Story | 09 Mar, 2012
World Water Forum: nature takes centre stage
Natural ‘infrastructure’ such as river basins, forests, lakes and wetlands, plays a key role in addressing today’s global water needs and must be an integral part of every country’s water management portfolio, says IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) at the World Water Forum…
Story | 27 Feb, 2012
Identifying Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas on Seamounts
Seamounts are major topographic features on the high seas and form distinctive habitats in areas that would otherwise be dominated by sedimentary plains (Clark et al. 2010). They are typified by biota that is distinct from species in surrounding sedimentary areas and can be extremely vulnerable…
Story | 31 Dec, 2011
Setting gold standards for conservation
An important role of the IUCN Congress is to showcase the knowledge and tools we can use to better manage our natural world. As well as being a world leader on species and their conservation needs, IUCN offers the expertise needed to establish and sustainably manage our protected areas—national…
Story | 21 Dec, 2011
World Firsts on Henderson Island
The Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB), an IUCN Member, and the Pitcairn Islands Government have announced that the ground-breaking rat eradication operation to restore Henderson Island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in the South Pacific, has been successfully implemented. The…
Story | 18 Dec, 2011
IPBES Forum: One for all, all for one
Are you eager to be engaged in shaping an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and defining its goals? Do you want to bring your knowledge and experience to the attention of governments and other decision makers? Here is your chance. The…
Story | 05 Dec, 2011
Forest Day: the face of forests at UN climate change negotiations
Forest Day has become something of a tradition at the annual UN climate change conference, the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP). Here at COP17 in Durban, Forest Day 5 was held on 4 December, bringing together over 1000 people who work on – and are passionate about – forestry issues, including…
Story | 27 Nov, 2011
More than 180,000 protected areas—national parks, nature reserves and so on—now cover over 12% of the world’s land area and 7.2% of coastal waters. They play an important role in reducing carbon emissions and helping people adapt to the impacts of climate change. These are the findings of a…
Press release | 22 Nov, 2011
European Environment: alarming decline in plants, molluscs and freshwater fish
Europe's natural heritage is showing an alarming decline, according to new research published today. The European Red List, a part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, assessed a considerable portion of Europe’s native fauna and flora, finding that a large proportion of molluscs,…
Story | 16 Nov, 2011
Species on the Edge app is launched
Acclaimed by the US Apple Store as ‘New and Noteworthy’, the new Species on the Edge app is a detailed guide to 365 species from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Featuring stunning photos and thought-provoking information it allows users to learn about threatened species from around the…
Story | 31 Oct, 2011
Economic Assessment for Ballast Water Management: A Guideline
The aim of this guideline is to aid maritime administrators, or other lead agencies working with ballast water management, to assess and quantify (as appropriate and possible) the potential economic consequences of unintended marine species introductions. Such economic understanding is intended…