Top news

World Heritage status not sparing iconic natural sites from mining and dams
26.10.2016

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,...

Photo gallery: World Heritage mission to the Sundarbans in Bangladesh
18.10.2016

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...

Lawrence S. (Larry) Hamilton 1925-2016 – a good friend and a great colleague
17.10.2016

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.* 

New momentum for the global commons
17.10.2016

Leaders from international organisations, business and civil society have rallied around a new effort to safeguard the global commons on which all life depends.  

What does the new trade ban mean for pangolin conservation?
14.10.2016

Pangolins gained the highest levels of protection under CITES with the decision to bring in a ban on international trade. Dan Challender from IUCN’s Global Species Programme and Co-Chair of IUCN’s SSC Pangolin Specialist Group looks at what this means for the...

Law and the future of conservation: Perspectives from the World Conservation Congress, Hawaii
13.10.2016

At the World Conservation Congress in early September, thousands gathered to discuss the future of conservation.  These included scientists, explorers, economists, and activists, as well as judges and lawyers.  Environmental law has proliferated in...

Keeping leopards in the spot(light) at CITES
13.10.2016

At the 17th Congress of Parties of the Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species (CITES CoP17) in Johannesburg, a side event reinforced the fact that leopards (Panthera pardus) need to stay in the spotlight and remain a conservation priority.

IUCN informs key decisions at the CITES conference on wildlife trade
07.10.2016

This article was also published in The Huffington Post At the recently concluded 17th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of the Parties (CoP17) – the largest meeting of its kind ever...

Growing support for regulating international trade in rays and sharks
06.10.2016

Governments from around the world took solid steps toward ray and shark conservation at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Johannesburg, South Africa when they included...

A unified voice for African rhinos: Continent-wide conservation plan launched
28.09.2016

African rhino conservation has seen a major boost this week with the launch of the continent-wide African Rhino Conservation Plan, led by South Africa and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s African Rhino...

IUCN behind major advance for seahorse conservation
28.09.2016

Thailand, the world’s largest exporter of seahorses, decided on Friday to end seahorse exports until it can address the threats they pose to wild populations. The decision followed 22 years of work on the issue by IUCN SSC’s Seahorse, Pipefish and Stickleback...

Kering, ITC and IUCN release new data on the sustainability and livelihood benefits of python trade
26.09.2016

Three new reports published today by the Python Conservation Partnership (PCP), a partnership between Kering, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Species Survival Commission Boa and Python Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation...

Poaching behind worst African elephant losses in 25 years – IUCN report
23.09.2016

Africa’s overall elephant population has seen the worst declines in 25 years, mainly due to poaching over the past ten years – according to IUCN’s African Elephant Status Report launched today at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES,...

IUCN Congress boosts support for Indigenous peoples’ rights
10.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, 9 September 2016 (IUCN) – Key decisions boosting support for Indigenous peoples’ rights have been adopted by IUCN State, government and civil society members today at the IUCN World Conservation Congress taking place in Hawaiʻi. 

New ocean Hope Spots, vetted by IUCN and Mission Blue, to ignite global support for ocean protection
09.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawaii, 9 September 2016 – Fourteen new ocean Hope Spots – marine areas critical to the health of the ocean and deserving special protection – have been announced today by Mission Blue and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, at the...

First global conservation priorities set – IUCN World Conservation Congress
07.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, 6 September (IUCN) – Limiting illegal trade in threatened species, promoting nature-based solutions to climate change and accounting for biodiversity conservation in the development of renewables are among the first global conservation...

Latest ocean warming review reveals extent of impacts on nature and humans
05.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, 5 September (IUCN) – Ocean warming is affecting humans in direct ways and the impacts are already being felt, including effects on fish stocks and crop yields, more extreme weather events and increased risk from water-borne diseases,...

Four out of six great apes one step away from extinction – IUCN Red List
04.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, 4 September 2016 (IUCN) – The Eastern Gorilla – the largest living primate – has been listed as Critically Endangered due to illegal hunting, according to the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ released today at the...

Bonn Challenge approaches target to restore 150 million hectares of degraded land
04.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, 3 September 2016 (IUCN) – The Government of Malawi and the Association of Guatemalan Private Natural Reserves have committed to restoring a total of 4.54 million hectares of degraded land as part of the Bonn Challenge initiative, as...

IUCN-led panel finds critically endangered whales in Russia recovering, but warns industry still poses threat
03.09.2016

The critically endangered western gray whale population that feeds in Russia’s Far East waters is slowly showing signs of recovery, but their numbers and range are still at risk from industry activity in the region, according to a new report released today at...

The World Now Protects 15% of Its Land, but Crucial Biodiversity Zones Left Out
03.09.2016

Close to 15% of the Earth's land and 10% of its territorial waters are covered by national parks and other protected areas; coverage of marine protected areas increased by almost 300% in the last decade; and eight in 10 key biodiversity areas worldwide lack...

New coalition launches to scale private conservation investment at IUCN World Conservation Congress
03.09.2016

Financial industry, international organisations, and academic sector join forces to initiate new coalition to create investment opportunities and tools to help bring conservation projects to the marketplace

Turn down the volume: New IUCN guide helps navigate seismic survey impacts on marine species
03.09.2016

Honolulu, Hawai’i, 2 September (IUCN) – A guide launched today by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, outlines best practices to ensure environmentally responsible seismic surveys and other forms of undersea mapping, with the aim of...

IUCN Congress set to debate new global policy on biodiversity offsets
29.08.2016

As governments and business struggle to reconcile conservation and economic goals, the IUCN World Conservation Congress will debate the first-ever global policy on biodiversity offsets -- a mechanism increasingly used to compensate for the residual negative...

Paper reveals nature conservation knowledge is a bargain
17.08.2016

A new study released today finds that the knowledge databases which underpin nature conservation and environmental decision-making – such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ - cost US$ 6.5 million annually to manage, plus the dedication of thousands...