All publications and documents

The Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) was developed by IUCN and the World Resources Institute (WRI) to assist countries in identifying opportunities for forest landscape restoration (FLR), analysing priority areas at a national or sub-national level, and designing and implementing FLR interventions. As part of IUCN’s effort to update the methodology, these guidelines have…

A review of needs at various scales for tools and processes that can help countries and stakeholders meet emerging challenges, address increasing degradation of and competition for resources, support the sustainable use and restoration of land and water resources, and ensure resilient ecosystems. There has been a loss of interest in the discipline of land-use planning in recent…

Land is the foundation of our life; stopping the critical loss of land and turning this trend around is critical for the future prosperity and security of humankind. The Sustainable Development Goal 15 “Life on land” commits world leaders to work together to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) for safeguarding life on land. One of the objectives that comprises LDN is to…

How does our careless disposal of antimicrobial drugs produce bacteria that can resist them? Why are Marine Protected Areas vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? Can off-grid solar plug the energy gap for cities in the developing world? UN Environment experts address these and other emerging issues with the launch of Frontiers 2017, its latest annual report on the…

The Fifth International Workshop on Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) attracted 74 local and 30 foreign experts and academicians from Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, Somalia, Qatar, Oman, Mauritania and Senegal, as well as representatives of UNCCD, the World Meteorology Organization and the UN Environment. Dry lands that generate sand and dust storms…

Soil forms a thin and yet vital membrane covering the non-submerged surface of our planet. It drives the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles upon which life on earth depends and is home to an immense diversity of species, all of which contribute invaluable, life-giving services to society. But soil is as fragile as it is abundant. A growing human population is driving…