Blog | 09 Jun, 2017
Blog: Connecting to people connected to nature
I pulled my phone out of my pocket to find a new message: I was out of service and increased data charges would apply. For the next six days, contact with the outside world would be limited to late evenings in the guest house: freedom.
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 | 25 May, 2017
International Day for Biodiversity: Nature-based tourism integrated plan needed for Bangladesh
A well-managed ecosystem provides an important foundation for many aspects of tourism. Tourism revenue, in turn, can contribute to the maintenance, protection and conservation of key wildlife populations – which is why the theme of this year’s International Day of Biodiversity (IDB), announced…
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 | 21 May, 2017
Banning vs. legalise and regulate in forest management
Two years ago, on a field survey in Bac Kan Province in Viet Nam, we heard about a farmer who needed 30 stamps to get a permit to harvest a single Styrax tonkinensis tree that was growing on his land. Even though the tree was on land that was designated as plantation forest and the farmer had a…
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…
Story | 04 May, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…
Story | 26 Apr, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…
Story | 12 Apr, 2017
What are mangroves worth? There’s no easy answer
Our existence depends on flows of goods and services delivered by a stock of natural resources – our ‘natural’ capital. But as we have degraded the planet’s ecosystems, we’ve lost huge stocks of this natural capital and we are starting to feel the pinch.