IUCN CONVENES WORKSHOP TO FOLLOW-UP SAKHALIN GRAY WHALE REPORT
April 29, 2005
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has accepted a proposal from Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC) and its potential lenders to organize a workshop following-up the report of the Independent Scientific Review Panel. The Panel’s report, released in February, evaluated the potential implications of planned oil and gas developments on the critically endangered Western Gray Whale population. The workshop will provide additional scientific information and clarification to SEIC and their potential lenders as they now make decisions on the Sakhalin II Phase 2 project, with the aim of ensuring the whale population is protected. The workshop will have a technical and scientific focus and will involve specialists from the Independent Scientific Review Panel, SEIC, the potential lenders, environmental NGOs and IUCN.
Follow-Up Workshop main page // ISRP Sakhalin main page // IUCN Business & Biodiversity Initiatives

“UNION AN EXCELLENT PLATFORM FOR COLLABORATIVE ACTION”
April 29, 2005
The Los Algarrobos Civil Association for Sustainable Development (Asociación Civil Los Algarrobos de Desarrollo Sustentable) from Argentina visited the World Conservation Union’s Headquarters in Gland on April 25– 29, 2005 to meet with Secretariat staff. They shared lessons and experiences in environmental education at different levels and how they have worked with the business sector as partners in sustainable development. Mr. Andrés Hamilton Joseph, President of Los Algarrobos, emphasized that the Union provides effective partnerships capable of addressing problems of poverty and conservation. He cited the partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens - Kew in the United Kingdom, another IUCN member, as an example. Los Argarrobos, a member of the World Conservation Union since 1994, has been working with local communities to promote the sustainable use of forests in arid and semi-arid areas of Argentina.
IUCN Membership Relations and Governance Group // Miembros de la UICN en América del Sur // Asociacion Civil Los Algarrobos de desarrollo sustentable

EUROPEAN UNION TO LEAD ON THE 2010 TARGET
April 28, 2005
The European Union now has the tools to meet its targets for long-term economic and environmental well-being by 2010. This was the key message of Mr. Achim Steiner, Director General of The World Conservation Union, to representatives from the European Commission and Parliament yesterday in Brussels, Belgium. “Before 1992, we tried to find out how to react to environmental change and stop people from damaging their natural resources. Now is the time when we turn conservation into a positive force for people to do better,” said Mr. Steiner. Steiner recognised the EU has become one of the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economies in the world, which is capable of sustainable growth as outlined in the Lisbon agenda. However, he underlined that action to conserve the environment as the basis for all economic activity must be taken now.
Full news release // Speaking points // IUCN Regional Office for Europe website // Countdown 2010

IUCN ADDRESSES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS
April 28, 2005
IUCN today addressed the UN General Assembly during its deliberations on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in preparation for the September Summit. IUCN’s Permanent Observer, Ambassador Bhagwat Singh, declared that “The key messages are clear. The Millennium Development Goals are interconnected and cannot be achieved in isolation, nor can they be achieved sequentially. Investing in environmental sustainability, MDG 7, contributes to achieving each of the other MDGs. Failure to invest adequately will accelerate the degradation of the essential ecosystem services and thereby undermine our ability to achieve each of the other MDGs." IUCN then called for enhanced measures to protect and restore vulnerable ecosystems, better use of indicators for the benefits of ecosystem services and costs of their degradation, and increased investments to achieve environmental sustainability, as well as greater civil society engagement in the lead up to the Summit.
Full statement // IUCN Policy, Biodiversity and International Agreements Unit // IUCN USA Multilateral Office

EASTERN AFRICA FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AVAILABLE
April 26, 2005
The inland waters of Eastern Africa are home to a wide variety of plants and animals such as fish, crabs, and snails that are critical for food and livelihoods. But decision makers rarely consider species conservation when planning water development projects, partially because of a lack of readily available information on the status and distribution of inland freshwater species. In response, IUCN’s Species Programme and Species Survival Commission (SSC) are conducting an Africa-wide study of freshwater biodiversity to provide better information for decision-making and monitoring. The results of the first regional assessment – for Eastern Africa - are now available, published as a report The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Eastern Africa available online, with the data on CD-ROM.
Full story // Full report // SSC Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme

