Story | 21 Nov, 2018
Sometimes, you just need to let nature take its course
Growing over an estimated area of over half a million hectares, mangrove coverage in Myanmar is the second largest in Asia after Indonesia. These mangroves provide food, shelter and livelihoods to millions of delta and coastal dwellers in…
Story | 05 Oct, 2018
Mangroves For the Future video: A look back
IUCN Asia and Mangroves for the Future (MFF) have produced a video showcasing MFF’s growth and impact in Asia. This video was recently premiered at the 15th meeting of the MFF Regional Steering Committee that took place in Bali, Indonesia, at the end of September…
Story | 04 Jun, 2018
Where the heart is: Myanmar’s village conservation committees give people reason to stay
For those who live along the coast of the Pyinbugyi Islands at the mouth of Southeastern Myanmar’s Tevoy River, fishing has always been a way of life. Unfortunately, of late, commercial offshore fishing has meant that many locals aren’t able to fill their nets as they used to. Rice farming,…
Story | 08 Jan, 2018
Youths unite for sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka
Nishanthan Sobana and her husband are a young couple from Sri Lanka's Mannar District who finished school in the crippled economy of the war-torn Northern Province. Even with her Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Nishanthan initially found it challenging to find a permanent job with a…
Story | 26 Sep, 2017
Simple cook stoves ignite entrepreneurial spirit in Myanmar
Home to some of Myanmar’s largest mangrove forests, Tanintharyi Region is known for its pristine coastline and the hundreds of islands in the Myeik Archipelago.
Story | 20 Sep, 2017
The northern province of Sri Lanka has gone through some tough times. Between 1980 to 2009, a civil war left over 60,000 people dead, 20,000 missing and 300,000 without homes. The province suffered another setback in 2004 when the Indian ocean struck and displaced over 5000 families.
Story | 17 Aug, 2017
Health N’ Delft: Low-salt dried fish for the health conscious
On Delft, an island in the Palk Strait north of Sri Lanka, approximately 1,200 out of a population of 4,502 rely on fisheries for their livelihoods. As freezer facilities to store fish are not available in the island, fishermen are forced to sell their daily catch to buyers from the mainland,…
Story | 14 Jun, 2017
IUCN and Anantara collaborate to protect marine turtles in Sri Lanka
At a time where increasing pressure is being placed on the environment, the private sector is realising the importance of conserving natural habitats and biodiversity in order to protect the viability of their businesses. In Sri Lanka, as a symbol of their pledge to…
Story | 16 May, 2017
Conserving wetlands in Myanmar: Gulf of Mottama is Myanmar’s fourth Ramsar site
Myanmar is home to an extraordinary diversity of wetlands, which include mountainous wetlands; large freshwater marshes and lakes; and coastal mangroves, mudflats and coral reefs. These ecosystems support fisheries, provide clean water, store carbon and protect local people from the impacts of…
Story | 04 May, 2017
Working together to build MPAs for long-term marine resources management
Our oceans, coasts and wetlands are crucial for our survival. Mangrove forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and protect coastal communities from cyclone storm surges, while coastal wetlands and coral reefs provide breeding and nesting grounds for…