Story | 07 Nov, 2016
World Commission on Protected Areas - Marine: making a big splash for the future of our ocean
The 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney saw a significant scaling-up of recognition of ocean issues by IUCN, WCPA-Marine and partners. Since then, much has taken place behind the scenes to expand WCPA-Marine action areas,whilst strengthening existing programmes, membership services and…
Story | 03 Nov, 2016
The latest progress report on the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), released today, emphasises the important role played by forest landscape restoration and the Bonn Challenge in achieving international climate targets. With COP22 just around the corner, Carole Saint-Laurent, Deputy…
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 | 26 Oct, 2016
World Heritage status not sparing iconic natural sites from mining and dams
Paris, 26 October 2016 – Extractives and large dams are among the biggest threats to natural World Heritage sites, including iconic places such as Virunga National Park, Iguaçu and the Sundarbans. This is a conclusion of the World Heritage Committee meeting, following recommendations by the…
Story | 26 Oct, 2016
Oceans, Law, and the IUCN World Conservation Congress
While the UN Preparatory Committee met in New York to discuss a new instrument on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, on the other side of the country, in Hawai'i, the global community grappled with the same fundamental issue: how to ensure conservation of the world’s…
Story | 19 Oct, 2016
IUCN launches the Bonn Challenge Barometer of Progress
The Bonn Challenge Barometer of Progress – a protocol that will monitor commitments made to the global restoration goal – was announced by IUCN at the World Conservation Congress in Hawai’i.
Story | 18 Oct, 2016
Photo gallery: World Heritage mission to the Sundarbans in Bangladesh
A mission report making a set of 10 recommendations for action to secure the long-term protection of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh has just been published. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) carried out a field mission to the site in March 2016, jointly with UNESCO’s…
Story | 17 Oct, 2016
Lawrence S. (Larry) Hamilton 1925-2016 – a good friend and a great colleague
We have lost one of the great architects of protected areas world-wide. After a short illness, Larry Hamilton died on 6 October near his home in Vermont. His beloved wife, Linda, was with him. By Adrian Phillips.*
Story | 17 Oct, 2016
New momentum for the global commons
Leaders from international organisations, business and civil society have rallied around a new effort to safeguard the global commons on which all life depends.
Story | 14 Oct, 2016
Future of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas at Risk
Efforts to adopt effective marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, a global commons containing the world’s most pristine marine ecosystems, are being thwarted by political infighting and fishing interests.