HOT OFF THE PRESS: THE 2004 IUCN-BRAO ANNUAL REPORT
April 26, 2005
The IUCN Regional Office for West Africa (BRAO) releases its annual report describing its contribution to nature conservation and livelihood security in West Africa in 2004. The document describes IUCN’s major areas of intervention and key results in West Africa and presents the new Programme for 2005-2008. 2004 was a year of major progress on a wide range of issues, including ecosystem management, legislative and political frameworks for conservation, and the contribution of nature conservation to the livelihoods of vulnerable populations. Over the past year, the IUCN regional programme started new activities funded in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and at the regional level.
Full story // Full report // Rapport complet // Bureau régional de l’UICN pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest

ENSURING THE INCORPORATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
April 25, 2005
There is an urgent need for concrete steps to achieve mutual supportiveness between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). That is the conclusion of Martha Chouchena Rojas (IUCN) and Ricardo Melendez Ortiz (ICTSD), the facilitators of a workshop on the linkages between the international trade and biodiversity regimes during this year’s annual WTO Public Symposium. Of particular urgency are the discussions related to access and benefit sharing of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS). The workshop was organized by a consortium of CIEL, ICTSD, IDDRI, IUCN, and QUNO.
Full story // IUCN Policy, Biodiversity and International Agreements Unit // Description and background papers

CSD+0: NEGOTIATIONS ON WATER MANAGEMENT DISCONNECTED FROM PRACTICAL ADVANCES
April 22, 2005
The 13th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD13) this week failed to make significant progress on the targets and policy options for water and sanitation as agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg three years ago. “Most of the people who negotiate these agreements in New York are not those who manage the environment or natural resources. They do not realize the economic cost of not taking decisions,” said H.E. Carlos Rodriguez, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica. The recently released Millennium Ecosystem Assessment documents the increasing stress on the ecological services upon which all of the Millennium Development Goals depend – from poverty reduction to provision of safe drinking water to adequate food production and nutrition. Significant and immediate policy, governance and economic reforms are necessary to safeguard the flow of these ecosystem services now and in the future. Nevertheless, a “business as usual” attitude prevails in the CSD negotiations.
Full story // UN Commission on Sustainable Development

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS. . .
April 22, 2005
The waves came. The waves devoured. The waves receded. In the aftermath of the tsunami disaster, the call for early warning systems was clear, but far too little has been said about the best ways for countries to prepare for recurrent natural disasters. Every year, many nations are hit by extreme weather events such as floods, landslides, cyclones and droughts. And every year, we are caught unprepared. Climate experts predict that extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones, storms and droughts will become more frequent in the future. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases have increased twelve times since the industrial revolution. During the last century, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen so much that there has been a distinct warming of the earth.
Full story // IUCN Climate Change Initiative // IUCN Sri Lanka // IUCN Tsunami Response // Sri Lanka Sunday Times

ASSESSING AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO HELP REDUCE POVERTY AND IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS
April 21, 2005
How can we reduce hunger and poverty, improve rural livelihoods, and facilitate equitable, environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development through better generation of, access to, and use of agricultural knowledge, science and technology? This is the fundamental question being addressed by the World Bank project “International Assessment of Agriculture Science and Technology for Development”, being organized in co-operation with UNEP, FAO and UNESCO. Around 45 participants from research institutes, NGOs and ministries from North American and European countries, as well as the World Bank and UNEP, met in Egham, UK from 14-16 April to discuss the chapter outlines for the sub global component of the International Assessment. The meeting was one of 10 regional consultations bringing together, in total, more than 800 stakeholder groups from 108 countries.
Full story // Project website // IUCN Programme Office for Central Europe

