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OOC Fundamentals of Freshwater Health

by Categories: Collaboration calls, News, Upcoming events

Conservation International (CI) and IHE Delft are pleased to announce a new open online course introducing the fundamentals of freshwater ecosystems, their ecosystem services, pressures they face, indicators to assess their health and governance and management approaches to protect and restore them.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an expert team of professionals through interactive lectures, readings, and practical exercises. You’ll also become familiar with CI’s Freshwater Health Index, a framework for water managers and decision-makers to analyze the health of their basins, understand the trade-offs and consequences of their actions, and discuss approaches to creating healthy, sustainable watersheds into the future. [Read more…] about OOC Fundamentals of Freshwater Health

Natural capital accounting at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

by Categories: News

The IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Marseilles this month, both at its Forum and Member’s Assembly represented an important step to join the global Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) community, who are rapidly advancing systems to assess the contribution of nature to the economy as its role in supporting economic growth, to the IUCN conservation community.

In advance of the WCC, the adoption of the IUCN Resolution on Accounting for Biodiversity, calling the conservation community to mobilize resources to develop and implement accounting for biodiversity, to apply accounting to support the derivation of indicators of biodiversity change and to support its mainstreaming, set the stage for important discussions held at a Forum session on its implementation (more on that below). At the Member’s Assembly, the approval of the IUCN Resolution on Towards a Policy on Natural Capital, which proposes non-binding principles – including definitions, inclusivity and implementation – to be considered in the development of an IUCN Policy on Natural Capital was yet another important milestone towards placing nature conservation at the foundation of sustainable development. [Read more…] about Natural capital accounting at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

Ecosystem based approach on adaptation to climate change in Kazakhstan

by Categories: Blog posts, Member post, News

According to international estimates, Kazakhstan belongs to the group of countries most vulnerable to climate change. Measurements show that the average annual temperature in Kazakhstan is growing faster than the global average. At the same time, water resourcescarcity and the frequency of droughts, the number of extreme weather events and heat waves are increasing. All of this has a major impact on all sectors of the economy and on human health, food security and natural ecosystems, and requires urgent adaptation measures.

In accordance with the obligations and on UNFCCC Kazakhstan has started development of a roadmap on adaptation to climate change. Recently accepted the Environmental Code provides, that the roadmap will serve as a basis for planning and integrating climate change adaptation activities in the economic sectors, that are legally defined as priorities[1], as well as in regional programs, implemented by local governments. [Read more…] about Ecosystem based approach on adaptation to climate change in Kazakhstan

Use the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database to assess the monetary value of nature anywhere on earth

by Categories: News, Upcoming events

What ecosystem services does nature provide? What is the monetary value of these services? How to compare different values? The Ecosystem Services Valuation Database, ESVD, gives the answers. Via ESVD.net you can gain free access to over 4500 standardized values in dollar per hectare per year providing information on all ecosystem services all over the world. Sign-up for the official online launch of the ESVD on 14 October to learn more about the ESVD. [Read more…] about Use the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database to assess the monetary value of nature anywhere on earth

Assessing the impacts of conserving Lesser Spotted Eagle in Latvia

by Categories: Collaboration calls, News

The “Conservation arrangements for Lesser Spotted Eagle in Latvia” (LIFE AQPOM) project has focused on the complex conservation of the bird’s alarmingly declining population. The project created new habitats for the eagle and for his preys and ensured safe pylons around the habitats of the bird. In our socio-economic impact and ecosystem services assessment we analysed how the project contributed to the well-being of impacted stakeholders (grassland and forest owners) and revealed how different ecosystem services (biomass and carbon sequestration of project sites) were changed due to project interventions.

In regard to the evaluation of these two essential forest related ecosystem services, we found that the protected nesting sites not only served the purpose of preserving the Lesser spotted eagle but also improved the condition of the biomass and the carbon sequestration ecosystem services and indirectly, other ecosystem services. [Read more…] about Assessing the impacts of conserving Lesser Spotted Eagle in Latvia