Items tagged:
Biodiversity and conservation
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Towards a nature positive economic recovery post COVID-19
This online event on Tuesday, 23 November shared emerging insights from a global analysis on integrating nature into COVID-19 recovery plans and budgets
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Putting social and environmental justice at the core of conservation, climate and development
This series of blogs, curated by IIED’s Natural Resources research group and the Green Economy Coalition, will examine dominant approaches to resolving the nature and climate crises
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30x30 – a brave new dawn or a failure to protect people and nature?
The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) negotiations, concluding early next year, include a plan to nearly double protected areas to 30% of the planet by 2030. Joe Eisen and Blaise Mudodosi discuss whether the 30x30 target offers a false solution to the biodiversity crisis
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New thought-provoking blog series scrutinises dominant approaches to resolving the nature and climate crises
IIED and the Green Economy Coalition launch a new thought-provoking series of blogs to scrutinise the dominant approaches to solving the nature, climate, and inequality crises
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Does the Global Biodiversity Framework offer a plan B for protected areas?
Ahead of IUCN’s World Conservation Congress, Phil Franks examines why – to date – strategies to halt biodiversity loss have largely failed, and discusses a way forward for protected areas and other forms of area-based conservation that is not only inclusive but also equitable
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IUCN World Conservation Congress
The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 took place from 3 to 11 September 2021 in Marseille. It was originally scheduled for June 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was a hybrid event, held partly in person and virtually, for the first time
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IIED and partner events at the World Conservation Congress 2020
A host of events took place at the delayed 2020 World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France, from 3 to 11 September 2021.
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Nature-based solutions: building blocks for green recovery and climate action in least developed countries
As international climate and biodiversity talks continue and conservation experts gather this week at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Ebony Holland shares recent research outlining how nature-based solutions are being placed front and centre by least developed countries
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Why traditional knowledge and Indigenous Peoples’ rights must be integrated across the new global biodiversity targets
Biodiversity policymakers negotiating the new international framework at the upcoming global biodiversity summit (CBD COP15) must ensure traditional knowledge and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC) are integrated across all post-2020 targets aimed at saving the world’s biodiversity
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SAGE Support Package (online)
Use the SAGE Support Package to gain the skills to organise and facilitate a governance and equity assessment for a protected area or other area contributing to biodiversity conservation
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Lessons from Paris: global biodiversity framework must engage business, grow finance
Decisions taken this year will set the course for nature, climate and development for a decade. We consider some key lessons from the UNFCCC climate change journey so far, and how they might help strengthen the global biodiversity framework being finalised in October
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Practical guide helps negotiators put equity at the heart of the new global biodiversity framework
Conservation efforts, while critical to reducing biodiversity loss, often fail to treat people fairly. This undermines the sustainability of these efforts and can further marginalise already vulnerable people. A new guide offers negotiators practical steps for embedding equity in the new global biodiversity framework
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Supporting a nature positive, equitable Global Biodiversity Framework
IIED is keen to ensure that the final post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that is negotiated by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is not just good for nature, but good for people too
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Community-based rangers – an effective approach to tackling illegal wildlife trade?
This webinar on 30 March 2021 showcased examples of community-based rangers in anti-poaching initiatives and discuss successes and challenges of this approach to tackling illegal wildlife trade
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The Dasgupta Review needed to engage today's finance ministers: here’s how
Paul Steele sets out ways to spur urgent and immediate investment in biodiversity conservation – complementing recommendations from Dasgupta’s landmark review
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Enhancing governance of community-based natural resource management in Zambia
Governance of community-managed protected areas in Zambia is on the decline. IIED, together with Zambia CBNRM Forum, will support stakeholders of six community-managed protected areas to improve their governance and share lessons across the eastern and southern Africa region
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Happy new super year! Why is 2021 such a big deal for climate, nature and people?
