Our work

The Environmental Law Programme works across different scales from global to local, and across the full spectrum of sectors concerning natural resources governance.

 

Photo: Paúl Aragón Ecosystem-based adaptation is an approach that harnesses the benefits offered by nature to help people adapt to climate change. Effective governance frameworks are needed to implement EBA on a large scale and make it a central pillar of adaptation strategies.	Photo: D. Mark on Pixabay There is no global framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction which cover nearly two-thirds of the world's ocean and are home to significant biological diversity.
Laguna del mundo perdido Photo: Alvaro del Campo Protected areas in developing countries face a serious and increasing funding gap. The Incubator for Nature Conservation provides services to protected areas seeking to improve their business model and achieve financial sustainability.	Sinal do Vale Photo: Sinal do Vale Protected areas (PAs) ensure biological diversity and ecosystem services. In  order to be effective, protected area systems, as well as individual protected areas, must be supported by strong and well-implemented legal frameworks.
Mangroves Photo: Nash Ugalde, MarViva Foundation Mangrove ecosystems are under threat from a changing set of pressures and continue to face dramatic losses which is all the more alarming because of the essential goods and services these extremely productive land-water-ecosystems provide.	Photo: Kolibri5 on Pixabay Effective governance and cooperation in transboundary waters is essential to ensure the integrity of nature and the wellbeing of almost 3 billon people living in the 310 transboundary rivers basins worldwide.
Group of African Elephants Photo: Leon Basson on Pixabay Illegal wildlife trade, the world’s fourth most lucrative transnational crime after drugs, arms and human trafficking, is not only increasing but it is also deteriorating the Earth’s fauna and flora at an unprecedented rate.	Photo: IUCN ELC Knowledge and capacity building on environmental and natural resources law, supported by ready access to environmental law information, is most important for policy formulation, law making and legal implementation.