June 2018 - n°353 June A CALL FOR NATURE The International Union for Conservation of Nature: 70 years of actions and commitments RED LIST I PROTECTED AREAS I OCEANS & POLES I WORLD HERITAGE Join us to shape a more just world that properly values nature and conserves it. Together we can influence, encourage and help societies worldwide to safeguard nature’s integrity and diversity, and to ensure that natural resources are always used in a fair and environmentally sustainable way. Whether you want to join IUCN as a conservation specialist, support our activities, work with us, understand the biggest conservation issues, or simply spread our ideas, be part of IUCN’s mission for © Hilary Hamilton © Hilary a sustainable planet. Make a commitment with © Bat Conservation International Conservation © Bat © Denis Palanque et Nathalie Houdin et Nathalie Palanque © Denis BECOME AN IUCN MEMBER : www.iucn.org/about/union/ members/how-become-member- iucn JOIN OUR COMMISSIONS : www.iucn.org/about/union/ commissions © Shawn Heinrichs © Shawn © Shawn Heinrichs © Shawn HELP US PROTECT NATURE ! www.iucn.org With your support, IUCN can continue to grow conservation knowledge for the benefit of nature and men. www.iucn.org ÉDITO STRENGTH IN UNITY t would be easy, at fi rst glance, for us to give the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the uninviting nickname that General de Gaulle used for the United Nations: the “machin” [thing, thingy, whatdyamacallit – Translator’s Note]. A head offi ce on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland; a community of international experts; pages upon pages of reports; programmes and projects with multiple and obscure acronyms… But to stick with this fi rst – and OLIVIER THEVENET false – impression would mean making a judgement far removed Editor from the reality of a non-governmental organisation which, for the past 70 years, has set itself the objective of protecting the world’s biodiversity while Ibeing mindful not to pit man against nature. And that is a massive chal- lenge, given how carelessly humans treat their only planet. Many indicators are fl ashing red: global warming, deforestation, extinction of species, all kinds of pollution... The scorecard makes gloomy reading, and the future looks sombre indeed. AND YET, THROUGH IUCN, countries are making commitments; experts all over the world are pooling their forces and knowledge; and governmental and civil organisations are striving daily to ensure that humankind does not develop at nature’s expense. An eclectic body, with a wealth of widely- sourced expertise, IUCN is now a vital link in protecting nature worldwide. Its work, programmes and actions not only advance understanding, they THANK YOU : This special edition of Terre Sauvage was also encourage governments and companies to go further, or at least to produced in close partnership make good on their pledges. with IUCN. The editorial team of Terre Sauvage would to thank especially all the teams of experts The news is far from good, but there is still time for us to mobilise and “pull who helped us to produce this back from the cliff edge”. Nicolas Hulot, France’s Minister for Ecological and edition, in particular: Valérie Inclusive Transition, underscores this urgency in an interview he gave us (p. Batselaere, Goska Bonnaveira, 20): “Today, I want to spark a burst of indignation and reaction, because the Leigh Ann Hurt, Ewa Magiera, Marc Magaud, Corbe Nash, erosion of biodiversity is a slow poison in the veins of humanity.” With this Alain Pirlot, Aurélie Spadone, special edition devoted to IUCN’s 70th anniversary, Terre Sauvage is teaming Ricardo Tejada and Célia with this great organisation to draw a ention to nature’s fragilities, and to Zwahlen. Our very special thanks go to Simon Bradley for his show why it is essential for our life on Earth. We also wanted to emphasise pivotal role in this project. that humans, when they want to, can be nature’s closest ally. Grin or growl? Tell us what you think of Terre Sauvage! Write to: [email protected], or join us on Facebook, Twi er and Instagram. Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .ai Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .ai Join Terre Sauvage on N°353 Terre Sauvage 3 SPECIAL EDITION Juin 2018 - n°353 Juin a call for nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature : 70 years of actions and commitments Red List I PROteCted AeRAs I OCeAns & POLes I WORLd heRitAge COVER PHOTO contents LAURENT BAHEUX 8 14 36 THE WORLD 70 YEARS OF NATURE MARINE AND IN PICTURES PROTECTION POLAR HABITATS S. S. BUGNON N. HOUDIN D. PALANQUE D. HOUDIN N. BIOSPHOTO / DIRSCHERL R. 50 PROTECTED AREAS 72 BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY MINDEN PICTURES / CYRIL RUOSO / BIOSPHOTO / RUOSO CYRIL / PICTURES MINDEN DAVE WELLER 80 RED LIST 46, 68 & 90 INTERVIEWS Where we talk about global 94 warming, the vital role of forests, HERITAGE the future of palm oil… F. F. F. DESBORDES DESBORDES P. MEYER H. JACQUEMOUD 4 Terre Sauvage N°353 22SPECIAL REPORT MADAGASCAR LEMUR ISLAND NATHALIE HOUDIN ET DENIS PALANQUE DENIS ET HOUDIN NATHALIE 6 PREFACE fascinating primates, which exist 68 INTERVIEW nowhere else on earth. “ NATURE IS A POWERFUL ALLY ” 8 THE WORLD IN PICTURES 36 MARINE AND POLAR Climate change and ecosystems. 14 70 YEARS OF NATURE HABITATS 72 BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION A MOUNT OF MARVELS THE WHALE OF SAKHALIN Now boarding: An Indian Ocean • IUCN : What a story! Relive In the Sea of Okhotsk off Russia, IUCN the epic tale of this naturalists’ expedition to explore a large is defending the interests of the Western union. underwater mountain. Grey Whale of the north-western Pacific… 46 INTERVIEW 80 RED LIST • HOW IUCN works “ THE VALUE AND ROLE WHEN SPECIES SEE RED What resources does the OF FORESTS MUST The Sumatra Tiger, the Javan Rhinoceros, organisation have? BE UNDERSTOOD ” the Saola… According to IUCN, 25,000 • “IUCN is a whistleblower, an The Bonn Challenge and forest species are under threat of extinction. interview with Nicolas Hulot, restoration. 90 INTERVIEW French Minister for Ecological 50 PROTECTED AREAS “ LET’S PRODUCE and Inclusive Transition. THE BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLY ” 22 SPECIAL REPORT NATURE Palm oil and deforestation. MADAGASCAR, From Ol Pejeta Conservancy in 94 WORLD HERITAGE LEMUR ISLAND Kenya to Iroise Marine Nature AN INESTIMABLE LEGACY On this vast island in the Indian Park in France, discover A visit to the Pyrenees-Mont Perdu site, Ocean, IUCN is fighting alongside protected areas – the sanctuaries which has UNESCO World Heritage List NGOs to protect these that IUCN aims to create more of. status. TERRE SAUVAGE CLUB TERRE DES HOMMES Supports Terre Sauvage : N°353 Terre Sauvage 5 PREFACE FOR NATURE AND FOR PEOPLE erre Sauvage regularly captures in its pages the tremendous beauty of nature, from remarkable alpine summits to the vibrant heat of the African savanna, teeming with life. Terre Sauvage also reminds us that nature, beyond its beauty, is essen- INGER ANDERSEN tial for human survival: it makes our existence pos- Director General, IUCN sible by supplying the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. This year, the internatio- nal Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) celebrates its 70th anni- versary. Since it was founded in 1948, IUCN has strived to safeguard Tthe planet’s natural treasures. It protects nature for its intrinsic value, “IUCN protects nature for its intrinsic and also for everyone’s good and future generations. value, and also for TO MARK THIS ANNIVERSARY, Terre Sauvage is celebrating our organisation’s track record in a special edition. At its inception, IUCN future generations.” was the first environmental union created on a planetary scale. Today, it is an international authority on the status of nature and natural resources worldwide, and on measures to conserve them. France has been an important partner ever since our Union was established in Fontainebleau, and we are delighted to see these ties strengthened with the announcement that Marseille will host the next IUCN Congress. THIS SPECIAL EDITION INVITES YOU ON A JOURNEY through the Acknowledgements tropical forests of Indonesia and the ecosystems of the sea bed. A journey IUCN thanks all the organisations and people during which you will also discover the scope of IUCN’s missions and who support its nature conservation work. Special thanks go to our strategic partners: the people who make up the Union. Lastly, this journey will highlight Finland, France, the Republic of Korea, Norway, the role played by the Union in implementing solutions to meet the most Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Thanks to the following organisations for their pressing global challenges. commitment to the actions presented in this special edition: the French Global Environment How can people be provided with food and livelihoods while species Facility (FFEM); the French Polar Institute (IPEV); the French National Museum of Natural History such as the Bornean Orangutan or the nocturnal Aye-aye Lemur are pro- (MNHN); the French National Research Institute tected? How can resources that are vital for a growing world population for Sustainable Development (IRD); the Institute for Sustainable Development and Internatio- be guaranteed while the planet’s environmental cycles are preserved? nal Relations (IDDRI); Oxford University for the How can nature be turned into a powerful ally to tackle climate change FFEM-SWIO programme and the Walters Shoal expedition; the European Union and the African, and to ensure food security and access to water, as well as addressing Caribbean and Pacific Group of States for the many other urgent issues that humans now face? BIOPAMA programme; the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conserva- tion and Nuclear Safety for the Green List and These are hard questions to answer, but the global community is com- Protected Areas programmes; and a private Geneva-based foundation for the SOS Lemurs mitted to protecting natural habitats and their species, and is endeavou- Initiative.