The Vision for Water and Nature is the "environment and ecosystems" component of the World Water Vision exercise of the World Water Council. It represents the first meaningful attempt to fully integrate environment issues into the development of a comprehensive strategy for water resource management at the global level. The vision was developed by IUCN through an extensive consultation effort based on three thematic workshops on freshwater ecosystem management and social, economic and environmental security, respectively. Instead of considering the environment as one of many water management sub-sectors, IUCN's consultations led it to emphasize the crucial role of ecosystems as the basis of our life support systems, without which security cannot be achieved and sustained. The vision also proposes a plan of action to help us achieve the sustainable world we envision in 2025.
This handbook is designed for staff in protected areas around the world who encounter conflicts of all kinds. It presents a framework and strategies for responding to different types of conflicts, along with case studies that describe a variety of approaches for dealing with conflict.
The paper published here was produced for discussion during the first World Conservation Congress in Montreal, Canada in October 1996. Drawing on the scientific and technical expertise of his colleagues as well as on past experience, the author sets out to draw a picture of what our environmental world will look like in the year 2025. Although by no means making any claims to be a definite treatise on the subject, this paper nevertheless raises some interesting questions about environmental trends and our capacity to adapt to change in order to shape our future.
These proceedings provide an overview of the ongoing research and management activities on polar bears in the circumpolar arctic. Together with the previous 13 proceedings, they provide an historic record of international efforts in protecting, studying and managing polar bears. With recent documentation of how warmer arctic climate might affect the sea ice habitat of polar bears, the predictions of even warmer climate in the next decades, and documentation of effects on polar bears subpopulations, an evaluation of the red list status of polar bear subpopulations was followed by an increased conservation designation of vulnerable. In the complexity of possible interactions between climate change, local harvest, and in some areas high levels of pollutants, an increased level of international cooperation was advocated.
These proceedings provide an overview of the ongoing research and management activities on polar bears in the circumpolar arctic. Together with the previous 12 proceedings, they provide an historic record of international efforts in protecting polar bears from over-harvest and document more recent concerns of threats arising from increased human activities in both the Arctic and in regions far beyond the realm of polar bears. More proactive management is needed to address limitations in the knowledge of population dynamics. New information indicates that the greatest future challenges to polar bear conservation may be ecological change in the Arctic due to climate change and pollution. The complex, global nature of the issues requires international cooperation and development of diverse, new approaches to address them.
Proceedings of a technical workshop on all aspects of research of polar bears from remote sensing and satellite tracking to hunting. Includes reports on polar bear studies in the Beaufort Sea, NWT Oil Spill action plan, Arctic Pilot Project, etc.
There are currently three species of Asian rhino: the Indian or greater one-horned Asian rhino, the Javan or lesser one-horned Asian rhino and the Sumatran or Asian two-horned rhino. Today, all three are threatened with extinction and two, the Sumatran rhino and Javan rhino, critically so. Although the Indian rhino is to be found in greater numbers than the other two, the threats to this species nevertheless remain significant. As in the case of the African rhinos, the threats to the Asian rhinos stem from poaching for the horn, the primary demand for which is in traditional Chinese medicine but which is also a speculator's commodity in several consumer nations. However, a further threat to these animals is also posed by the destruction of their habitat. Indeed, two of these species inhabit the tropical rainforest which is being destroyed. This action plan describes the major requirements for rhino conservation and describes some of the programmes which can and are being implemented to stem the threats to these species such as managed breeding and the "in situ" conservation of their habitats.
Proceedings of the tenth working meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group held in Sochi, USSR, October 25-29, 1988. Emphasis on polar bear conservation and management with reports from Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, Norway, Alaska and Soviet Arctic.
These proceedings provide an overview of the ongoing research and management activities on polar bears in the circumpolar arctic. Together with the previous 12 proceedings, they provide an historic record of international efforts in protecting polar bears from over-harvest and document more recent concerns of threats arising from increased human activities in both the Arctic and in regions far beyond the realm of polar bears. More proactive management is needed to address limitations in the knowledge of population dynamics. New information indicates that the greatest future challenges to polar bear conservation may be ecological change in the Arctic due to climate change and pollution. The complex, global nature of the issues requires international cooperation and development of diverse, new approaches to address them.
Proceedings of a technical workshop on all aspects of research of polar bears from remote sensing and satellite tracking to hunting. Includes reports on polar bear studies in the Beaufort Sea, NWT Oil Spill action plan, Arctic Pilot Project, etc.
