UNESCO steps up efforts for biodiversity conservation

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme today added 20 new sites, in 21 countries to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which now numbers 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries, including 22 transboundary sites. UNESCO Biosphere reserves now cover more than 5% of the Earth’s landmass, in which biodiversity conservation, environmental education, research and […]

SA plays lead role in global biodiversity protection drive

A new standard sets out criteria for identifying key biodiversity areas, and SA will be among the first to do a complete national assessment. The recent adoption of the Key Biodiversity Areas Standard is a major breakthrough for global conservation. It has brought together 12 of the largest conservation nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) worldwide to promote […]

EU agrees total ban on bee-harming pesticides

The world’s most widely used insecticides will be banned from all fields within six months, to protect both wild and honeybees that are vital to crop pollination. The European Union will ban the world’s most widely used insecticides from all fields due to the serious danger they pose to bees. The ban on neonicotinoids, approved […]