IUCN

Human wellbeing depends on the capacity of the earth’s natural systems to provide ecosystem goods and services. However, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment chillingly concludes that unless we take action to mitigate the current decline in ecosystem services, the cost to society will be substantial. In this publication, IUCN defines three key challenges that will need to be addressed in the near future in order to deliver internationally-agreed development goals.

An environmental flow is the water regime provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing water uses and where flows are regulated. Pioneering efforts in South Africa, Australia and the United States have shown that the process to establish them poses great challenges.

Despite endorsements of the concept of sustainable development and the linking of sustainable development with the Millennium Development Goals, progress towards the eradication of poverty has been disappointing. The underlying principles of sustainable development need to be more critically and actively applied to both poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation.

Le rapport annuel 2004 est le second d'une nouvelle serie que l'UICN en Afrique de l'ouest a décidé d'éditer à l'intention de ses membres et partenaires.

IUCN members adopted some 80 Resolutions and 38 Recommendations at the Members’ Business Assembly of the 3rd World Conservation Congress. They, along with the Intersessional Programme, financial plan and Commission mandates, provide the Union with a framework to be more effective in pursuing our mission.