As the world woke up on 1 January this year, you could be forgiven for not noticing a new year had dawned. With lockdowns and restrictions still in place across many countries, new year celebrations were muted. But here at IIED, even without the midnight countdown, we’re gearing up for an exceptional year in 2021: a year of great ambition and opportunity to drive better outcomes for climate change, nature and people
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Debt swaps for climate and nature outcomes in West Africa
We urgently need to address the triple crisis of debt distress, biodiversity loss and climate change. This project will scope how this could be done through debt swaps for nature and climate outcomes in four countries in coastal West Africa
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Q&A: Communities combating illegal wildlife trade in East Africa
Olivia Wilson-Holt hears from three participants in a recent series of online learning sessions on wildlife conservation in East Africa about why engaging with communities is critical to combating illegal wildlife trade
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Assessing the social impacts, governance and equity of conservation: SAPA, GAPA or SAGE?
IIED has developed three practical and relatively low-cost tools for stakeholders and rights-holders of a protected or conserved area to assess their social impact, the quality of governance and the equity of conservation
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Online learning series helps practitioners engage communities in tackling illegal wildlife trade
Ever wanted to know how to engage communities in tackling illegal wildlife trade? IIED and partners are delivering seven online sessions to provide information on the application of the ‘Local Communities: First Line of Defence against Illegal Wildlife Trade’ initiative
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Biocultural heritage territories: key to halting biodiversity loss
A new briefing examines the importance of biocultural heritage territories, whose communities are custodians of biodiversity
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United in a call for higher ambition on the global biodiversity agenda
Ahead of the UN biodiversity summit later this month, a partnership of environment and development organisations – including IIED – are urging world leaders to ramp up ambition on action for nature, climate and development
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Q&A: New policy champions communities in the push to conserve Uganda’s wildlife
A new community conservation policy is aiming to tackle poaching and reduce the number of human-wildlife conflicts in Uganda. George Owoyesigire, of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, explains
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Truly transformative change is key to combating the biodiversity crisis
For the Convention on Biological Diversity’s new post-2020 framework to be effective – and not more empty rhetoric – governance needs more attention
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Site-level assessment of governance and equity (SAGE)
IIED and partners in the SAGE initiative have developed and are rolling out a relatively simple, low-cost tool for stakeholders and rightsholders in protected or conserved areas to assess governance and equity. Building on very positive experiences to date, further scaling up will follow the formal launch of the tool in spring 2022
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Achieving 'no net loss' for biodiversity and people
IIED supported a project in Uganda that explored ways in which ‘offset’ activities can result in no net loss of biodiversity while ensuring that local people are no worse off too
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Biodiversity, climate and development in the 2020 debate
A blog series exploring the links between biodiversity, climate and development as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is developed
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Despite COVID-19, using wild species may still be the best way to save them
As the content of the post-2020 biodiversity framework is being developed, Dilys Roe discusses the role of sustainable use in reducing biodiversity loss and saving wild species, and some of the potential implications of COVID-19
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Critical theme: Can insurance promote human wildlife co-existence?
Join us for a discussion about the potential role of insurance in mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
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Is adaptation the missing ingredient from the new UN biodiversity action plan?
This week governments from across the world will meet in Rome to discuss the first draft of a new global action plan to tackle biodiversity loss. Dilys Roe asks whether there is something missing from the agenda
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Impacts of trophy hunting – lessons from the hunting ban in Botswana
Trophy hunting has played a role in conservation in Africa for decades but calls to ban it are growing. What this would mean for wildlife, ecosystems and local communities is unclear. To ensure such decisions do not have unintended consequences, we need better understanding of what the impacts might be
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Information value chains – from data to research communication
What’s needed to sustain the flow of information from field data to policy communication? Rosalind Goodrich reports from a meeting in Durban that considered how to get biodiversity information to the heart of government decision-making
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IIED calls for more attention on effective community engagement in tackling illegal wildlife trade
IIED will argue more attention is needed to monitor action against commitments that have been made to tackle illegal wildlife trade at a major international meeting on protecting wildlife this week
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Biodiversity loss – more than an environmental emergency
The development community has a blind spot for biodiversity and its connection to social issues, says IIED’s Dilys Roe in an opinion piece published by The Lancet Planetary Health
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Leading on nature: can the new Secretary of State deliver bold action on environment and poverty?
