Official IUCN publications

The "1994 Red List of Threatened Animals" was a major advance on its predecessors in clarity of layout and amount of information presented. This is taken further in the 1996 edition, which is also the first global compilation to use the complete new IUCN red list category system. Also for the first time, all mammal species have been assessed. This group and the birds are the only taxonomic classes where a comprehensive evaluation has been made.

"Collaborative management of protected areas" is a partnership by which various stakeholders agree on sharing among themselves the management functions, rights and responsibilities for a territory or a particular governmental agency staff - interested in pursuing the collaborative management option. It offers a broad definition of the approach and provides a number of examples of how it has been specifically tailored to different contexts.

The key steps in the attempt to develop guidelines are covered. The introduction sets in context events so far. Part 1 includes the case studies which were used as a resource for drafting material for the assessment procedure and for examining the practicality of the draft guidelines. Part 2 covers the initial procedures and lessons learned while Part 3 provides background material.

Intended to promote effective application of the biodiversity Convention in coastal and marine environments. It is based in large part on the recommendation of the "Jakarta Mandate" agreed to by the Parties to the Convention at their Second Conference in Jakarta in November 1995 and which identified the major threats to marine and coastal biodiversity and the principal legal and policy measures needed to address them.

Today, there is increasing recognition that traditional and indigenous knowledge systems can provide alternative strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, a realisation that is strongly reflected in the Convention on biological diversity. However, there is a fear that this interest in traditional knowledge systems will lead to the basic human, cultural and scientific rights of indigenous people being sidelined, something the CBD fails to address adequately.

With almost 5000 island and islets, the Mediterranean comprises one of the largest groups of islands in the world. With its wealth of species, high degree of endemism, long history and tolerance of all kinds of disruptions, it is of extremely high value to global biodiversity. However, over the last few decades, major socio-economic changes have increased the negative impact of human activity in the region and today, the islands are extremely vulnerable.

Increasing demands on the world's natural resources pose a serious threat to palm biodiversity. This action plan identifies the most threatened palm species in order to present recommendations for conservation measures that cater to their specific requirements, and to provide strategic guidelines for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of the many palms that provide food, construction material, and an important source of revenue for many people.

This action plan chronicles the threats faced by wild orchids, but more importantly to critical habitats that host extraordinarily high orchid diversity and endemicity. It explores and recommends specific ways that national and local government, legislators, scientists and orchid conservationists as well as growers can all help to reverse present trends.