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Key Documents archive results 1-14 of 14 in Agriculture & Environment and Desert science
Reducing West Africa's Vulnerability to Climate Impacts on Water Resources, Wetlands and Desertifica
This report published by the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) is based on participatory consultations with stakeholders and provides a comprehensive and in-depth account of West Africa's vulnerability to climate impacts on water resources, wetlands and desertification. The report contains two...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2004 | EN
The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: First report of session 2006-07
This review of the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) by the UK Environmental Audit Committee expresses disappointment that the MA has had limited impact on policymakers and nongovernmental organisations around the world. The authors recommend increasing the report's reach by, for example,...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: December 2006 | EN
Scientific facts on desertification
This document is a three-tier summary of the 'Ecosystems and human well-being: desertification synthesis' report published by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) in 2005. It begins with nine questions and answers introducing the subject, defining desertification, its causes, effects and how it...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2006 | EN
Global Deserts Outlook
Aimed at an expert audience, this report is an authoritative and up-to-date assessment of the state of the world's deserts, written and edited by some of the leading names in desert science. The report defines deserts to include all arid and hyper-arid parts of the Earth -- some 25 per cent of land...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: June 2006 | EN
Ten African Experiences: Implementing the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Africa
This report describes how the UN Convention to Combat Desertification is being implemented in 10 African countries. In particular, it shows how ordinary citizens, nongovernmental organisations and traditional authorities are integral to implementing the convention's provisions. But the report also...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2006 | EN
Success Stories in Combating Desertification
This report contains summaries of what the UN Environment Programme considers to be beacon projects in dryland reclamation. Projects are regarded as successful if they are innovative; have a low environmental footprint, and help to increase social and economic benefits to communities. In addition,...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 1997 | EN
Making a Difference
This 55-page report (in English and French) contains case studies on how dryland communities and external organisations have tackled land degradation in Africa and Asia. The case studies were written from the perspective of non-governmental organisations in developing countries, and published by...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2002 | EN
Economic Opportunities in the Drylands under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification
This 25-page report summarises the economic opportunities for the 2 billion people who live in drylands. In addition to agriculture, forestry, and livestock-rearing, the report highlights solar energy development, aquaculture, tourism, afforestation, bioprospecting, and mining as areas in which...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: September 2005 | EN
Response to the review of the UN Desertification Convention Secretariat
In a candid reply to an official review of the UN Convention Secretariat's work, the organisation's head Hama Arba Diallo acknowledges that if problems are not rectified, they could threaten the convention's existence. In response to the review, member states have set up a working group to explore...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2005 | EN
Review of the UN Desertification Convention Secretariat
Member states of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) requested this 24-page review, which pulls no punches about the convention's strengths and where it has gone wrong. The review reveals that the UNCCD's $17 million annual budget is half that of the UN Climate Convention. This is...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2005 | EN
Drylands, People, and Ecosystem Goods and Services
Where are the world's drylands? Who lives in them? How can the condition of soils be measured? This short book from the World Resources Institute (available in print and as an online download) answers these and many more fundamental questions on drylands and their relationship with people and...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2003 | EN
Global Environment Outlook
The UN Environment Programme, based in Nairobi, periodically assesses the world's environment in Global Environment Outlook (GEO). This report can be downloaded as a PDF file as well as a set of free online data tables. GEO includes a neat summary of the extent, causes and severity of land...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2006 | EN
AAAS Atlas of Population and the Environment
For a rapid summary of current knowledge on deserts and drylands aimed at the general reader, the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) four-page guide is hard to beat -- even though it is a little out of date. The guide includes data on soil degradation around the world; a...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2001 | EN
Global Environmental Negotiations
Compiled from the archive of India's fornightly Down to Earth magazine, Global Environmental Negotiations is an impressive two-volume book that provides comprehensive information on the history and prospects of all UN multilateral environmental agreements, including the conventions on biodiversity,...
KEY DOCUMENT | Publication date: 2001 | EN
