BIODIVERSITY & WILDLIFE
UN Environment works closely with governments, law enforcement agencies, biodiversity experts and judiciaries to support the design, implementation and enforcement of laws and regulations that contribute to improved governance of natural resources.
The African Elephant Fund takes the lead in ecosystem aerial mammal count between Kenya and Tanzania
In September 2018, UN Environment spearheaded an ecosystem aerial count with the aim of getting information on elephant numbers and trends in the ecosystem, in order to recommend appropriate management actions. The launch was attended by several government and non-government stakeholders including local leaders and communities of Kajiado County. Read more...
Reducing human elephant conflict through improved monitoring, stakeholder engagement and law enforcement
In the Central and Western regions of Ghana, the problem of elephant crop raid appears to be a normal phenomenon, which has resulted from several causes including the expansion of farms into forested areas in a bid to increase productivity and household income. To mitigate these threats, the African Elephant Fund together with the Government of Ghana has begun an initiative to reduce human-elephant conflict in Conservation Areas in Ghana. Read more...
Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in Rwanda
At a capacity building meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda, in September 2018, on implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, UN Environment re-affirmed its commitment to support Rwanda to establish legal institutional frameworks to aid in effective implementation of the Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. Rwanda has been slow to pick up momentum due to specific country challenges such as lack of local Experts as well as lengthy administrative procedures for recruiting international Access and Benefit Sharing consultants. Read more...
Strengthening laws to tackle wildlife crime in Central, West and Southern Africa
Illegal wildlife trade poses a serious threat to certain species of animals and plants across many parts of the world. With the help of UN Environment, governments across Africa have committed to redouble their efforts to prevent, detect and penalize wildlife crimes by strengthening their legal frameworks, stepping up national and regional cooperation, raising awareness of the drivers and impacts of wildlife crime, and working with local communities to prevent and address the illegal harvest and trade of wildlife and forest products. Read more...
Environmental crimes are widely recognized as among some of the most profitable forms of transnational criminal activity. A recent UN Environment study identified several major gaps in the response to environmental crime, including lack of data, knowledge and awareness, lack and limited use of legislation, lack of institutional will and governance, lack of capacity in the enforcement chain, lack of national and international cooperation and information sharing among authorities, and lack of engagement with private actors and local communities. Read more in> English I French I Arabic
