
Story | 28 May, 2015
IUCN issues second round of recommendations on natural World Heritage
IUCN’s recommendations to the World Heritage Committee are now all available online, following a second release of reports on 29 May. IUCN recommends ‘in danger’ status for Brazil’s Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks. IUCN also recommends changes to Russia…