MANAGING WATER ACROSS BORDERS: HELPING POLICY MAKERS IN WEST ASIA
April 21, 2005
The shortage and conflict over water may become a significant threat to security in the Middle East. In order to improve the management of this scarce resource and promote collaboration, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), under the patronage of HE the Minister of Environment in Jordan, held a workshop on water governance in Amman on 18 April 2005. The workshop trained public officials and policy makers in the field of water from Syria, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Jordan on how to develop regulatory frameworks for water, and offer a platform for debate to improve coordination and sharing of experiences between various countries.
Full story // WESCANA Website // IUCN Water & Nature Initiative

ECUADORIAN SHARKS TO BECOME PART OF IUCN PILOT STUDY FOR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CONSERVATION AND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
April 21, 2005
Over-exploitation of many shark fisheries has raised a lot of concerns around the world. Many shark stocks have declined, and many shark species are now threatened with extinction. Because of the dual high-profile status of sharks both as wildlife and as a commercial fishery species, conservation and management of this species group is increasingly subject to conflict, with attitudes towards protection, conservation and management varying considerably between users and other interested parties, such as conservation organisations. Yet sharks are an ideal species group for the attempt to bridge the gap between conservation and fisheries management. At the request of the Ministry of Environment and the Ecuadorian Sub-secretariat for Fisheries Resources, IUCN is currently supporting the development of a National Plan of Action to ensure the conservation and management of sharks and their long-term sustainable use. The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, aims to involve a wide range of relevant stakeholders in identifying priorities, and in moulding policy and management decisions related to shark fisheries.
Full story // Noticia completa // IUCN Regional Office for South America // IUCN Global Marine Programme

SCIENTISTS UNITE IN CALL FOR ACTION AS GLOBAL FOOD DEMANDS THREATEN TO OUTSTRIP WORLD WATER SUPPLY
April 20, 2005
While many of today’s rivers, lakes and groundwater reservoirs continue to be overexploited, a new report launched today by leading scientists at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development warns that unless steps are taken to improve the way water is managed, twice the world’s current water consumption may be needed by 2050 to feed a global population of some 9 billion. The scientists from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), World Conservation Union (IUCN) and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said that the ambitious international commitment to halve the number of people facing hunger have missed a fundamental question: where is the water needed to grow the food to feed future generations properly? The report, “Let It Reign: The New Water Paradigm for Global Food Security” points out that feeding the world is in many ways a daunting water challenge.
Full news release // Full report // IUCN Water & Nature Initiative // UN Commission on Sustainable Development

FROM COWS TO KILOWATTS AND BERRIES INTO BUSINESSES - WINNERS OF THE FIRST SEED AWARDS ANNOUNCED
April 20, 2005
An environmentally-friendly way of growing rice and a project to cultivate a highly versatile berry found at the roof of the world are among the winners of a new sustainable development award. They are joined by a community-based marine protected area in the Indian Ocean, an innovative water supply scheme in Latin America and a power-plant in West Africa that turns cattle waste into energy. The five winners of the Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development (Seed) Initiative awards will be honored in a special ceremony in New York on 20th April 2005 during the 13th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The winners, selected from a pool of over 260 entries from 66 countries, representing 1,200 organizations, have been chosen for their potential to advance sustainable development in their communities and contribute to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
Full news release // Seed initiative // UN Commission on Sustainable Development

