Story | 13 May, 2014
Vietnam: The Ha Long Bay Alliance
Steep limestone pillars rising sharply out of the emerald green waters of Ha Long Bay – the image is synonymous with Vietnam. Every year, thousands of tourists visit this UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site to experience its majestic beauty. The weight of these visitors combined with rapid…
Story | 01 May, 2014
IUCN 2014 World Heritage recommendations now available
IUCN’s evaluations of 10 sites nominated to obtain World Heritage status are now public ahead of the upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting. In addition, the first batch of State of Conservation reports, prepared jointly by IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, has been released.
Story | 01 May, 2014
Viet Nam ratifies the Nagoya Protocol
Montreal, 1 May 2014 – With four new ratifications in the last week, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization has received 66% of the necessary ratifications, with only 17 more ratifications needed for it to…
Story | 16 Apr, 2014
IUCN condemns attack on Virunga’s Chief Warden
IUCN is deeply shocked by the news of the violent attack on Virunga National Park’s Chief Warden Emmanuel de Merode, which took place yesterday.
Press release | 02 Apr, 2014
Bad news for Europe’s bumblebees
Twenty four percent of European bumblebee species are threatened with extinction according to a recent study assessing the species group at the European level.
Press release | 21 Mar, 2014
Assessing countries’ true land restoration potential now possible, says IUCN
The largest landscape restoration initiative in history gained further momentum today - the International Day of Forests - as IUCN and other partners provide the world’s nations with new guidance on assessing their national restoration potential.
Story | 20 Mar, 2014
Supporting our forest guardians
Almost exactly a year ago, on the 14th of March 2013, 33-year old Thaweesak Chomyong, a ranger working in Thailand’s Pang Sida National Park was fatally shot when a group of poachers fired upon his patrol team before fleeing the scene. This was not an isolated incident. The neighbouring Thap Lan…
Press release | 11 Mar, 2014
Governments unite to conserve iconic Sargasso Sea
Governments of Bermuda, the Azores, Monaco, United Kingdom and the United States have signed a declaration committing to the conservation of the Sargasso Sea – a vast patch of mid-Atlantic Ocean known for its unique floating seaweeds that harbour rich biodiversity. This is the first time an…
Story | 23 Feb, 2014
(Un)protected Areas: Rosewood Poaching in Thailand’s Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai World Heritage Site
The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex encompasses some of the most pristine forests and wildlife habitats in Thailand and is globally important for its biodiversity; that is why it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. However, in recent years, the four national parks and…
Story | 11 Feb, 2014
Terms of Reference for IPBES expert selection
The IPBES Secretariat has provided additional information to guide the ongoing nomination of experts for the IPBES work programme. Please consult these Terms of Reference (ToRs) in relation to the work…