IUCN - News

Food Security: making the ecosystem connections

2013-05-16

Worldwide, 870 million people go hungry every day. With the world population projected to exceed nine billion people by 2050, global agricultural output must expand by an estimated 60% to meet global food needs.

Public discussion on large dams in West Africa

2013-04-04

A public meeting on 'Large dams in West Africa: how to reconcile energy production, food security and conservation of ecosystems' was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on March 13.

Signs of progress on women’s role in tackling climate change

2013-03-08

To mark International Women’s Day, IUCN is celebrating the progress made in recognising the role of women in national and regional climate change agendas.

Women take action in the face of climate change

2012-11-26

A new IUCN publication outlining action plans for women to help them adapt to climate change and minimize its impact has been launched today at the 18th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Doha, Qatar.

Report Calls for REDD+ to Invest in Forest Communities

2012-05-16

Income generated from REDD+ should be given to forest communities to invest in their future, recommends a new report by The Forests Dialogue (TFD). Investing locally in this way should be part of understanding REDD+ as integral to broader development among forest-dependent communities.

Europe’s sacred lands – a secret in need

2012-04-04

‘The Diversity of Sacred Lands in Europe’, provides a unique insight into Europe’s often forgotten sacred natural sites. It looks into their history, importance and the threats they currently face. The book is a must-read for managers of European protected areas and landscapes and those interested in the religious and cultural aspects of European natural sites. Published by IUCN and Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services of Finland, the book is part of a series issued by The Delos Initiative of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas.

Advance Albania

2012-02-01

What can be done to help Albania—a country of rich natural wealth but where many people struggle to make ends meet? One plan under way is to get the country’s national parks and other protected areas to support the needs of people as well as nature.

The future we want - preparing for Rio+20

2012-01-31

Preparations are gearing up for the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development that takes place in June, with the release of the so-called ‘zero draft’ of the conference’s outcome document.

Striking a balance

2011-10-01

There’s a growing realisation that successful conservation comes from strengthening governance processes and involving the people who live with and depend on nature. In northern Kenya, IUCN and partners, with support from UKaid and other donors, are helping to secure a future for endangered Grevy’s zebra and the people who share a land with this iconic species.

Easing the pressure

2011-10-01

The Dadaab refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya, the biggest in the world, is vastly overstretched due to an influx of people fleeing conflict in the wider Eastern Africa region. The local environment is equally feeling the strain.

Speak up and change your life

2011-08-08

In Bangladesh, IUCN and partners are transforming the lives of women and poor fishermen by giving them better access to natural resources and a louder voice in decisions on how these resources are managed.

The old ways are the best—reviving traditional knowledge in West Asia

2011-07-01

An ancient conservation practice born in the Arabian desert more than 1,500 years ago is now being revived in the battle-scarred greenery of Lebanon to help meet the complex challenges of a modern economy.

Greener ways to end poverty

2011-06-27

Poverty and environmental degradation go hand-in-hand throughout the world; each can cause the other. With the global population likely to reach nine billion by 2050 there is an urgent need to address both in tandem when devising new economic development models.

CEESP Sharing Power Conference Film

2011-06-15

A short film produced by participants at the CEESP Conference in Whakatane, New Zealand (January 2011)

IUCN pioneers work on gender equality in tackling climate change impacts

2011-05-12

The importance of involving women in preventing and managing disasters is widely recognized but doing so in an effective and holistic way is more challenging.

Community based adaptation: local solutions for a global concern

2011-04-06

Community-based adaptation is about helping people cope with the impacts of climate change. At the recent 5th annual conference on “Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change” in Dhaka, Bangladesh, researchers, practitioners and policymakers gathered to share knowledge and experience in planning and practicing adaptation at different levels.

Climate change resilience and good water governance in Mesoamerica

2011-03-28

A recent workshop in the Sixaola River watershed, located on the Caribbean side of the Costa Rica-Panama border, highlighted the vulnerability of communities to increasing climate change impacts.

IUCN hosts UN discussions on making gender environmental benchmark

2011-03-24

Gender issues could be the common thread running through global environment and development work, and therefore be at the centre of restructuring the UN system to be more consistent across agencies, programmes and conventions.

World Water Day: thirsty cities

2011-03-22

Coping with the growing water needs of cities is one of the most pressing challenges of this century. Half of the world’s population now lives in cities and it’s estimated that within two decades that will increase to nearly 60% of the population, or 5 billion people.

World’s poorest billion to gain from managing own forests

2011-03-21

The lives of a billion of the world’s poorest people could be improved though investing in community forest management, according to a recent IUCN study. As the world celebrates World Forest Day, IUCN urges decision-makers to recognize the various benefits of forests for forest-dependent communities.