Sustainable Development Set – serie

Nepal is associated, in most people's imagination, with Everest (Sagarmatha to the Nepalese), vivid plants and picturesque villages and people. The truth, as always, is other. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, surrounded by big and powerful neighbours. It is immensely diverse, ranging from the great mountains to the north through the trans-Himalaya, a high barren plateau, through the deep valleys, which include the one which contains the ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, to the Terai which is an extension of Ganges plain. This atlas describes not only the complexity of the environment, but the people, the languages, the towns and industries, the agriculture, food and land management, the natural resources, the effects of tourism, sources of energy, transport and education policies.Originally published in 1991

'This is a strategy for a kind of development that provides real improvements in the quality of human life and at the same time conserves the vitality and diversity of the Earth. The goal is development that will be sustainable. Today it may seem visionary. but it is attainable. To more and more people it also appears our only rational option.' – from Chapter 1 in 1980, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wide Fund for Nature, the world's three most powerful organizations dedicated to preventing environmental catastrophe, published the World Conservation Strategy. It stressed the interdependence of conservation and development, it gave currency to the idea of sustainable development and it made the point that unless the vitality and productivity of the planet are safeguarded, the future for humanity is at risk. Its impact was immediate and worldwide. Now, ten years later, the same three organizations have formulated a new strategy for the 19905. Caring for the Earth builds on all that has been learned in the last decade about the complexity of the problems and shows how radical and far-reaching are the actions and objectives needed to meet them. Nothing less than a new ethic is required, based on affirming the community of life and cherishing its diversity – an ethic which has to be reflected in our personal attitudes and the organization of our communities as much as in wider policies. Public participation is essential for the success of the strategy, which is addressed to individuals and citizens' groups as well as to governments - whatever their systems. Adopting it will not be easy, but it does provide the agenda for immediate action. Originally published in 1991

The Brazilian Amazon is the largest area of tropical rainforest in Latin America. Brazil is that continent's most rapidly developing country. The Amazon is at the heart of the conflict between conservation and development, between people and power, and between heritage and modernisation. In the name of development, the powerful are colonizing the forest. The greatest new threat comes from the massive hydro-electric schemes which are being pushed ahead with little regard to efficacy, the rights of the people, or the survival of the forest. Dam the Rivers, Damn the People is about two of the most affected areas, Balbina in Amazonas and the Xingu River in Para. Barbara Cummings describes the plans which the state attempted to keep secret, the extent to which these projects will destroy the forest, the consequent dispossession of the people of the forest and, above all, their growing resistance. She shows how the outcome of their fight affects us all.Originally published in 1990

'The continued poverty of the majority of the planet's inhabitants and excessive consumption by the minority are the two major causes of environmental degradation The present course is unsustainable and postponing action is no longer an option. Inspired political leadership and intense cooperation across all regions and sectors will be needed to put both existing and new policy instruments to work. ' From the Synthesis Global Environment Outlook 2000 (GEO-2000) is a comprehensive and authoritative review and analysis of environmental conditions around the world. It is the flagship publication of the world's leading environmental organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and is based on information provided by more than 30 regional and international collaborating centres. The book presents a region-by-region analysis of the state of the world's environment, highlighting key global concerns and making recommendations for policy action. The regions covered include Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and the Polar Areas. Chapter 1: Global Perspectives describes the main drivers of environmental change, such as the economy, population growth, political organization and regionalization, as well as potential impacts of recent global developments including the growth of the consumer culture, trade and international debt. Chapter 2: The State of the Environment provides a global and region-by-region overview of the environment at the end of the second millennium. The chapter covers global issues such as ozone, climate change, El Nifio and nitrogen loading, and universal issues of land and food, forests, biodiversity, freshwater, marine and coastal areas, atmosphere and urban areas. Chapter 3: Policy Responses reviews the broad range of policy instruments and responses being used to address environmental issues, including multilateral environmental agreements, and analyses the difficulties of compliance, implementation and assessment. Chapter 4: Future Perspectives looks at environmental issues that will require priority attention in the 21st century and some alternative policy options that could be used in the regions. Chapter 5: Outlook and Recommendations makes recommendations for future action based on the environmental legacy left by past and present policy and management systems. GEO-2000 will be the benchmark reference and guide to the state of the global environment. Written in clear, non-technical language and supported throughout by informative graphics and tables, it is essential reading for all those involved in environmental policy making, implementation and assessment, and for researchers and students of regional and global environmental issues.Originally published in 1999

