International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.)
Headquarters at Switzerland.
Formed on 1948 October 5th as IUPN (International Union 4 Preservation of Nature) collaborating environmental organizations from different countries & prime delegates from 18 countries.
It was formed to help UNESCO in scientific matters. In 1956 IUPN renamed to IUCN.
In 1961, Julian Huxley & a team of scientists & businessmen formed World Wildlife Fund(WWF) to fund for IUCN.

World Wildlife Fund for Nature(WWF)- motto is 'For A Living Planet'.
World Wildlife week- 1st week of October.
IUCN headquarters act as Secretariat for Ramsar convention (wetland protection initiative).

The International Treaty on Wetlands was passed on 2nd February 1971 at Ramsar, Iran.
2nd February- World Wetlands Day.
Ramsar convention took force in India on 1st February 1982.
2 Indian presidents for IUCN- MS Swaminathan(1984-1990)
Asok Khosla (2008-2012)
There are 6 commissions under IUCN. Species Survival Commission publishes Red Data Book.
Commission on Ecosystem Management publishes on Ecosystems.
In India, Red Data Book published by Botanical Survey of India(on plants) & Zoological Survey of India(on animals).
Both organization headquartered at Kolkata.
IUCN listed 145 bird species across India.
3 of them- the Pink headed Duck, Jerdon's Courser & Siberian Crane are endangered (2013).
Great Indian Bustard, Forest Owlet (Maharashtra) endangered in India. Change of land use from grassland to farmland & deforestation are the causes.
United Nations Environmental Program(UNEP).
UNESCO started biosphere reserves as a part of 'Man & Biosphere Reserve Programme'.
Liam(Peru) hosted the world congress of biosphere reserves in March 2016.
World's largest freshwater ecosystem- Pantanal, Brazil.