Biotic provinces of the world : further development of a system for defining and classifying natural regions for purposes of conservation
Publication
1974
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Using the World Natural Heritage registration, an environmental culture approach to improve the well-being of the islanders in Amami
The solution was implemented by Kagoshima University on an archipelago of islands in south-west Japan that is rich in natural biodiversity but faces challenges of declining population, industry and communities, and the transmission of local culture.
The university saw the designation as a national park and registration as a World Natural Heritage site, together with biodiversity conservation measures, as opportunities to increase the value of the region and slow the decline of the local population, to reaffirm the environmental culture of the islanders, and to improve their well being through two means: improved livelihoods and spiritual fulfilment. This is a case study of a successful capacity-building initiative in the areas of industry, welfare, education, and the environment.
TREES: Accompanying Research on Restoration
Restoration as a complex issue requires joint actions. Collaboration of policy makers, practioners and scientists is needed to develop and monitor context specific best-fit solutions to regain ecological integrity and enhance human wellbeing in deforested or degraded landscapes. Currently, emphasis is put on ecological and technical solutions thereby neglecting the social dimension of restoration. To strengthen social-ecological focus on restoration and collaboration at the science-practice interface, TREES project performs accompanying research on FLR strategies implemented by GIZ’s global project Forests4Future (F4F). Hereby, focus is put on ecological and socio-economic effects as well as questions on governance. Master and PhD students based at universities in Germany and in F4F implementing countries are selected to work on project relevant topics in a tandem approach. Whilst each student has his/her individual research focus, data collection is planned and implemented in the binational tandems.
Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) GIS StoryMap
Dr. Haifa Ben Romdhane, Diana Vasile, Gerhard Erasmus, and myself Basil Roy collaborated together to create a GIS Story Map for the 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition. The competition invites storytellers globally to share stories about restoring and conserving our planet’s lands and waters.
Using satellite imagery, audio and visual content, and field data such as coordinates of wildlife, an elaborate and captivating web map showcases the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. The StoryMap provides a lot of information on our conservation initiatives, flora and fauna found inside the reserve, and our contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The DDCR StoryMap contributes greatly to public awareness on the safeguarding of the natural environment and UAE’s biodiversity. The DDCR StoryMap is displayed at the DDCR Visitor Center and on our website.
Please find link to the DDCR StoryMap below:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9a5300db8a8248c993bfdffc50621f
National fisheries fish spawning calendar for Lebanon
This spawning calendar gathers information for commercial marine fish native to Lebanon. Fish samples were collected from various ports around the country and thoroughly analysed, providing some valuable insight on the native fish population. Considered essential for future fishery management plans, it will in turn contribute to a more efficient, sustainable management of the marine ecosystems.
Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development
Achieving a climate-resilient future requires rapid, sustained and far-reaching transformations in energy, land-use, infrastructure and industrial systems. Large-scale expansion of renewable energy can play a critical role in meeting the world’s growing energy demands and in the fight against climate change. However, even ‘clean’ energy sources can have significant unintended impacts on the environment. The guidelines aim to provide practical support for solar and wind energy developments by effectively managing risks and improving overall outcomes related to biodiversity and ecosystem services. They are industry-focused and can be applied across the whole project development life cycle, from early planning through to decommissioning and repowering, using the mitigation hierarchy as a clear framework for planning and implementation. The mitigation hierarchy is applied to direct, indirect and cumulative impacts. The catalogue of resources relevant to mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development (Annex 1 of the publication) is available as a separate, downloadable, spreadsheet.
Species Threat Abatement and Restoration in the Central African Republic
This report presents findings from an assessment of the biodiversity conservation potential of four project sites: Lobaye, Mambéré-Kadéï, Ombella-Mpoko, and Sangha-Mbaéré located in the Bangui region of the Central African Republic (CAR). This assessment was done using the Species Threat Abatement and Recovery (STAR) metric, which employs high-resolution imagery and an approach to modelling species’ Area of Habitat (AOH) that was revised after June 2020 among other enhancements. This work was undertaken to better inform threat abatement and restoration planning and implementation at the partner project sites, and as part of a wider effort to pilot and strengthen the use of STAR as a tool for restoration and conservation practitioners, communities, investors, and policymakers.
Designing and managing protected and conserved areas to support inland water ecosystems and biodiversity
Inland waters – such as rivers, lakes and other wetlands – are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They are also the most threatened; almost one in three species is at risk of extinction and monitored populations of freshwater species have declined by 85% since 1970. The loss of these ecosystems has cascading effects on human livelihoods, cultures and our overall well-being. While protected and conserved areas can play an important role in bending the curve of inland water biodiversity and ecosystem loss, they have rarely been designed, designated, and managed for that purpose. Motivated by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s inclusion of inland waters in the target to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030, this report provides guidance in employing protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures to benefit these ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. Through a series of case studies and synthesized research, it highlights how integrating the unique needs of inland waters into area-based strategies can improve conservation effectiveness across all realms, build climate resilience and sustain critical ecosystem services.
Agriculture and conservation
In 2021, IUCN launched the IUCN Flagship Report Series, to help demonstrate the importance of conserving nature for human well-being and all life on Earth. This report, the second in the series, focuses on agriculture and nature. The interactions, synergies, and tradeoffs between the two sit at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for ending hunger and ensuring food security while also mandating the protection and restoration of nature. Whether the two can be achieved simultaneously, and if so how, are crucial questions for humanity and our planet. IUCN therefore explores the positive and negative relationships between agriculture and nature conservation and mobilises new modelling approaches to examine both imperatives within a range of realistic policies.
Cercocebus and Mandrillus conservation action plan 2024–2028
Collectively, Cercocebus and Mandrillus include nine species and two subspecies of African monkeys: seven species of Cercocebus and two of Mandrillus, including two drill subspecies. Together, they represent some of the least studied and hence least known of the Afro-Eurasian Primates. This Plan includes taxon-specific conservation actions, devised under six overarching themes: increase engagement and local livelihood support, reduce knowledge gaps, promote habitat restoration, raise the profile of Cercocebus and Mandrillus taxa, enhance protection, and respond to public health needs for the neighboring human populations. The Plan aimes to raise the profile of the Cercocebus and Mandrillus species, encourage collaboration amongst conservation practitioners, local communities, government agencies, and other invested parties, and ultimately prevent the extinction of some of the most amazing primate species on the planet.
Building trust between rangers and communities
This is the first volume in the WCPA Good Practice Guidelines that is predominantly by rangers, for rangers. The editors worked with partners to collect good practices and stories from rangers worldwide, reflecting global experience and lessons learned. The text focuses on actions that rangers, and to a lesser extent managers, can do themselves. It does not address institutional changes that would need intervention at government level. Whilst the latter are often necessary, decisions are out of the hands of individual rangers. Nor is the guide the last word on the state of play, another global ranger survey is being carried out simultaneously with the production of these guidelines and we will continue to learn about ranger needs, strengths and challenges in the future.