Three topics dominate discussions of the global environment: pollution; the consequences of the affluent running ever faster through finite resources; and the growing tensions between rich and poor as a third of humanity continues to live and die in desperate poverty.In this exceptional book Barbara Ward (co-author with Rene Dubos of the bestselling Only One Earth) refused to see these processes as inevitable. It describes new technologies for recycling waste, for energy, forgetting more or less linking them to ordinary people's working lives. It also suggests a strategy for meeting the basic needs of the disadvantaged, and shows how the vast inequalities between countries can be reduced.This perceptive survey of policies outlines a planetary bargain between the world's nations that would guarantee individual freedom from poverty and keep our shared biosphere in good working order.Originally published in 1988

The changing climate, the warming of the world and acid rain are among the greatest problems facing us at the end of the twentieth century. This book describes, for the first time, the effects of these phenomena on the high mountains and the forests of Europe. Mountains and the frozen regions (the cryosphere) not only play a major part in our climatic system, but are also central to our water supplies. Yet our glaciers are shrinking, our lakes and soils are becoming acidified, our forests are damaged and the whole fragile ecosystem of ranges like the Alps and the Caucasus is threatened. Nilsson and Pitt present the evidence and assess the probable effects of these changes on mountain society, tourism, water, flora and fauna. They also examine the uncertainties. Above all they look, too, at the best possible strategies in response to What is happening and at what the next steps should be.Originally published in 1991

We have only one earth, and how we choose to live in it matters. This highly readable and challenging text sets out some important topical issues that tells us we are not making a very good job of it. From the tropical rainforests to the teeming cities of the developing world and the energy hungry nations of Europe and North America, One World for One Earth shows that many of today's environmental problems can only be understood in terms of both the physical and the social processes involved. At present we are in a vicious circle. Uneven development creates problems of affluence in some areas and problems of poverty in others In both, the environment suffers. Independent local action has a crucial part to play, but to be really effective, sustainable development needs a new context which can only be put in place by international government co-operation. This book, by going beyond the conventional accounts of environmental problems, provides a basis for action. Originally published in 1991

Recent and dramatic flooding in places as far apart as Bangladesh and North Wales are example of what could become commonplace if sea levels rise. Most scientists are predicting a rise of about one metre and this book, based on research carried out for the Commonwealth governments, describes in simple terms what in. likely to happen as a result and where the worst effects will be. Martin Ince, a well-known scientific journalist, deals with the accuracy of our knowledge and the possible errors in assessment. He considers the different kinds of damage that higher seas could cause, inundation, increased salination, coral damage, increased flood and surge damage and so on. Brief case studies are included covering the UK, the Maldives, North America, Bangladesh, Guyana, Kiribati, The Netherlands, Italy, Egypt and Australasia. The book ends with an examination of the scientific and technical developments which could make the problems easier to deal with and, above all, set. out the policies on which governments must agree. Originally published in 1990

The IUCN Strategies for Sustainable Development Handbook Series This handbook is one in a series being produced by IUCN and its partners to assist countries and communities implement Agenda 21, the action programme of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The series will include handbooks on national strategies for sustainable development, local strategies, assessing progress towards sustainability, biodiversity action plans, .involving indigenous peoples, and on integrating population and resource use planning; and regular companion volumes of case studies addressing the key issues of concern to strategy implementation. Many international agreements and action plans now call for countries to undertake national strategies. These strategies seek to involve communities in united approaches to sustainable development. Some are sectoral, such as tropical forest strategies, others are thematic, covering topics such as biodiversity, education or climate change. Still others, such as national conservation strategies and national environment action plans, are evolving to become more comprehensive processes, drawing together economic, social and environmental development actions. This handbook is for people involved in strategies. It draws on experiences in different regions of the world to present options and examples of the role of strategies in sustainable development. Originally published in 1995

'This book ... should be issued to grass-root organisations everywhere' Doris Lessing, The New Scientist 'It is must reading for government planners, environmentalists and the ordinary layman' Asia Week Women in the Third World play the major role in managing natural resources. They are also the first and hardest hit by environmental mismanagement, yet they are neither consulted nor taken into account by development strategists. lrene Dankelman and Joan Davidson provide a clear account of the problems faced by women in the management of land, water, forests, energy and human settlements. They also describe the lack of response from international organizations. With the help of well-documented case studies they describe the ways in which women can organize to meet environmental, social and economic challenges.Originally published in 1988

Thirty years ago the Russell-Einstein Manifesto warned humanity that our survival is imperilled by the risk of nuclear war... In the spirit of that Manifesto, we now call on all scientists to expand our concerns to a broader set of interrelated dangers: destruction of the environment on a global scale, and denial of basis needs for a growing majority of humankind. The Dagomys Declaration (1988) of the Pugwash Council. Originally published in 1994