The UK's new Secretary of State for International Development has impressed with a strong public statement on the need to focus aid funding on climate and environmental challenges. IIED welcomes his commitment, and suggests an agenda for action
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Development and life in general under threat from accelerating destruction of nature – but solutions are possible
On 6 May, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services published its first global report on biodiversity since 2005. Prepared by 150 leading experts from 50 countries, it confirms that nature is being destroyed faster than at any other time in human history. A million more species will become extinct within decades
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Indigenous biocultural heritage for sustainable development
IIED and partners in four countries explored how the traditional knowledge, biodiversity and landscapes of Indigenous Peoples can contribute to sustainable development
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Can improving health reduce threats to nature conservation?
IIED supported a project in Uganda that sought to understand the links between supporting community health and conserving Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and its mountain gorillas
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Covering elephant tracks: can insurance compensate farmers for wildlife damage?
A new IIED-led project in Kenya and Sri Lanka is exploring whether insurance schemes can compensate women and men small-scale farmers for crop and property damage caused by human-wildlife conflict, primarily from elephants
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Gender and biodiversity conservation – progress and future directions
Gender is fundamental to IIED’s mission, with our research – aiming, as a minimum, to be gender aware and sensitive. But what progress towards achieving gender equality has been made in the area of biodiversity conservation? A recent IIED webinar discussed the question.
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Biodiversity: a women’s business?
Women are among the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the world. What role do their burgeoning forest and farm businesses play in safeguarding biodiversity?
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CBD COP14: a breakthrough on understanding and assessing equity in conservation
A new international decision recognising the importance of equity in conservation could help tackle the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss
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Biodiversity on the brink: local people must shape nature’s new deal
Ahead of the Convention on Biological Diversity on Saturday, which will start shaping the post-2020 agenda on biodiversity, IIED director Andrew Norton calls for a process that truly includes indigenous peoples and local communities
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Communities, livelihoods and sustainable wildlife management
Conservation in Africa is failing. Despite a growth in formal protected areas, wildlife populations are declining. Illegal wildlife trade is a contributing factor but masks wider issues of land conversion, corruption and regressive policies that fail to make wildlife an economically viable land use option for local people
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IIED publishes updated guide to social assessment for protected areas
The new, expanded second edition incorporates practical learning from sites in five countries and strengthens focus on governance and equity
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IIED and partners at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP14)
This page summarises the activities of IIED, its researchers and partners during the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP14) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from 17-29 November 2018
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IIED webinar: Gender and biodiversity conservation – progress and future directions
This webinar on 13 November 2018 discussed promoting gender in the context of conservation policy and practice
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There’s justice in the battle for biodiversity
Increasingly recognised as the irreplaceable basis of our natural world, biodiversity is also fundamental to human wellbeing and sustainable development. James Mayers looks at why effective conservation action is inextricably linked with development and social justice
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The economics of mass extinction
A recent UK newspaper column asserted that economic approaches to natural protection are flawed. In this blog, originally published to mark the International Day for Biodiversity, four academics argue that, on the contrary, "without nature, no other value is possible"
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Understanding governance and equity in conservation
A successful multi-stakeholder self-assessment in Uganda’s Lake Mburo National Park enabled local people to judge what does and doesn’t work, and draws out their ideas for action
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Assessing governance at protected and conserved areas (GAPA)
IIED has developed and is now rolling out a relatively simple, low-cost tool for assessing the quality of governance at protected or conserved areas
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If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise…
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a magnet for tourists wanting to see gorillas in the wild, but surrounding communities don't get much revenue from the tourist trade. Dilys Roe describes a project that is helping local people who live close to the edge of the forest to develop products and activities that will attract visitors – and much-needed income
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Are health investments paying off for endangered wildlife?
