Story | 04 Jul, 2017
Ethiopian park comes off World Heritage ‘danger list’ but challenges remain
Simien National Park in Ethiopia has been removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger at the 41st World Heritage Committee meeting, taking place this week in Kraków, Poland. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Committee’s advisory body on nature, highlights that…
Press release | 30 Jun, 2017
Gland, Switzerland, 30 June 2017 (IUCN) – Illegal fishing, logging and poaching are impacting two-thirds of the 57 natural World Heritage sites monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this year, putting some of the world’s most precious and unique ecosystems and…
Story | 28 Apr, 2017
In one of the most dangerous regions on the planet, two heroes inspire their communities
Beyond conservation science, World Heritage is driven by human motivations such as pride, and passion. Bantu Lukambo and Josué Kambasu Mukura were recognised at the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress as Heritage Heroes for their outstanding contribution to the conservation of Virunga National…
Story | 02 Mar, 2017
The building blocks of pledging to the Bonn Challenge – Cameroon’s story
Cameroon recently announced a 12 million hectare restoration pledge to the Bonn Challenge by 2030 – the largest thus far from Central Africa. The question arises, how do countries decide to commit? What is the groundwork that goes into it? We look closer at Cameroon’s experience.
Story | 26 Jan, 2017
World Wetlands Day: Strengthening resilience and collaboration to reduce disaster risk
On February 2nd the world celebrates its wetlands – complex ecosystems that provide a wide variety of services and benefits for people and nature. Wetlands such as estuaries, mangroves, marshes, and swamps play, beyond their biological role, a key part in helping people cope with disasters. Yet…
Story | 02 Nov, 2016
Until recently, the significance of forest dependence had not been well understood. It was generally assumed that the livelihood value of forests was primarily derived from cash commodities like charcoal – and particularly for poorer households, as a safety net to help them through hard times.…
Story | 29 Sep, 2016
Enabling rights-based REDD+ frameworks in tropical countries
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) can improve lives, protect forests and biodiversity, and mitigate climate change. Forests serve as natural storage sinks for carbon, and deforestation is the second leading cause of carbon emissions contributing to climate…
Story | 28 Sep, 2016
Event: Sharing knowledge from REDD+ projects in Ghana, Mexico and Peru
On September 29, 2016, IUCN’s Global Forest Programme (GFP) is hosting a learning exchange on benefit sharing mechanisms in REDD+ initiatives at the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Assembly Meeting. The event is taking place in Accra, Ghana and will be live streamed so you can tune in…
Story | 21 Sep, 2016
In this second part of a two-part blog series, George Akwah Neba, IUCN’s REDD+ Programme Officer, continues his discussion on secured livelihoods as a critical dimension of the rights-based approach and pro-poor oriented frameworks for REDD+.
Story | 14 Jul, 2016
Rising illegal wildlife trade threatens natural World Heritage sites, warns IUCN
The rise in demand for products derived from animals and plants, such as elephant tusks or precious wood, is causing an increase in illegal logging and poaching in natural World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Committee, which holds its annual meeting this week in Istanbul, today discussed…