The world is moving into a new era which will be dominated by a new range of threats and a new range of priorities. Already headlines tell of storms and droughts, mass emigrations, the danger of old Soviet nuclear reactors and the thinning ozone layer, and with the menaces of global warming, deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity, the picture is likely to get bleaker. Unlike traditional threats, these are not made deliberately and standard military responses are usually inappropriate They are threats without enemies and they present quite new and fundamental challenges to the international community which has to find new methods and institutions, as well as the resolve, to tackle them. In this book, eminent experts describe the new threats and the scale of the dangers which they present and set out the political, military and institutional changes needed. Gwyn Prins is Director of the Global Security Programme at the University of Cambridge. He is author of Top guns and Toxic Whales, also published by Earthscan. Progress For A Small Planet Three topics dominate discussions of the global environment: pollution; the consequences of the affluent running ever faster through finite resources; and the growing tensions between rich and poor as a third of humanity continues to live and die in desperate poverty. In this exceptional book Barbara Ward (co-author with Rene Dubos of the bestselling Only One Earth) refused to see these processes as inevitable. It describes new technologies for recycling waste, for energy, for 'getting more for less' ,linking them to ordinary people's working lives. It also suggests a strategy for meeting the basic needs of the disadvantaged, and shows how the vast inequalities between countries can be reduced. This perceptive survey of policies outlines a planetary bargain between the world's nations that would guarantee individual freedom from poverty and keep our shared biosphere in good working order. Originally published in 1993

IUCN – The World Conservation Union Founded in 1948The World Conservation Union brings together States, government agencies and a diverse' range of non-governmental organizations in a unique world partnership: over 800 members in all, spread across some 136 countries. As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The World Conservation Union builds on the strengths of its members, networks and partners to enhance their capacity and to support global alliances to safeguard natural resources at local, regional and global levels. The Strategies for Sustainability Programme The Strategies for Sustainability Programme of IUCN works to strengthen strategic planning, policy and implementation skills aimed at sustainable development at global, national and local levels. Working with Networks of strategy practitioners from member governments, partner institutions and NGOs, the Programme assists in the conceptual development and analysis of experience in strategies, the development of a range of strategic planning and action planning skills, and improved methods of assessing human and ecosystem well being. Originally published in 1996

'The continued poverty of the majority of the planet's inhabitants and excessive consumption by the minority are the two major causes of environmental degradation The present course is unsustainable and postponing action is no longer an option. Inspired political leadership and intense cooperation across all regions and sectors will be needed to put both existing and new policy instruments to work. ' From the Synthesis Global Environment Outlook 2000 (GEO-2000) is a comprehensive and authoritative review and analysis of environmental conditions around the world. It is the flagship publication of the world's leading environmental organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and is based on information provided by more than 30 regional and international collaborating centres. The book presents a region-by-region analysis of the state of the world's environment, highlighting key global concerns and making recommendations for policy action. The regions covered include Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and the Polar Areas. Chapter 1: Global Perspectives describes the main drivers of environmental change, such as the economy, population growth, political organization and regionalization, as well as potential impacts of recent global developments including the growth of the consumer culture, trade and international debt. Chapter 2: The State of the Environment provides a global and region-by-region overview of the environment at the end of the second millennium. The chapter covers global issues such as ozone, climate change, El Nifio and nitrogen loading, and universal issues of land and food, forests, biodiversity, freshwater, marine and coastal areas, atmosphere and urban areas. Chapter 3: Policy Responses reviews the broad range of policy instruments and responses being used to address environmental issues, including multilateral environmental agreements, and analyses the difficulties of compliance, implementation and assessment. Chapter 4: Future Perspectives looks at environmental issues that will require priority attention in the 21st century and some alternative policy options that could be used in the regions. Chapter 5: Outlook and Recommendations makes recommendations for future action based on the environmental legacy left by past and present policy and management systems. GEO-2000 will be the benchmark reference and guide to the state of the global environment. Written in clear, non-technical language and supported throughout by informative graphics and tables, it is essential reading for all those involved in environmental policy making, implementation and assessment, and for researchers and students of regional and global environmental issues.Originally published in 1999

