Official IUCN publications

The 35 independent countries and territories which make up the Caribbean region are home to a great diversity of ecological, cultural and historical features. They share a number of remarkable characteristics including high levels of biodiversity with a huge variety of endemic and unique species.

The 35 independent countries and territories which make up the Caribbean region are home to a great diversity of ecological, cultural and historical features. They share a number of remarkable characteristics including high levels of biodiversity with a huge variety of endemic and unique species.

Islands are among the richest, most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Today, in the face of growing threats such as climate change, they are also among the most vulnerable. In early 2006 IUCN launched an initiative to explore options for ecosystem management and restoration in small island developing states (SIDS).

This book provides a systematic analysis of the requirements of access law, both the CBD requirements and the basic requirements of enforceable legislation. Often key legal issues that have a significant impact on enforceability of ABS agreements are not addressed in national legislation, therefore, this book addresses these issues with the aim to recognize and understand the nature of the legal impediments that must be addressed for the drafting of functional ABS legislation.

The grouse comprise a group of high profile species that are among the most well-known species in the countries where they occur; they are often considered the embodiment of the landscapes in which they live. Today, many of these species are under threat. The 2006–2010 Grouse Action Plan provides an overview to the distribution, status and threats to all 18 grouse species worldwide and identifies the most immediate conservation needs.

The challenge of building biodiversity business is not trivial. Biodiversity is still largely neglected by private finance. There is a need to develop new business models and market mechanisms for biodiversity conservation, and to persuade the public and policy makers that biodiversity (or component ecosystem services) can be conserved on a commercial basis.

Este es un estudio comparado de los regímenes de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental (EIA) de ciertos países de América del Sur (Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador y Perú). Con una visión esquemática de las distintas realidades jurídicas nacionales, el libro analiza hasta que punto dichos regímenes incorporan la variable diversidad biológica.

Current discussions over the “Certificate of Origin, Source and Legal Provenance” include the legal and practical implications associated with tracking the flow of genetic resources. Knowing what is where, how it got there, and whether conditions and restrictions were complied with, is a critical aspect if an ABS regime is to be effective in its implementation.

The Delos Initiative focuses on the sacred natural sites in developed countries throughout the world (such as Australia, Canada, the European countries, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America). Its main purpose is to help in maintaining both the sanctity and the biodiversity of these sites, through the understanding of the complex relationship between spiritual/cultural and natural values.

With the highest percentage of threatened sharks and rays in the world, the Mediterranean region is in need of regional planning and policy development for the conservation and sustainable management of chondrichthyan fishes. This third report in the series of Mediterranean Red List Assessments presents the findings of an expert workshop at which 71 Mediterranean species of sharks, rays and chimaeras (cartilaginous fishes) were assessed using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria.