IUCN in ASIA

our understanding of the place that
humans occupy in the earth’s ecology,
and the urgent need for environmental
action. The roundtable discussed peoples’
connection to nature, the understanding
of biodiversity, and how to
turn cutting-edge scientific findings
into effective, actionable messages for
decision makers and the public.
In 2012, IUCN undertook the most
comprehensive assessment ever of
2,515 freshwater species in the Indo-
Burma region, which is known for its
exceptionally high freshwater species
diversity. The study revealed that 13%
of these species are threatened with
extinction, especially in the context
of ongoing and proposed large-scale
hydropower development throughout
the region. This assessment provides
valuable information that can
help mitigate and minimize the impact
of ongoing and future hydropower and
infrastructure development.
Protection of natural areas is essential
to long-term conservation efforts.
In Viet Nam, the Tram Chim wetland,
which includes one of the last remnants
of the Plain of Reeds wetland ecosystem,
was notified as the 2,000th Ramsar
site. IUCN, through the Mekong
Water Dialogues programme, assisted
IUCN State Member, the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment
(MONRE), in the notification, which is
Viet Nam’s fourth, following Xuan Thuy,
Bau Sau, and Ba Be.
In Cambodia, IUCN strengthened
the management effectiveness of protected
areas by providing training for
rangers working at the Boeung Chhmar
Ramsar Site in the Tonle Sap Biosphere
Reserve. The Ranger-Based
Data Collection course focused on
improved methods for wetland conservation,
highlighting use of management
information system technologies with
global positioning systems for observing
and recording information on key
wildlife and fish species, their habits
and threats. The capacity building
was undertaken by the Mekong Waters
Dialogues project with the Department
of Wetlands and Coastal Zones of the
Cambodian Ministry of Environment.
Working on Marine Protected Areas
in Thailand, the IUCN-UNDP led Mangroves
for the Future initiative funded
a project on Evaluating and Improving
the Effectiveness of Thailand’s Marine
and Coastal Protected Areas. The programme
worked with staff from 11
marine national parks and three associated
research centres on using longterm
resource monitoring for improving
park management, under IUCN State
An orphan, Leo the snow Leopard was rescued in Pakistan
in 2005 and moved to the Bronx Zoo where he reproduced
a young cub in 2013. New community-based management
may reduce the need for this in the future © IUCN
Member Thailand’s Department of
National Parks, Wildlife and Plant
Conservation.
Moving beyond protected areas
into the more complex arena of shared
transboundary resources, IUCN State
Members of India and Sri Lanka came
forward to propose a Mangroves for the
Future project titled, ‘Living resources
of the Gulf of Mannar: Assessment of
key species and habitats for enhancing
awareness and for conservation
policy formulation’. The focus is to
build a knowledge base on coastal and
marine biodiversity, identifying values
and threats, such as gaps in legal and
The IUCN Programme 2013-16 aims to mobilize and unite
communities working for biodiversity conservation, sustainable
development and poverty reduction in common efforts with a
focus on three Programme Areas:
• Valuing and Conserving Nature enhances IUCN’s heartland
work on biodiversity conservation, emphasizing both tangible
and intangible values of nature.
•
•
Effective and Equitable Governance of Nature’s
Use consolidates IUCN’s work on people-nature relations,
rights and responsibilities, and the political economy of nature.
Deploying Nature-based Solutions to Global Challenges
in Climate, Food and Development expands IUCN’s work
on nature’s contribution to tackling problems of sustainable
development, particularly in climate change, food security and
social and economic development.
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