The changing climate, the warming of the world and acid rain are among the greatest problems facing us at the end of the twentieth century. This book describes, for the first time, the effects of these phenomena on the high mountains and the forests of Europe. Mountains and the frozen regions (the cryosphere) not only play a major part in our climatic system, but are also central to our water supplies. Yet our glaciers are shrinking, our lakes and soils are becoming acidified, our forests are damaged and the whole fragile ecosystem of ranges like the Alps and the Caucasus is threatened. Nilsson and Pitt present the evidence and assess the probable effects of these changes on mountain society, tourism, water, flora and fauna. They also examine the uncertainties. Above all they look, too, at the best possible strategies in response to What is happening and at what the next steps should be.Originally published in 1991

Nepal is associated, in most people's imagination, with Everest (Sagarmatha to the Nepalese), vivid plants and picturesque villages and people. The truth, as always, is other. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, surrounded by big and powerful neighbours. It is immensely diverse, ranging from the great mountains to the north through the trans-Himalaya, a high barren plateau, through the deep valleys, which include the one which contains the ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, to the Terai which is an extension of Ganges plain. This atlas describes not only the complexity of the environment, but the people, the languages, the towns and industries, the agriculture, food and land management, the natural resources, the effects of tourism, sources of energy, transport and education policies.Originally published in 1991

'This is a strategy for a kind of development that provides real improvements in the quality of human life and at the same time conserves the vitality and diversity of the Earth. The goal is development that will be sustainable. Today it may seem visionary. but it is attainable. To more and more people it also appears our only rational option.' – from Chapter 1 in 1980, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wide Fund for Nature, the world's three most powerful organizations dedicated to preventing environmental catastrophe, published the World Conservation Strategy. It stressed the interdependence of conservation and development, it gave currency to the idea of sustainable development and it made the point that unless the vitality and productivity of the planet are safeguarded, the future for humanity is at risk. Its impact was immediate and worldwide. Now, ten years later, the same three organizations have formulated a new strategy for the 19905. Caring for the Earth builds on all that has been learned in the last decade about the complexity of the problems and shows how radical and far-reaching are the actions and objectives needed to meet them. Nothing less than a new ethic is required, based on affirming the community of life and cherishing its diversity – an ethic which has to be reflected in our personal attitudes and the organization of our communities as much as in wider policies. Public participation is essential for the success of the strategy, which is addressed to individuals and citizens' groups as well as to governments - whatever their systems. Adopting it will not be easy, but it does provide the agenda for immediate action. Originally published in 1991

We have only one earth, and how we choose to live in it matters. This highly readable and challenging text sets out some important topical issues that tells us we are not making a very good job of it. From the tropical rainforests to the teeming cities of the developing world and the energy hungry nations of Europe and North America, One World for One Earth shows that many of today's environmental problems can only be understood in terms of both the physical and the social processes involved. At present we are in a vicious circle. Uneven development creates problems of affluence in some areas and problems of poverty in others In both, the environment suffers. Independent local action has a crucial part to play, but to be really effective, sustainable development needs a new context which can only be put in place by international government co-operation. This book, by going beyond the conventional accounts of environmental problems, provides a basis for action. Originally published in 1991

The IUCN Strategies for Sustainable Development Handbook Series This handbook is one in a series being produced by IUCN and its partners to assist countries and communities implement Agenda 21, the action programme of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The series will include handbooks on national strategies for sustainable development, local strategies, assessing progress towards sustainability, biodiversity action plans, .involving indigenous peoples, and on integrating population and resource use planning; and regular companion volumes of case studies addressing the key issues of concern to strategy implementation. Many international agreements and action plans now call for countries to undertake national strategies. These strategies seek to involve communities in united approaches to sustainable development. Some are sectoral, such as tropical forest strategies, others are thematic, covering topics such as biodiversity, education or climate change. Still others, such as national conservation strategies and national environment action plans, are evolving to become more comprehensive processes, drawing together economic, social and environmental development actions. This handbook is for people involved in strategies. It draws on experiences in different regions of the world to present options and examples of the role of strategies in sustainable development. Originally published in 1995

IUCN – The World Conservation Union Founded in 1948The World Conservation Union brings together States, government agencies and a diverse' range of non-governmental organizations in a unique world partnership: over 800 members in all, spread across some 136 countries. As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The World Conservation Union builds on the strengths of its members, networks and partners to enhance their capacity and to support global alliances to safeguard natural resources at local, regional and global levels. The Strategies for Sustainability Programme The Strategies for Sustainability Programme of IUCN works to strengthen strategic planning, policy and implementation skills aimed at sustainable development at global, national and local levels. Working with Networks of strategy practitioners from member governments, partner institutions and NGOs, the Programme assists in the conceptual development and analysis of experience in strategies, the development of a range of strategic planning and action planning skills, and improved methods of assessing human and ecosystem well being. Originally published in 1996, the case studies in this volume were prepared by members of the IUCN/CESP Working Group of Strategies for Sustainability in Asia, including individuals who have been closely involved in the development and implementation of the strategies, and who are from the country concerned.