UN PARTENARIAT POUR LES RESSOURCES NATURELLES DANS LE BASSIN DU LAC TCHAD
April 20, 2005
Reconnaissant la nécessité de coopérer pour développer un partenariat à l’effet de contribuer à la gestion durable des ressources naturelles dans le Bassin conventionnel du Lac Tchad, un accord cadre de collaboration entre la Commission du Bassin du Lac Tchad (CBLT) et l’Union Mondiale pour la Nature (UICN) a été signé le 15 avril dernier dans le bureau de l’UICN à Yaoundé. Ledit accord cadre de partenariat constitue un document de dialogue constructif et un cadre de référence pouvant faciliter le développement des activités conjointes entre la CBLT et l’UICN dans le cadre du projet FEM et d’autres interventions. Il s’articule autour des axes de collaboration liés à l’appui au renforcement des capacités des organisations non gouvernementales partenaires et les institutions gouvernementales, à l’information et la communication, à la mobilisation des financements et à l’exécution des activités sur le terrain.
Bureau régional de l'UICN pour l'Afrique Centrale

MEDICINAL PLANTS IN NORTH AFRICA: LINKING CONSERVATION AND LIVELIHOODS
April 19, 2005
The World Conservation Union (IUCN), with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and support from IUCN members in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, is promoting biodiversity conservation through the North Africa Biodiversity Programme. About 70% of the wild plants in North Africa are known to be of potential value in fields such as medicine, biotechnology and crop improvements according to a 2002 UNEP study. With increased demands on available resources, a number of important plant species have become scarce in areas where they were previously abundant. If their collection and use is not regulated, some species may become threatened with extinction. Since 1994, IUCN has been engaged in a programme that promotes the conservation of biodiversity in North Africa, developing the sustainable use of natural resources and empowering local communities, in particular women, in biodiversity conservation, as well as creating a platform for experience sharing and exchange of knowledge and information.
Full news release // Communique complet // Comunicado completo // North Africa Biodiversity Programme // Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

LEGISLATIVE REFORM NEEDED TO IMPROVE CONTROLS FOR TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE TRADE IN MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE
April 19, 2005
Trade in musk products, derived from the threatened Musk Deer species, is by-passing wildlife trade controls in Malaysia and Singapore. There is a pressing need to reform the legislation in both countries to enable better monitoring and law enforcement for wild animal and plant-based Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preparations, according to TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network which is a joint World Conservation Union (IUCN) and WWF initiative. Southeast Asia’s role as a hub for the trade in traditional medicines is highlighted by the continuing trade in raw musk and medicinal products claiming to contain musk. A new TRAFFIC Southeast Asia report titled Against The Grain: Trade in Musk Deer Products in Singapore and Malaysia found that trade in TCM preparations containing musk from CITES-listed Musk Deer is not being properly controlled.
Full news release // TRAFFIC website // IUCN Species Survival Commission

SAVING NATURE FOR A DRY DAY
April 18, 2005
The sustainable use of ecosystems is the basis for development and poverty alleviation. That is the position the World Conservation Union will put forward at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD13) meeting underway in New York (11-22 April). The suggested priorities for action are providing environmental flows, involving stakeholders, strengthening governance, and using economic incentives for sustainable water use. “Making the services of ecosystems to water supply visible is crucial to change the trend of overuse and pollution of water, and degradation of valuable ecosystems”, says Dr. Ger Bergkamp, head of the IUCN delegation in New York.
IUCN position paper // Media advisory // IUCN Water & Nature Initiative // UN Commission on Sustainable Development

FOOD SAFETY IN NEW EUROPEAN UNION STATES ON THE AGENDA
April 18, 2005
Ninety experts from eight new European Union (EU) member states and two accession countries, Bulgaria and Romania, met in Konstancin n/b Warsaw on 9th April to discuss food safety in their respective countries. The main focus of discussion was the influence of agricultural production methods on consumer health and nature protection. Conference attendees, including representatives from government, agriculture and food economy organizations, and consumer and environmental organizations, discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the current implementation of food safety standards outlined in the EU’s governing body of law, the Acquis Communautaire, and communication outreach to farmers and consumers. The Acquis Communautaire pledges a high level of health protection for all EU citizens and creates the necessary mechanisms to ensure animal welfare and good quality agricultural production “from field to fork”.
Full story // IUCN Programme Office for Central Europe

