This report explores whether solutions for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction can reinforce each other. Working through diverse opinions on whether these links can be made, it provides answers to ten frequently asked questions around the issue and highlights their implications for policy.

The questions include which components of biodiversity are important to poor people; whether people living in poverty rely more on biodiversity than other people; how the poor can reap the benefits of biodiversity conservation; and whether poverty or poverty reduction contribute to biodiversity loss.

The report concludes with a list of ten policy implications, including the need to clarify the different definitions of poverty, biodiversity and conservation to ensure that complex issues are not confused and misrepresented; the value of giving greater policy attention to how biodiversity can prevent poverty; and the importance of including safeguards in the design of conservation policy and projects, to ensure that poor people do not end up worse off.

This report from the Convention on Biological Diversity presents case studies of 'ecological networks' — programmes that aim to maintain ecosystem functions while simultaneously using the landscape sustainably. The extent to which ecological networks conserve biodiversity while boosting socioeconomic development is assessed in eight cases across the world, including Asia and Latin America. The authors also discuss how ecological networks can contribute to meeting biodiversity targets, reducing poverty and addressing climate change.

This report examines the relationship between biodiversity, forest resilience and ecosystem stability in the face of climate change. The authors review ecosystem resilience and stability theories, and conclude that forests' capacity to withstand disturbance depends on biodiversity at multiple scales.

This report identifies the major impacts of climate change in the Arab world and outlines potential adaptation measures for the region. It aims to inform and shape climate change policy in the Arab world. Dwindling water resources, sea level rise, reduced food production, deteriorating biodiversity and declining tourism are highlighted as particular areas of concern.

This report, published by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, highlights areas where high carbon content and high biodiversity overlap. The authors argue that by identifying target areas, such spatial analyses can help tropical countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change while maximizing biodiversity benefits.

Regional maps of tropical Africa, tropical Asia and the Neotropics give overviews of carbon stocks and biodiversity values. National-scale maps covering Panama, Vietnam and Zambia show more detailed data on carbon storage and on the species richness of mammals, birds and amphibians.

The maps highlight protected areas of tropical Asia, which suffer the highest percentage of forest loss. The authors suggest that although mapping can help in conservation planning, it must be accompanied by effective management on the ground and monitoring of land-use change to effectively reduce emissions. It is also important to account for national priorities and country-specific pressures.

The purpose of this report is to update and verify information on Nepal's biodiversity, last recorded in 1996. It is part of the Nepal Biodiversity Yearbook project, which aims to annually update information on the country's biodiversity from 2006 onwards.

This 2007 report focuses on higher plants and animals. Biodiversity is analysed at different altitudes and in protected areas, 'Ramsar sites' — wetlands of international importance — and World Heritage Sites of Nepal.

The report provides a background to the project, including information on Nepal's environmental conditions, topography and climate, its reliance on bioresources, an assessment of land use, and a summary of regulations and policies relevant to biodiversity protection.

An analysis of the species diversity, distribution, confinement and richness for each area follows, including the areas' environment, background and achievements in protecting biodiversity.

Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems and they provide economic benefits to the growing number of people who live in low-lying coastal areas. Research has suggested that climate change poses a threat to these complex ecosystems.

This report includes a thorough introduction to the ecology of coral reefs as a background.  It then provides an overview of the 'regular' stresses to which coral reefs are exposed, and how climate change affects them additionally.  The report suggests that the crisis affecting coral ecosystems must be understood as a combination of interacting stresses and says any attempts for remediation have to consider this.

The report provides a thorough yet accessible introduction and a comprehensive assessment of the stresses affecting coral reef systems. It will primarily be useful to someone who is new to the field.

Readers will have to download the report in pdf format.

This report reviews some of the main scientific achievements in discovering the extent of global biodiversity decline. It also reviews some of the major scientific initiatives to improve understanding of biodiversity issues that have been put in place since the 1992 Earth Summit.

It is one of 11 reports prepared by the International Council for Science to coincide with the World Summit on Sustainable Development that was held in Johannesburg in August 2002. Other reports in the series tackle issues such as biotechnology, climate change, energy, and traditional knowledge.

The Living Planet Report is a periodic update on the state of the world's ecosystems produced by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

WWF have developed what they call the Living Planet Index. The index is based on trends over the past 30 years in populations of hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Between 1970 and 2000, the forest species population index declined by about 15 per cent, the marine index fell by about 35 per cent, while the freshwater index dropped 55 per cent over the 30-year period.

Published by the United Nations biodiversity convention, the Global Biodiversity Outlook is a periodic assessment of the state of the world’s biodiversity, which includes an analysis of the steps being taken to ensure that the convention is being adopted in its member countries.

The report also serves as a useful guide to the convention itself; provides information on what individual countries are doing to protect their biodiversity, and includes a list of biodiversity projects that are being funded by the Global Environment Facility.