The Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago, has approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic Ocean. Spread across 287,000 square kilometers (about 110,800 square miles), the new marine protected area network covers 30% of the ocean surrounding the archipelago. Half of the MPA network is “fully protected,” while the other half is “highly protected.” By Shreya Dasgupta
Conservation news
The Azores creates largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic
The Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago, has approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area network in the North Atlanti...
 #News #Conservation #Environment #Oceans
In Jakarta’s coastal fishing communities, child marriage rates are on the rise as families struggle with economic hardships. Siti and Azizah, two sisters married as teens, reflect a growing trend where parents view early marriage as a way to ease financial burdens amidst declining fish stocks and rising costs of living. #News #Conservation #Environment #Fisheries
Climate policies like REDD+ often fail to prioritize Indigenous peoples, undermining their effectiveness in tackling the root causes of deforestation and climate change, according to a recent study. The authors propose 12 principles to improve climate policies, based on themes such as supporting Indigenous territorial defense and their rights, encouraging Indigenous-led climate initiatives, and directing climate funding to these populations. By Sarah Brown
Conservation news
Study: REDD+ doesn’t work without Indigenous peoples, but fails to engage them
The United Nations’ framework for reducing emissions by protecting forests in less-industrialized countries, known as REDD+, isn’t doing enough...
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A group of 225 global NGOs from more than 40 countries has issued a statement urging the European Parliament and EU governments to reject a proposal that would delay the implementation of the EU’s ambitious anti-deforestation law by a year. The collective statement, titled “Hands off the EU deforestation regulation!,” noted that the law was adopted democratically, “with a record level of public engagement and support.”
Conservation news
225 NGOs call on EU to reject delay to deforestation law
A group of 225 global NGOs from more than 40 countries has issued a statement urging the European Parliament and EU governments to reject a proposa...
 #News #Conservation #Environment #EUDR #Forests
As global leaders, experts, activists and Indigenous voices meet this October in the Colombian city of Cali at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference, COP16, missteps and successes within President Gustavo Petro’s environment agenda are watched closely. COP16 occurs two years after the country’s first-ever left-wing president was sworn in, pledging to turn Colombia into “a leader in the protection of life.” By Lucas Berti
Conservation news
Deforestation plunges but environmental threats remain as Colombia hosts COP16
As global leaders, experts, activists and Indigenous voices meet this October in the Colombian city of Cali at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference, CO...
 #News #Conservation #Environment #cop16
Indonesia’s strategy for increasing renewable energy production could see Indigenous communities lose huge swathes of their forests to biomass plantations. Mongabay visited the planned site of one such project on the island of Borneo, where 3 villages have signed over at least 5,000 hectares of their land to a biomass company. Much of this area, locals say, is covered in rainforest that would presumably be cleared for the project. By Hans Nicholas Jong and Phil Jacobson
Conservation news
Revealed: Biomass firm poised to clear Bornean rainforest for dubious ‘green’ energy
(Baca dalam Bahasa Indonesia.) LABAN NYARIT, Indonesia — Ipu Angit’s close relationship with the forest here in the interior of Borneo is evide...
In Brazil, 256 Indigenous people were elected mayors, vice mayors and city councilors, the highest in the country’s history and an 8% increase compared with 236 elected in 2020. Increasing representation of Indigenous people elected in municipal ballots is a key move to ensure the fulfillment of Indigenous rights and should pave the way to increase the number of Indigenous people elected in the 2026 state and federal ballots, advocates and activists say. By Karla Mendes
Conservation news
Brazil elects record-high number of Indigenous mayors, vice mayors & councilors
A record-high number of Indigenous people were elected in Brazil’s recent municipal elections, a key move to ensure the fulfillment of Indigenous...
A year-long Mongabay investigation shows that one of Cambodia’s most notorious logging companies likely illegally exported rare tree species to Vietnam and China for years. We found evidence Angkor Plywood has been illegally logging timber from protected areas and violating various laws by exporting sawn logs — and doing all this with impunity, in part thanks to its well-connected founders. By Gerald Flinn
Conservation news
Angkor Plywood, the ‘timber cartel’ shipping Cambodian forests internationally
This is the first part of a Mongabay series investigating Cambodia’s illicit timber trade. Read Part Two. Several Cambodian journalists contribut...
 #News #Conservation #Environment #Deforestation #Logging
Within just over 24 hours of forming in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 6, Hurricane Milton grew from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5, the most powerful class of storms. It was a jump in wind speeds of more than 153 kilometers per hour (95 miles per hour) in a day. This rapid intensification was likely fueled by climate change-linked warming of the Gulf waters, scientists say. By Bobby Bascomb
Conservation news
Climate change fueled Hurricane Milton’s rapid intensification
Within just over 24 hours of forming in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 6, Hurricane Milton grew from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5, the most p...
 #News #Conservation #Environment #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather
A recently published report by rights groups says that commodities from the Malaysian state of Sarawak should be labeled “high risk” under the new EU deforestation regulations, subjecting exports to additional scrutiny. Indigenous and human rights groups point to high rates of deforestation associated with timber and palm oil production in the state, and to alleged violations of human rights. By Danielle Keeton-Olsen
Conservation news
NGOs push EU to label Sarawak as ‘high risk’ source of timber, palm oil
A coalition of Indigenous and human rights groups are hoping new European Union trade regulations could help pressure timber and oil palm industrie...
 #News #Forests #Deforestation #EUDR #PalmOil