LES RESOLUTIONS ET RECOMMANDATIONS DE BANGKOK SONT MAINTENANT DISPONIBLES
April 16, 2005
Les versions françaises des résolutions et recommandations adoptées au 3ème Congrès mondial de la nature de l’UICN (Bangkok, Thaïlande) sont dès aujourd’hui disponibles sur le site web du Congrès. Les textes sont pour la plupart dans leur version finale, bien que des changements rédactionnels mineurs puissent encore être faits lors du travail d’harmonisation des textes dans les trois langues officielles de l’UICN. Il faut noter aussi que les déclarations faîtes par les membres à propos de certaines résolutions ou recommandations ne sont pas toutes disponibles à l’heure actuelle. La version imprimée, disponible en mai prochain pour diffusion à tous les membres de l’UICN, constituera la version définitive des résolutions et recommandations adoptée au Congrès. La version numérique des textes définitifs sera disponible sur le site web de l’UICN après que le document ait été expédié par courrier.
Résolutions et recommandations

PETROPOLIS CHALLENGE CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO REVERSE FOREST LOSS
April 15, 2005
The more than 100 participants at the Forest Landscape Restoration Implementation Workshop, held from April 4-8 in Petropolis, Brazil, are calling for greater use of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) to deliver internationally agreed commitments on forests, biodiversity, climate change, desertification and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Petropolis Challenge notes the track record of FLR in restoring key goods and services in degraded or deforested lands to improve livelihoods; calls for new members to join the Global Partnership on FLR; and calls on the international community to restore forest landscapes to benefit people and nature and contribute to reversing trends of forest loss and degradation. The Brazilian and UK governments will present the Petropolis Challenge to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) meeting in New York this May. The Petropolis workshop was hosted by Brazil and organized by the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration to support the UNFF.
Workshop Bulletin // IUCN’s work on FLR // Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration

POST-TSUNAMI ASSESSMENTS COMPLETED IN EASTERN SRI LANKA
April 14, 2005
In order to assess the damage caused by the tsunami to coastal ecosystems in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts of eastern Sri Lanka, a rapid environmental (marine and terrestrial) and socio-economic assessment was conducted by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The assessment work, carried out in selected field sites in the two districts, was supported by CARE International and the Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka (an IUCN member). The findings of this rapid assessment study will help integrate environmental concerns into the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the two districts. In addition, the study will compile baseline information for conducting more detailed ecosystem assessments in the future, and help to undertake pilot-demonstration projects to restore affected livelihoods and ecosystems in the area in a participatory and sustainable manner.
Draft Assessment // IUCN Tsunami Response // IUCN Sri Lanka

THE DUTCH DESCEND ON WORLD CONSERVATION UNION HQ
April 13, 2005
The National Committee for the Netherlands visited the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland on April 12 and 13, 2005 to share their activities and discuss their role in the work of the Union. The visit demonstrates the Union’s commitment to harness the potential of its national and regional committees as a means to support IUCN members, enabling them to play a more effective role in the governance and delivery of the Union’s Programme. During a meeting with IUCN Director General Achim Steiner, the delegation discussed the Union’s place in a changing world and the role and future of the Union’s Committees in responding to environmental and development challenges. The delegation of eight people held discussions with the Secretariat in such areas as membership services, wetlands, tropical rainforest, tourism and biodiversity, financing for nature, ecology and economy, tsunami and other cross-cutting initiatives.
IUCN Netherlands Committee // IUCN Membership

