CONSERVATION NEWS

The government of Peru signed a deal to redirect more than US$ 20 million it owes to the United States into the conservation of some of the most biodiverse areas on Earth.

For more than 50 years, UNESCO has protected cultural and natural wonders as World Heritage sites due to their “outstanding universal value.” Turns out, there's another big reason these marvels are irreplaceable: their biodiversity.

Following a decade-long fight led by Indigenous activists and environment leaders, Ecuadorians voted decisively to end oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth — a move heralded by supporters as “historic.”

Protected forests keep significantly more climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere than unprotected forests, according to a new study. The research illustrates just how important protected areas are in the fight to curb climate change.

Years ahead of schedule, Bolivia has met an ambitious goal to protect 30 percent of its land — and that's thanks in large part to Amazonian towns and villages that are accelerating the pace and scale of conservation in the country.