With the deepest sadness and regret we inform you that Ghanimat Azhdari was on the plane that crashed this morning (8 January 2020) in Tehran, with no survivors. We are heartbroken at the sudden loss of such a beautiful young life - a true force of nature, and one of the ICCA Consortium's most cherished flowers. Ghanimat was a proud member of the Qashqai tribe and a powerful and passionate young leader. She will be deeply missed.

This dedicated page has been set up on the ICCA Consortium website to commemorate Ghanimat's life and provide space for everyone who knew her to share memories, messages and photos.

ICCA Consortium dedicated tribute page

We bid farewell to our conservation friend and colleague, Pedro, who served as Deputy Director of the Global Protected Areas Programme. Pedro left IUCN at the end of 2019 - but not before leaving his mark on the programme. An unsung hero who has dedicated his whole professional life to protected areas and to nature conservation.

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A land mass as big as the entire EU, the largest marine domain on the planet, over 70% of EU species, more than 150 islands, over 20% of the world's coral reefs. This is the EU Overseas. But with great space comes great responsibility. How does BEST address ecosystem and biodiversity needs in this vast area? (10:23)

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From the poles to the tropics, the European Union (EU) includes 34 overseas entities: 9 Outermost Regions and 25 Overseas Countries and Territories. Since 2011, BEST has supported 90 conservation projects in the EU Overseas. This represents to date an investment of 18 million euros.

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Seaweed in Zanzibar: the challenge of aquaculture and marine conservation - this fascinating new film from IUCN and partners shows how seaweed is a vital wheel of the economy in Zanzibar. It highlights the interconnectedness of coastal aquaculture activities and conservation efforts in the intertidal zone. It is already the subject of a solution detailed in PANORAMA.

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An education programme for students and their teachers has led to active ambassadorship for nature conservation. Since 2016, 5 protected areas have benefitted from 20 schools in Serbia implementing school projects involving 110 teachers and approximately 3900 students.

Read more on the WWF Nature Academy in PANORAMA

BIOPAMA has launched the first call for proposals for small technical grants from EUR 50,000 - 100,000. The purpose of BIOPAMA Small Technical Grants is to address identified needs in protected and conserved areas, sustainable use of biodiversity, and natural resource priorities - in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

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Home to the Critically Endangered Tenkile and Weimang Tree Kangaroos, the Torricelli Mountains also house 40% of Papua New Guinea’s mammal species and over 50% of its avifauna. BIOPAMA and the Tenkile Conservation Alliance partnered to teach the new tool's value and use.

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This short new YouTube video (and article) shows you the inside view of what thirteen Caribbean professionals experienced when bringing their knowledge to the recent Congress on Protected Areas for Latin America and the Caribbean (CAPLAC III). A 2019 highlight for BIOPAMA!

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Découvrez cette histoire à partir de la perspective de Gabriel Zabiti, Chargé de Planification, Suivi et Évaluation à l’Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, en République Démocratique du Congo.

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As a response to the high interest from stakeholders in Eastern and Southern Africa, BIOPAMA hosted a webinar on introducing the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. The webinar is targeted at those countries, but the information is globally relevant (YouTube 34:58). 

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Le programme BIOPAMA Afrique Centrale et de l'Ouest a organisé deux webinars sur les outils et services de collecte, consolidation, analyse et diffusion de l’information pour la décision sur les aires protégées et la biodiversité. (YouTube 58:42 et 1:07:17). 

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Using studies of southern African protected areas, their tourist facilities, and their communities, Dr Sue Snyman answered questions of why conservation in these African nations makes the wildlife economy valuable.

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The goal is to protect glaciers and Andean grasslands, as well as emblematic animals such as the condor and the vicuña, from damaging activities. With this in mind, Peru’s National Service of Protected Natural Areas has recently approved the creation of Ausangate Regional Conservation Area (ACR Ausangate in Spanish), also an IUCN Green List candidate.

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Time is running out, but with nature we can ensure a more prosperous, healthy and equitable world. We are the generations to get this right.

Register for the #IUCNcongress 2020.

The Congress (WCC 2020) is where the world comes together to set priorities and drive conservation and sustainable development action.

IUCN’s 1300+ government, civil society and indigenous peoples’ Member organisations vote on major issues, action which guides humanity’s relationship with our planet for the decades ahead.

Congress website

For IUCN Congress Updates subscribe to the newsletter

Capacity building is one of the basic building blocks of protected areas now, and vital in safeguarding their future. We encourage you in advance to visit the CAPDEV stand at WCC 2020 to find out more!

See the Facebook and Twitter posts

The new journal will bring interdisciplinary information and problem-solving techniques to topics relevant throughout the world's protected areas.

The inaugural publication focuses on the theme of “Climate Change and Protected Places: Adapting to New Realities”.

Get the first issue here or here

Why the IUCN Global Protected Areas team is constantly striving to grow governance and management in protected areas is partially answered in one segment of the compilation UK Guardian article, "The science stories that shaped 2019".

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If you are anxious about nature, maybe stressed about pressure on ecosystems, this is for you. Here are just six of the many inspirational 2019 conservation success stories that will help restore your hope. 

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MedPAN calls for Small Projects to support Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Mediterranean. The Call aims to reinforce MPA management, and the grant is open to: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, and Albania.

Read more and apply!

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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