Story | 06 Dec, 2021
Conflict and climate change pressures on natural World Heritage in the Arab region
A new report, Tabe’a III, examines for the first time the impacts from conflict in natural World Heritage sites in the Arab States, as well as those from extreme weather conditions. It also looks at the connections between nature and culture in the management of these sites.
Jointly published | 2021
This Tabe’a III report addresses the status and trends in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Arab region during the period from 2015 to 2019. This review was conducted in the context of emerging global trends and priorities associated with the World Heritage Convention,…
Publication | 2021
Leveraging the World Heritage Convention for conservation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
The Himalaya proper is commonly defined as the rugged arc between the Tibetan Plateau and the Ganges Plain stretching from the Indus River in the northwest to the great bend of the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Tsangpo) in the east. The natural and cultural wealth of the HKH region is as…
Press release | 12 Nov, 2021
IUCN welcomes recognition of nature’s role at COP26 and calls for more ambition
IUCN welcomes the progress made in Glasgow, including with respect to nature. However, it stresses that this headway will not be sufficient to “keep 1.5°C alive”, and calls for significant and meaningful step change at COP27. We are running out of time and options.
Jointly published | 2021
World Heritage forests : carbon sinks under pressure
World Heritage forests are some of the most biodiversity-rich habitats on Earth and play a crucial role in climate regulation by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. However, these forests are under increasing anthropogenic pressures, including climate change. By combining remote…
Story | 31 Oct, 2021
Climate-resilient action plan - for Drylands
CEESP News: by A Amarender Reddy, Centre Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, India *
Land degradation, water scarcity, poverty, and hunger are major problems faced in drylands across the world. Drylands are degraded across continents due to over-cultivation,…
Story | 29 Oct, 2021
This International Black Sea Action Day, 31st October, 11 habitats of Red-List Endangered Black Sea harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins as well as Vulnerable Black Sea common dolphins have been formally awarded Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) status by the…
Press release | 27 Oct, 2021
The first ever scientific assessment of the amounts of greenhouse gases emitted from and absorbed by forests in UNESCO World Heritage sites has found that at least 10 key sites have been net carbon sources over the past 20 years, meaning that they have given off more carbon than they sequestered…
Story | 27 Oct, 2021
Webinar: Internationally designated areas and climate change
During the UN climate conference in Glasgow, IUCN, in partnership with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, will hold an online webinar on assessing and addressing climate change through internationally designated (IDAs) areas, such as World Heritage sites, Ramsar Sites, Biosphere Reserves and…
Story | 19 Oct, 2021
Marine Heatwaves: a serious threat to marine biodiversity and livelihoods
Back in 2011, extremely warm water temperatures persisting over thousands of kilometres along the coastline of Western Australia caused coral bleaching, mass die-out of marine life and wiped out kelp forests. Since then, this phenomenon of abnormally high-water temperatures has been recorded in…