1973 iucn yearbook

of resources, and halting environmental degradation. Emphasis is on
creating awareness of the importance of conserving forests, wetlands,
and other biotopes and establishing national parks and reserves as an
alternative to preparing land for cropping or animal husbandry.
During 1973 IUCN received funding from the Fund of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which enabled work to be
started on the formulation of ecological guidelines for economic development
with special reference to humid tropical forest areas. Related projects
were also initiated for other biomes with support from the Swedish
International Development Authority (SIDA).
Forward planning also started for projects to be supported by UNEP
in the development of regional systems of national parks and other
protected areas.
The hard core of IUCN work on the establishment and improvement
of national parks and the conservation of threatened plants and animals
continued.
Programmes in the fields of environmental policy and environmental
law, including work on international conventions relating to conservation,
were further developed as were activities in the field of environmental
education and public awareness.
In these and other activities close links were maintained with FAO
and UNESCO as well as with other collaborators referred to later in
the Yearbook.
To simplify reporting on these various projects and activities, they
have been arbitrarily grouped into five sections: (1) National and International
Environmental Policy, (2) Environmental Planning and Management,
(3) Conservation of Biotic Communities, (4) Conservation of
Endangered Species, and (5) Environmental Education and Public
Awareness.
Many of the projects referred to in the following pages are in the
IUCN/WWF series financed by the World Wildlife Fund. Other funding
sources are mentioned in relation to specific projects.
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