Story | 14 Jun, 2017
IUCN and Anantara collaborate to protect marine turtles in Sri Lanka
At a time where increasing pressure is being placed on the environment, the private sector is realising the importance of conserving natural habitats and biodiversity in order to protect the viability of their businesses. In Sri Lanka, as a symbol of their pledge to…
Blog | 09 Jun, 2017
Blog: Connecting to people connected to nature
I pulled my phone out of my pocket to find a new message: I was out of service and increased data charges would apply. For the next six days, contact with the outside world would be limited to late evenings in the guest house: freedom.
DG Statement | 07 Jun, 2017
IUCN Director General's statement on World Oceans Day
Where did life on Earth begin? The fact is, no one really knows. Charles Darwin imagined a “warm little pond”, while some scientists today speculate about tide pools and hot springs. Increasingly, however, scientists are narrowing in on one hypothesis: that life began around a deep sea…
Story | 30 May, 2017
Tanguar Haor: A wetland in the hands of the people
After almost a century of exclusive ownership by wealthy elites, Tanguar Haor is finally back in the hands of the people who rely on it. A 10-year initiative of the government of Bangladesh, supported by IUCN and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, has recently drawn to a close.…
Story | 25 May, 2017
International Day for Biodiversity: Nature-based tourism integrated plan needed for Bangladesh
A well-managed ecosystem provides an important foundation for many aspects of tourism. Tourism revenue, in turn, can contribute to the maintenance, protection and conservation of key wildlife populations – which is why the theme of this year’s International Day of Biodiversity (IDB), announced…
Story | 21 May, 2017
Banning vs. legalise and regulate in forest management
Two years ago, on a field survey in Bac Kan Province in Viet Nam, we heard about a farmer who needed 30 stamps to get a permit to harvest a single Styrax tonkinensis tree that was growing on his land. Even though the tree was on land that was designated as plantation forest and the farmer had a…
Story | 16 May, 2017
Conserving wetlands in Myanmar: Gulf of Mottama is Myanmar’s fourth Ramsar site
Myanmar is home to an extraordinary diversity of wetlands, which include mountainous wetlands; large freshwater marshes and lakes; and coastal mangroves, mudflats and coral reefs. These ecosystems support fisheries, provide clean water, store carbon and protect local people from the impacts of…
Story | 04 May, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…
Story | 26 Apr, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…
Story | 16 Mar, 2017
Can restoring mangroves help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?
The answer is yes. Restoring and protecting mangroves helps fulfil multiple Global Goals, from improving life below water, to reducing poverty and hunger, to many goals in between. We take a closer look at why.