This handbook is designed for staff in protected areas around the world who encounter conflicts of all kinds. It presents a framework and strategies for responding to different types of conflicts, along with case studies that describe a variety of approaches for dealing with conflict.
The Draft Covenant is a blueprint for an international framework (or umbrella) agreement consolidating and developing existing legal principles related to environment and development. Since the publication of the second edition in 2000, there have been important developments in the field of international environmental law. This revised edition takes account of these changes, following a review of important new treaties and soft law documents, including the Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation. This publication serves as an authoritative reference and checklist for legislators, civil servants and other stakeholders worldwide when drafting new, or updating, existing policies and law.
Proceedings of the tenth working meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group held in Sochi, USSR, October 25-29, 1988. Emphasis on polar bear conservation and management with reports from Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, Norway, Alaska and Soviet Arctic.
Following the first international workshop on the economics of ocean acidification organized by the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2010, a second international workshop was held in November 2012, which explored the level of risk, and the resilience or vulnerability of defined regions of the world ocean in terms of fishery and aquaculture species and economic impacts, and social adaptation. This report includes the findings and recommendations of the respective regional working groups and is the result of an interdisciplinary survey of ocean acidification-sensitive fisheries and aquaculture.
The Vth IUCN World Parks Congress was the largest gathering of protected area experts. In September 2003, some 3,000 participants met in Durban, South Africa for 10 days of reflection, discussion, debate and networking to consider the state of the world's protected areas, the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead. Are included the reports on the plenary sessions, symposia and workshop, as well as the main outputs from the event
The research focus for the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law in 2003 was a timely and challenging one, entitled 'The Law of Energy for Sustainable Development'. As contemporary world politics demonstrates, energy resources and generation are crucial issues facing the international community. As research on energy law, at the international, regional, and national level is in its infancy, the insights provided by the contributors to this 2005 volume are a significant addition to the field.
This action plan chronicles the threats faced by wild orchids, but more importantly to critical habitats that host extraordinarily high orchid diversity and endemicity. It explores and recommends specific ways that national and local government, legislators, scientists and orchid conservationists as well as growers can all help to reverse present trends. The facts and viewpoints presented in this comprehensive document update and supplement the information available to conservation organizations and agencies through the world so that they can lobby their appropriate government offices more effectively.
Natural World Heritage sites are internationally recognized as having the highest global conservation significance and include iconic places such as the Serengeti, Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands. These renowned sites offer crucial insight into the successes and challenges on the frontlines of conservation, but only about half of the natural sites have been regularly monitored through the main monitoring mechanisms of the World Heritage Convention. The IUCN World Heritage Outlook monitoring system, which consists of Conservation Outlook Assessments, complements the Conventions monitoring mechanisms and assesses all World Heritage sites in recognition of their natural "Outstanding Universal Value." This report describes the methodology for the IUCN World Heritage Outlook, reviews the rating system applied and then summarizes the first set of global results. We hope the IUCN World Heritage Outlook will serve as a dynamic new tool to assist in celebrating best practice in World Heritage sites and in helping to address the management challenges in some of the most iconic places on Earth.
This is a strategy for a kind of development that provides real improvements in the quality of human life and at the same time conserves the vitality and diversity of the Earth. The goal is development that will be sustainable. Today it may seem visionary. but it is attainable. To more and more people it also appears our only rational option.' – from Chapter 1 in 1980, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wide Fund for Nature, the world's three most powerful organizations dedicated to preventing environmental catastrophe, published the World Conservation Strategy. It stressed the interdependence of conservation and development, it gave currency to the idea of sustainable development and it made the point that unless the vitality and productivity of the planet are safeguarded, the future for humanity is at risk. Its impact was immediate and worldwide. Now, ten years later, the same three organizations have formulated a new strategy for the 19905. Caring for the Earth builds on all that has been learned in the last decade about the complexity of the problems and shows how radical and far-reaching are the actions and objectives needed to meet them. Nothing less than a new ethic is required, based on affirming the community of life and cherishing its diversity – an ethic which has to be reflected in our personal attitudes and the organization of our communities as much as in wider policies. Public participation is essential for the success of the strategy, which is addressed to individuals and citizens' groups as well as to governments - whatever their systems. Adopting it will not be easy, but it does provide the agenda for immediate action. Originally published in 1991
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