An innovative project in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has helped the local community understand the links between health and conservation. The next step is to examine the project's impacts in more detail, and explore prospects for scaling up
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The Paris Agreement – a framework for local inclusion
The Paris Agreement commits governments to climate action. To deliver this agenda successfully, they must engage with all sectors of society, including indigenous peoples, and recognise traditional knowledge
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Broadcasting to Bwindi
What happened when a project to get the message out on the need to balance conservation efforts with reducing poverty in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, took to the airwaves?
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Does gender balance improve forestry and fishery management?
A new project aims to map the evidence on gender, natural resource governance and biodiversity conservation. And we're looking for your help
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Uganda urged to use biodiversity for sustainable development
A new Biodiversity Conservation Trust for Uganda will be launched in Kampala on the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May)
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About PLA
The journal Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) helped to set a radical new development agenda and facilitated the development of a vigorous international community of participatory learning and action practitioners
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Community-led solutions: key force in tackling wildlife crime
Researchers, community representatives, UN and government officials and NGOs have issued a set of recommendations on engaging communities in combating the illegal wildlife trade
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Enhancing equity and fairness
A workshop in Uganda finds that when it comes to implementing wildlife conservation, different groups have different perspectives on what is "fair" writes guest blogger Hellena Nambogwe.
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Return of potatoes from CIP to Andean farmers proves critical for climate adaptation
Peru's farmers are able to access a greater diversity of potato varieties for climate adaptation, thanks to the continued work of a ground-breaking agreement between CIP, ANDES and the Association of the Potato Park communities
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Human Rights Standards for Conservation (Part II)
This paper identifies key documents that contain provisions relevant to upholding the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in a conservation context
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New photofilm profiles biocultural heritage territories
IIED has released a new photofilm profiling indigenous biocultural heritage territories and the role they play in development, conservation and adaptation
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Addressing the interplay between agribusiness investments and ape conservation
Recent years have witnessed a new wave of large-scale acquisitions for agribusiness investments in Africa and Asia. Countries that house a large proportion of the world's biodiversity and ape habitats and populations have lost areas of high biodiversity land to commercial agriculture. Despite much effort at local, national and global levels, evidence on the exact scale, location and coverage of agribusiness investments remains patchy and often unreliable
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Protecting ecosystems and livelihoods in Bangladesh
Bangladesh shifts towards more effective, equitable and sustainable approaches to safeguard hilsa fishing
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Fairness can address the resentment that drives hunting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Poverty is not the only reason people illegally hunt wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, according to the Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (U-PCLG), whose new research shows that resentment toward conservation projects is just as big a factor
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Indigenous mountain communities call on governments to support traditional knowledge-based adaptation
An International network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples has been formed to advocate for community biocultural heritage rights and help achieve food sovereignty and climate change adaptation
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What we know about how biodiversity and poverty are linked: The good, the bad and the ugly
There is an explicit assumption in international policy statements that conserving biodiversity can help in efforts to tackle global poverty
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Time for a new look at social impacts of protected areas
A new framework for assessing the social impacts of protected areas will be key to ensuring conservation is effective, and contributes to human well-being and poverty reduction
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Wanted: Community wildlife conservation success stories
Ensuring local communities benefit from wildlife is key to successful conservation in the long term and can also help to fight the illegal wildlife trade. Share your community success stories with us on World Wildlife Day.
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PLA 66 - Tools for supporting sustainable natural resource management and livelihoods
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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Linking ape conservation with economic development and social justice
Great ape conservation organisations are increasingly aware of the need to integrate issues relating to economic development and social justice if they are to be successful. This project aims to build capacity of organisations to do this internationally and in key African great ape range states.
