We are delighted to open a call for proposals to host the 6th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC 6) in 2026. Since 2005 a global community of marine protected area managers and practitioners have come together once every four years at IMPAC, co-chaired by IUCN and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).

As a founding member of the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA), we are saddened to hear about the tragic death of Anton Mzimba in South Africa, who was brutally murdered in his own home and in front of his family.

Anton gave 25 years of service to the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve through the protection of wildlife, nature conservation, and the fight for a better future.

In his memory and in celebration of World Ranger Day, Global Conservation Corps have chosen to launch the ‘Anton Mzimba Education Trust’ - a trust that will help support his children’s education and immediate future while supporting his life’s passion in the long-term; inspiring youth to love wildlife as he did.

Vjosa is one of the last wild free-flowing rivers in Europe. As part of the “Blue Heart of Europe”, this beautiful river contains at least 11 major tributaries coming in from Greece and Albania, and is 272km long.

More than a year ago, the Albanian Government declared the Vjosa Valley to become a protected area. Since then, IUCN has been working in support of effective protection for the Vjosa and its free-flowing tributaries, to bring them under conservation management.

Working alongside outdoor apparel brand Patagonia, and fully supporting the Government of Albania, with local NGOs, the next step is to create a master plan for how the vision of effective management can be legally implemented and operational, in full consultation with local stakeholders.

The Mgundeni community got their land back in 1999 and the community is currently under the leadership of iNkosi Z.G. Mabaso. The community formed the Mgundeni Trust. The property comprises one grassland type Wakkerstroom Grassland Montane which provides habitat to some important Vulnerable bird species and qualifies the property to become a Nature Reserve. The community opted for a Biodiversity Agreement as a pilot under the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.

Ayanda Cele, Responsible for Land Reform and Biodiversity Stewardship Programme at WWF South Africa, is joined in this conversation by Cécile Fattebert of the IUCN Protected and Conserved Areas team.

Light pollution is an understudied environmental pressure in New Caledonia, although it is likely to cause disturbances in the biological rhythm of plants, animals and humans. As a global biodiversity hotspot, the conservation issues are nevertheless major in this territory of the South Pacific.

BEST 2.0+ was very pleased to award the Environmental Observatory in New Caledonia (OEIL) a grant in July 2021 to implement “Pollux NC”. This project aims to provide the first quantified information on light pollution on the scale of New Caledonia and to issue scientific recommendations for its consideration in public policies.

La pollution lumineuse est une pression environnementale peu étudiée en Nouvelle-Calédonie, bien que susceptible d’engendrer des perturbations du rythme biologique pour les plantes, des animaux et des êtres humains. En tant que hotspot de la biodiversité mondiale, les enjeux de conservation sont pourtant majeurs sur ce territoire.

BEST 2.0+ a été très heureux d’accorder à l’Observatoire de l’environnement en Nouvelle-Calédonie (OEIL) une subvention en juillet 2021 pour mettre en œuvre le projet « Pollux NC ». Son objectif : fournir les premières informations quantifiées sur la pollution lumineuse à l’échelle de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, et émettre des recommandations scientifiques pour sa prise en compte dans les politiques publiques.

Après une année de mise de ce projet, des avancées importantes ont été notées dans le développement de l’écotourisme au niveau « des monuments de l’est » qui sont des aires protégées d’une importance capitale au Burundi.

Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du fonds d’action de BIOPAMA, l’AMP de Sangomar a bénéficié en mars 2021 d’une subvention d’un montant de 49 837,09 € pour la mise en œuvre du « Projet intégré de protection des sites de ponte des tortues marines au niveau de l’AMP Sangomar dans un contexte de COVID 19 ».

Ce projet avait pour objectif de protéger les sites de pontes de tortues marines de l’AMP dans un contexte de braconnage lié aux mesures de restriction de la COVID 19.

Join our 90 000 MOOC Conservation learners to receive free training on protected area conservation. Though all courses were developed in partnership with Senghor University (Francophonie), they are available in both French and English.

Registrations are already open on mooc-conservation.org.

One month after the Inaugural Africa Protected Areas Congress and the Kigali Call to Action, getting closer to the CBD COP 15, one message still rings true, the need for a bigger focus on fairness and effectiveness of protected and conserved Areas. The IUCN Green List Standard provides a measure and benchmark to assess performance of protected and conserved areas and was recognised in the Kigali Call to Action as such" Read more on the Kigali CTA here.

Thailand's Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and the International Organisation for Nature Conservation (IUCN) co-hosted a training on the development of national park management plans and wildlife conservation and protection plans for non-wildlife hunting areas from 9-11 July 2022.

Following up on the stakeholder consultation and feedback, the EAGL members of Bhutan organised a virtual meeting on 3rd August 2022 to incorporate stakeholder’s comments on the adapted indicators and the way forward. The adapted indicators have not been “approved or finalised” as they have to be endorsed by the Green List Standard committee.

For this call, PANORAMA collaborates with CABI and their initiative on collating One Health Cases:

CABI One Health Cases is a curated collection of real-life examples of One Health in practice, stressing the interconnections between humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, and their shared environment in a truly transdisciplinary way. A database of educational, practical cases, it will be an invaluable resource for students, teachers, academics, public stakeholders, and industry practitioners.

During July and August 2022, the training on Health and Safety (H&S) implications in community tourism took place at Cuc Phuong National Park and Van Long Wetlands Nature Reserve.

The main goal of this activity was to provide suggestions on operational procedures to manage health risks for different experience types, as well as cultural considerations in the post-COVID-19 era. Moreover, it was important to share recommendations on how to minimise the spread of germs and bacteria, and how to anticipate possible risks related to H&S.

The August 2022 edition of the Asia Protected Area Partnership (APAP) Newsletter is now out, with highlights from the Asia Parks Congress, IUCN Green List in Asia, and updates from IUCN members across the region.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has launched a magazine “COVID-19 Response Measures for Tourism – For Crisis Response, Recovery and Resilience”.

The magazine provides an overview of the projects implemented on behalf of the BMZ by it’s partner organisations to help selected partner destinations find sustainable ways out of the crisis.

There are now 30 more days to take advantage of early bird registration rates to attend IMPAC5 in February 2023.

With summer winding down in the northern hemisphere and spring ramping up in the south, it is a busy time for marine protected areas practitioners around the world. With this in mind, IMPAC5 early-bird registration has been extended until 4 October 2022. Our goal is to ensure that everyone who wants to take advantage of the early-bird rates has an opportunity to do so.

Since its establishment in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN’s new legacy gift options will help ensure IUCN keeps playing this essential role for years to come.

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