Story | 22 Apr, 2021
Waste pickers role in plastic pollution reduction: the ones we cannot leave behind
In countries characterized by unstable waste management systems, the informal sector plays a critical role in the recycling processes, especially in regards to plastic waste. Informal waste recycling often consists of urban poor and marginalized social groups who find a source of income and…
Blog | 20 Apr, 2021
A Place to Call Her Own: Land titling and gender-based violence in South Kivu, DRC
In the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there are no female chiefs or heads of wards across the 40 villages in Walungu. The low level of representation in these leadership spaces means that women face an uphill battle when it comes to accessing land rights.
Story | 20 Apr, 2021
An insight into the cultural and spiritual value of water
Value can be seen from three different perspectives. As an exchange value, meaning the price of a good in the market; as a utility, in other words the use value of a good or service; and finally, importance which relates to the appreciation or emotional value attached to a given good or service…
Story | 20 Apr, 2021
Melting summits: the need to adopt a “science-governance and diplomacy” approach to climate change
On February 7, 2021, more than 200 people lost their lives to a flash flood in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. History is repeating itself here as in June 2013, more than 3,000 people went missing, and 800 died, in similar circumstances, and in the same area. In both cases, the location…
Story | 16 Apr, 2021
Earth observation data for environmental law compliance monitoring
Easy to use and readily accessible technological solutions that provide satellite data to non-Earth Observation experts can serve as a powerful tool for environmental compliance monitoring and law enforcement. To inspire discussion on the potential of such innovative tools, the IUCN…
Story | 14 Apr, 2021
First the Rhino, now the Elephant, what is next?
Could the Rule of Law be the solution?
In line with the African black rhinoceros, the African forest elephant is now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The significant population decline over the past decades is not only caused by the loss of…
Story | 13 Apr, 2021
New Marine Protected Areas MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) now open
The IUCN Programme on African Protected Areas & Conservation is launching a new MOOC on Marine protected areas (MPAs). This new course will complement other courses on protected areas already available, such as Protected areas management in Africa, Ecological…
Story | 26 Mar, 2021
Local organisations “are not simple add-ons” to conservation
David Kaimowitz of the Forest and Farm Facility shares his thoughts on the role of the global organisation he now manages, discusses a new report on Forest Governance by Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, and touches on connections to primary forests…
Story | 25 Mar, 2021
Blockchain for forest landscape restoration: FLRchain marries two brilliant concepts
Were those trees actually planted? IUCN has teamed up with Gaiachain to develop FLRchain – a blockchain-based application to follow forest landscape restoration implementation through a verifiable ledger system that traces transactions from funding…
Story | 18 Mar, 2021
Viet Nam develops action plan on reducing plastic waste of fisheries sector
On 5 February 2021, the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) issued the Decision 687/QD-BNN-TCTS to approve the action plan on marine plastic waste management in the fisheries sector (2020 – 2030). The Decision has received high appreciation from relevant stakeholders as…