RARE SABLE ANTELOPE SURVIVES THE ANGOLAN CIVIL WAR
April 12, 2005
The rare giant sable antelope (Hippotragus niger variani), unique to Angola and feared extinct after almost three decades of civil war, has survived. A majestic but notoriously skittish beast, the 'Palanca Negra' is informally regarded as the country's national animal. The striking curved horns of the adult male, which can grow up to 165cm long, appear on the logo of Angola's national airline and football team. Many assumed that 27 years of fighting had wiped out the species because there had been no confirmed sighting since 1982. Even when peace reigned, poachers in search of commercial bushmeat or food for survival posed a serious threat. Now a team from the Catholic University's Centre for Scientific Studies and Investigation, using remote cameras triggered by an infrared beam, have managed to catch a herd of giant sable on film in the Kangandala National Park in the northern province of Malanje.
Full story // IUCN Species Survival Commission

A SMART MOVE FOR SPECIES PROGRAMME
April 11, 2005
Dr Jane Smart has joined IUCN as the new Head of the Species Programme. After a degree in botany, Jane began her professional life as a plant ecologist, investigating the restoration and management of degraded wetland systems. During the next few years working with local government and local NGOs, the idea of an organization to save plants began to take root - and Plantlife International was finally launched in late 1989, after which Jane became its first staff member and Chief Executive. Plantlife became a member of IUCN in 1992. In 1993, Jane initiated Planta Europa, the network of organizations working for plant conservation across Europe, for which Plantlife provides the secretariat. The key project priority for Plantlife International was, and still is, the identification and management of Important Plant Areas (IPAs), an approach now embedded in an international convention: the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, developed within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The adoption of this strategy led to a huge expansion of the IPA programme globally. Jane has chaired the IUCN UK National Committee for the last three years, and as been a long-standing member of the Plant Conservation Committee of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission.
IUCN Species Survival Commission

POST-TSUNAMI REEF CLEANUP IN HIKKADUWA NATIONAL PARK, SRI LANKA
April 8, 2005
The World Conservation Union (IUCN), in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Marine Pollution Prevention Authority, the Sri Lanka Sub-Aqua Club and the Hikkaduwa International Diving School, carried out a reef cleanup operation in the Hikkaduwa National Park in the southern coast of Sri Lanka on Sunday 3rd April 2005. The primary aim of the cleanup exercise was to remove two large fishing nets that had been caught on the outer edge of the reef after the tsunami. Other reef cleanup operations are planned over the next two months at several sites along the west, southwest and east coasts of Sri Lanka.
Full story // IUCN Tsunami Response // IUCN Sri Lanka

PRIMATES ON THE BRINK
April 7, 2005
Mankind’s closest living relatives - the world’s apes, monkeys, lemurs and other primates - face increasing peril from humans and some could soon disappear forever, according to a report released today by the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN - The World Conservation Union’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the International Primatological Society (IPS), in collaboration with Conservation International (CI). Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates - 2004-2006 reveals that 25 percent - or one in four - of the 625 primate species and subspecies are at risk of extinction. The report compiled by more than 50 experts from 16 countries cites deforestation, commercial bushmeat hunting, and the illegal animal trade as the primary threats, and warns that failure to respond will bring the first primate extinctions in more than a century.
Full story // IUCN Species Survival Commission

MONTENEGRO HALTS PLANS TO FLOOD TARA GORGE, A WORLD HERITAGE SITE
April 7, 2005
Montenegro has halted plans to build a dam that would flood part of the spectacular Tara River Canyon, a World Heritage Site. The decision comes following an IUCN/UNESCO expert mission to the site in January this year recommending not to go ahead with plans for the hydro-electric dam project “Buk Bijela”. Strong public pressure over the past months also called for the protection of the site. The IUCN/UNESCO mission concluded that the dam would threaten the integrity and the values for which the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The mission stated that by flooding the Tara River Canyon, parts of Europe’s deepest and longest canyon would be severely impacted, which illustrates the geological evolution and on-going geomorphological processes. Also, the dense conifer forests along the Canyon harbouring a wide range of endemic flora and fauna would have been threatened.
Full story // IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas // IUCN’s role in World Heritage