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Unleashing the potential of local organisations in linking conservation and development
IIED supported and raised the profile of local organisations in East Africa, to help make the case for investing in and scaling-up community-based approaches to transforming landscapes, economies and rural societies.
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Assessing social impacts of protected and conserved areas (SAPA)
IIED has developed and is now rolling out a relatively simple, low-cost tool for assessing the positive and negative social impacts of protected or conserved areas
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Uganda: conserving Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and reducing local poverty
Despite interventions aimed at improving the livelihoods of communities in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda, the illegal use of the park's resources continued. This IIED project aimed to better understand who is carrying out the unauthorised use of resources and why, so that interventions can be more effective in the future
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PCLG: an international learning network on the links between people and nature conservation
PCLG international shares opportunities and research through two regular newsletters, and supports PCLG national groups in Cameroon, DRC and Uganda
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Introduction to conservation, communities and equity
Conservation is critical to protecting nature and biodiversity. But many conservation interventions have negative impacts on local people. IIED and partners are helping to build capacity to understand and implement equitable conservation activities and to enhance community voice in national and international conservation policymaking
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New tool to help join-up policies to cut poverty and conserve biodiversity
As thousands of delegates gather in India for the 11th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) next week, a new initiative will be unveiled to help countries meet some of their obligations under the legally-binding treaty whilst also reducing poverty.
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How communities are protecting their biocultural resources with community protocols
As delegates gather for the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity this photostory looks at why two communities in India and Borneo have developed community protocols.
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World Conservation Congress: key themes and a new leader to watch
The role of markets and the green economy, and the risks of monetising nature were two key themes that emerged from the Conference.
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PLA 65 - Biodiversity and culture: exploring community protocols, rights and consent
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 64 - Young citizens: youth and participatory governance in Africa
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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Biodiversity and REDD
REDD could play an important role in biodiversity conservation. This project aimed to identify and test possible mechanisms to help promote high biodiversity REDD
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Paying local communities for ecosystem services: The Chimpanzee Conservation Corridor
Chimpanzees in Uganda are under threat as their habitat is lost to agriculture and human settlements. Central to this problem is the attitude of most farmers that chimpanzees and forest habitat conservation are a threat to their own livelihoods. IIED and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) showed how an equitable and financially sustainable payment scheme can compensate local landholders for conserving and restoring forest habitats and for protecting chimpanzee populations
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Harnessing carbon finance to arrest deforestation: saving the Javan rhinoceros
IIED supported local institutions to set up a properly functioning and equitable forest carbon facility to compensate local villagers for arresting degradation and deforestation in and around Cat Tien National Park. This protection of forests helps conserve large mammals, particularly the critically endangered Javan rhinoceros
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PLA 60: Community-based adaptation to climate change
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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Citizens reframing conservation policies and practice for food and livelihood security, environmental sustainability and justice
Two complementary activities are being carried out to allow citizens’ to assess, re-imagine and influence conservation policies and practice
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PLA 59: Change at hand: Web 2.0 for development
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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An accountability charter for conservation NGOs
IIED worked with major international conservation organisations to develop a set of principles addressing human rights concerns, and a mechanism for monitoring compliance with those principles
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PLA 58: Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 57: Immersions: learning about poverty face-to-face
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 56: General issue
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 55: Practical tools for community conservation in southern Africa
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 54: Mapping for change: practice, technologies and communication
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 53: Tools for influencing power and policy
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 52: General Issue
This edition of Participatory Learning and Action is a general issue, and includes articles from practitioners around the world.
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PLA 51: Civil society and poverty reduction
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
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PLA 50: Critical reflections, future directions
Keep up to date with the latest participation news from Participatory Learning and Action – a leading informal journal on participatory methods and approaches that strengthen rights, voice and governance and promote social justice. The series is published in English, with some issues translated into other languages, and some issues available in multimedia formats.
