Story | 28 Aug, 2017
Nature Lovers return mangroves to Pulau Dua
Well-known for its importance as a breeding site for water birds, Pulau Dua was established as a nature reserve in 1937. Unfortunately, in recent decades, much of Pulau Dua’s mangroves were cleared for shrimp farms. With coasts deteriorated, fish that had previously used the mangroves as…
Story | 08 Aug, 2017
Smallholder farmers, local ecological knowledge and climate change
In the rural village of Amphoe Khlong Khuean in Chachoengsao Province, central Thailand, small-scale farmers living in wetland areas along Bang Pakong River met with IUCN staff and partners to discuss the impacts of climate change and development on local livelihoods. Using a series of…
Story | 07 Aug, 2017
In Iranawila village in Puttalam, a district situated on the west coast of Sri Lanka, 90% of the population relies on fishing for their livelihoods. In the past decade, villagers have been cutting and selling mangroves trees for the construction of dwellings, for firewood and for making…
Story | 31 Jul, 2017
How mangroves got their roots back in East Java
Clean air and food on the table. For World Mangroves Day, we're highlighting the ways mangroves offer sustainable solutions to those communities whose livelihoods depend on the resources provided by a resilient coast.
Story | 18 Jul, 2017
Developing a management plan for the wise use of the Gulf of Mottama
On January 23-24, 2017 in Mawlamyine, the second at state/region consultation workshop on developing a management plan for the wise use of the Gulf of Mottama was organised as a part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Community-Led Coastal Management in the Gulf of Mottama…
Story | 26 Jun, 2017
New tools to assess vulnerability of wetlands in the Mekong
From June 19 to 21, IUCN staff, partners, and local officials from the Xe Champhone and Beung Kiat Ngong Ramsar sites in Lao PDR gathered in Champhone District for a training on the use of a new series of tools to assess the vulnerability of the areas’ wetlands. The…
Story | 01 Jun, 2017
Towards a solid ‘Mediterranean Wetlands Alliance’
After a first workshop held in October 2016, in which participants discussed the potential need, added value and main focus of the creation of a possible Mediterranean Wetlands Alliance. Malaga is hosting the second Mediterranean Wetlands Alliance Meeting on June 1st, 2017.
Story | 30 May, 2017
Tanguar Haor: A wetland in the hands of the people
After almost a century of exclusive ownership by wealthy elites, Tanguar Haor is finally back in the hands of the people who rely on it. A 10-year initiative of the government of Bangladesh, supported by IUCN and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, has recently drawn to a close.…
Story | 22 May, 2017
Tapping into sustainable tourism to safeguard biodiversity
As the sun rises and the flooded forests of Cambodia’s Stung Seng wildlife sanctuary come alive with the chattering and whooping of endangered monkeys with their elegant silvery-grey fur, fishermen from the Phat Sanday commune make their way towards the lake to set their nets for the day.
Story | 16 May, 2017
Conserving wetlands in Myanmar: Gulf of Mottama is Myanmar’s fourth Ramsar site
Myanmar is home to an extraordinary diversity of wetlands, which include mountainous wetlands; large freshwater marshes and lakes; and coastal mangroves, mudflats and coral reefs. These ecosystems support fisheries, provide clean water, store carbon and protect local people from the impacts of…