Wildlife & land conservation

Mangrove forest

Pakistan has expanded mangroves nearly threefold between 1986 and 2020

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Around the world, mangrove forests have undergone a decades-long decline that’s just now slowing to a halt. But Pakistan bucks this trend. The country’s mangroves expanded from 48,331 hectares in 1986 to 143,930 hectares in 2020, according to a 2022 analysis of satellite data. Many in Pakistan are looking to mangroves to bolster precious fish stocks and defend against the mounting effects of climate change.

Pakistan has expanded mangroves nearly threefold between 1986 and 2020 Read more

Squirrel monkey

New fund supports Indigenous-led land management in biodiverse area of Bolivia

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The Wildlife Conservation Society launched the new funding mechanism, in collaboration with Bolivia’s Foundation for the Development of the National System of Protected Areas. The new mechanism will channel conservation funds to Indigenous organizations in the Madidi Landscape, one of the most biodiverse terrestrial protected areas in the world. The new fund has so far attracted $650,000 in initial support from the Bezos Earth Fund.

New fund supports Indigenous-led land management in biodiverse area of Bolivia Read more

Lionesses and cubs

Belgium bans import of hunting trophies from endangered species

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Before the ban, Belgium allowed the import of trophy species vulnerable to extinction such as hippopotamus, cheetahs and polar bears. The new law will stop the import of hunting trophies from many species currently at risk of extinction or that could be threatened unless trade is limited. The bill will protect all species listed in the European Regulation on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora.

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Desert landscape at sunset

Mexico announces 20 new protected areas covering more than 5 million acres of land

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Mexico’s government recently announced the creation of 20 new protected areas across 12 states and two coastal areas in the country, covering roughly 5.7 million acres. Officials introduced four new national parks, four “flora and fauna protection areas,” seven sanctuaries, two biosphere reserves and three “natural resources protection areas” under the protection of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas.

Mexico announces 20 new protected areas covering more than 5 million acres of land Read more

Golden mahseer fish swimming

Indigenous effort in Bangladesh helps reverse endangered fish’s slide to extinction

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Unchecked logging and quarrying of rocks from streambeds in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts led to springs drying up and populations of putitor mahseer fish, an endangered species, disappearing. A project launched in 2016 and backed by USAID and the UNDP is working with Indigenous communities to reverse this decline.
Now, as a result of these efforts, areas where forests have been conserved have seen the flow of springs stabilize and fish populations revive.

Indigenous effort in Bangladesh helps reverse endangered fish’s slide to extinction Read more

River dolphin

11 countries sign global pact to protect endangered river dolphins

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Since the 1980s, the combined populations of river dolphin species have plummeted by 73%. With the Global Declaration for River Dolphins, 14 countries are expected to join forces to protect six surviving species. So far, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, and Venezuela have signed the declaration.

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Forest landscape

Forest restoration planned for Colombia’s Farallones de Cali National Park

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The $3.7-million project could take several decades because of the severity of the environmental damage done by illegal mining, which has deforested the park and polluted its rivers with mercury. The 485,226-acre national park is an important biological corridor along Colombia’s Pacific coast.

Forest restoration planned for Colombia’s Farallones de Cali National Park Read more

Wild Saiga antelopes in steppe near watering pond

Saiga no longer endangered with 1.9 million roaming Central Asian Steppe

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The IUCN Red List status of this timeless talisman of the Central Asian steppes has been changed from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened. The dramatic downlisting reflects a remarkable rebound in saiga numbers, particularly its Kazakhstan stronghold, where populations have bounced back from a perilously low 48,000 individuals in 2005 to a new high of over 1.9 million.

Saiga no longer endangered with 1.9 million roaming Central Asian Steppe Read more

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