Story | 29 Mar, 2023
AFRIPAC: strengthening 5 countries' commitments to a UN Plastics Treaty
As the world moves towards an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, IUCN and GRID-Arendal partner in a new project: AFRIPAC, "Effective Plastic Treaty Capacity Building for Africa." This project aims to empower five African nations´ negotiating skills for a strong…
Crossroads blog | 22 Feb, 2022
To save the addax antelope, the oil sector and government must work together with conservationists
The addax desert antelope may be the world’s rarest hoofed mammal, with as few as 100 animals left in the wild. Despite oil exploration and extraction in and around their last remaining habitat, conservation efforts can still save the species from extinction if government agencies, big business…
Publication | 2020
Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the islands and lagoons of northern Sri Lanka
After the 30-year long civil war was over, the Government of Sri Lanka commenced an accelerated programme to develop the Northern Province. If not carefully planned, such a programme will result in the loss of biodiversity and the consequent loss of services that ecosystems provide humans.…
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 | 16 Jul, 2018
Creating a Urban Garden for all - Colombo, Sri Lanka
CEESP News - Kanchana Weerakoon, Founder/President, Eco Friendly Volunteers (ECO-V), Sri Lanka
The Metta Garden in Colombo, Sri Lanka, run by Eco friendly Volunteers, is the place for generating healthy food for people and a living space for many other animals and plants. It has become…
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 | 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 | 02 Feb, 2017
MFF/FAO joint report: New low-cost mechanism for investing in mangrove protection and restoration
Mangroves for the Future (MFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have designed a new low-cost mechanism that enables investors to promote mangrove conservation and restoration through provision of funding to local communities.