CREATION D’UNE RESERVE DE BIOSPHERE TRANSFRONTALIERE DU DELTA DU FLEUVE SENEGAL AVANCE
April 6, 2005
L’initiative de création d’une réserve de biosphère transfrontalière du Delta du fleuve Sénégal poursuit son chemin. Les représentants des parties sénégalaise et mauritanienne en charge de ce projet initié conjointement par les deux pays et soutenu par l’UICN, se sont réunis à Dakar du 21 au 22 mars. L’état d’avancement des préparatifs présenté par les deux parties indique qu’un pas important a été franchi dans le cadre de l’information et de la sensibilisation des autorités administratives régionales et locales, des élus locaux et des populations sur le processus. Il reste à élaborer une esquisse de plan de gestion qui aboutira à un dossier de classement commun intégrant un dispositif de coordination. Quelques domaines de collaboration transfrontalière ont été identifiés, en particulier le tourisme, la surveillance, la pêche, la recherche et les échanges commerciaux.
Article complet // Bureau régional de l'UICN pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest

FORESTS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND HUMAN SECURITY: EXAMINING THE LINKAGES
April 5, 2005
What role do forests play in natural disasters – tsunamis, floods, droughts, landslides – and how can forest conservation and restoration reduce the vulnerability of the people, particularly those who are poor, to such disasters? The latest issue of arborvitae, the joint IUCN/WWF Forest Conservation Newsletter, explores the linkages between forests, natural disasters and human security by looking at the recent Indian Ocean tsunami and other natural disasters. It also highlights some of the complexities and uncertainties of proving direct causal linkages between forests and disaster prevention, particularly in floods. However, the issue concludes that the basic building blocks for achieving successful forest conservation and disaster reduction strategies are exactly the same – reducing poverty, ensuring local rights and promoting good governance.
Read the latest issue of arborvitae // IUCN Forest Conservation Programme // Past issues of the arborvitae newsletter

INCREASED SUPPORT FOR FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROMISES MULTIPLE BENEFITS
April 4, 2005
The start of the Forest Landscape Restoration Implementation Workshop, today in Petrópolis, Brazil, promises to mobilise political and financial support for multi-stakeholder reforestation across the globe. With an estimated 500 million people worldwide depending on forests for their livelihoods, people around the world are taking action to restore degraded forest lands. Forest managers, policy-makers, researchers, community organizations, banks and large companies are gathered this week in Petrópolis to contribute to a growing community of practice on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). “We no longer just plant trees. We are now in the business of giving something back, and putting in place a resource that will benefit generations to come,” says Tim Rollinson of the Forestry Commission of Great Britain.
Full news release // IUCN Forest Conservation Programme // Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration

L’UICN CELEBRE LA JOURNEE MONDIALE DE L’EAU EN AFRIQUE CENTRALE
April 1, 2005
Dans le cadre de la commémoration de la Journée Mondiale de l’Eau et du lancement de la Décennie Internationale de l’Eau 2005-2015, le Groupe UNWater des Nations-Unies a publié un Document d’orientation pour le plaidoyer (Advocacy guide). En application des orientations de UNWater, le Global Water Partnership (GWP) et le Bureau Régional pour l’Afrique centrale de l’Union Mondiale pour la Nature (IUCN-BRAC), partenaires pour la commémoration de la Journée Mondiale de l’Eau ont signé une mémorandum de collaboration. Ce mémorandum de collaboration établi entre le GWP-CAfTAC (Central Africa Technical Advisory Committee) et l’IUCN-BRAC représente à la fois le cadre de coopération entre ces deux structures ; le cadre juridique pour le développement d’un programme commun d’intervention dans le domaine de l’eau ; le cadre stratégique et opérationnel pour l’implication des deux structures dans la mise en œuvre du Plan d’action de la Décennie Internationale de l’Eau – 2005-2015.
Article complet // Bureau régional de l'UICN pour l'Afrique Centrale // UN-Water // Global Water Partnership

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