Sustainable development cannot be achieved solely at the international level. Without the creation of more sustainable livelihoods, it will remain a utopian and elusive goal. Yet given the huge differences in economic development and levels of consumption between North and South, how might this be brought about? Taking the 1992 Rio Summit as its point of departure, Wasted examines what we now need to know, and what we need to do, to live within sustainable limits. One of the key issues is how we use the environment: converting natural resources into human artifices, commodities and services. In the process of consuming, we also create sinks. Today, these sinks - the empty back pocket in the global biogeographical system - are no longer empty. The fate of the global environment is indissolubly linked to our consumption: particularly in the energy-profligate North. To understand and overcome environmental challenges, we need to build the outcomes of our present consumption rates into our future behavior: to accept sustainable development as a normative goal for societies; one that is bound up with our everyday social practices and actions. In this absorbing new book, Michael Redclift argues that the way we understand and think about the environment conditions our responses, and our ability to meet the challenge, and discusses tangible policies for increased sustainability that are grounded in recent research and practice.

The Brazilian Amazon is the largest area of tropical rainforest in Latin America. Brazil is that continent's most rapidly developing country. The Amazon is at the heart of the conflict between conservation and development, between people and power, and between heritage and modernisation. In the name of development, the powerful are colonizing the forest. The greatest new threat comes from the massive hydro-electric schemes which are being pushed ahead with little regard to efficacy, the rights of the people, or the survival of the forest. Dam the Rivers, Damn the People is about two of the most affected areas, Balbina in Amazonas and the Xingu River in Para. Barbara Cummings describes the plans which the state attempted to keep secret, the extent to which these projects will destroy the forest, the consequent dispossession of the people of the forest and, above all, their growing resistance. She shows how the outcome of their fight affects us all.Originally published in 1990

Recent and dramatic flooding in places as far apart as Bangladesh and North Wales are example of what could become commonplace if sea levels rise. Most scientists are predicting a rise of about one metre and this book, based on research carried out for the Commonwealth governments, describes in simple terms what in. likely to happen as a result and where the worst effects will be. Martin Ince, a well-known scientific journalist, deals with the accuracy of our knowledge and the possible errors in assessment. He considers the different kinds of damage that higher seas could cause, inundation, increased salination, coral damage, increased flood and surge damage and so on. Brief case studies are included covering the UK, the Maldives, North America, Bangladesh, Guyana, Kiribati, The Netherlands, Italy, Egypt and Australasia. The book ends with an examination of the scientific and technical developments which could make the problems easier to deal with and, above all, set. out the policies on which governments must agree. Originally published in 1990

The world is moving into a new era which will be dominated by a new range of threats and a new range of priorities. Already headlines tell of storms and droughts, mass emigrations, the danger of old Soviet nuclear reactors and the thinning ozone layer, and with the menaces of global warming, deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity, the picture is likely to get bleaker. Unlike traditional threats, these are not made deliberately and standard military responses are usually inappropriate They are threats without enemies and they present quite new and fundamental challenges to the international community which has to find new methods and institutions, as well as the resolve, to tackle them. In this book, eminent experts describe the new threats and the scale of the dangers which they present and set out the political, military and institutional changes needed. Gwyn Prins is Director of the Global Security Programme at the University of Cambridge. He is author of Top guns and Toxic Whales, also published by Earthscan. Progress For A Small Planet Three topics dominate discussions of the global environment: pollution; the consequences of the affluent running ever faster through finite resources; and the growing tensions between rich and poor as a third of humanity continues to live and die in desperate poverty. In this exceptional book Barbara Ward (co-author with Rene Dubos of the bestselling Only One Earth) refused to see these processes as inevitable. It describes new technologies for recycling waste, for energy, for 'getting more for less' ,linking them to ordinary people's working lives. It also suggests a strategy for meeting the basic needs of the disadvantaged, and shows how the vast inequalities between countries can be reduced. This perceptive survey of policies outlines a planetary bargain between the world's nations that would guarantee individual freedom from poverty and keep our shared biosphere in good working order. Originally published in 1993

Three topics dominate discussions of the global environment: pollution; the consequences of the affluent running ever faster through finite resources; and the growing tensions between rich and poor as a third of humanity continues to live and die in desperate poverty.In this exceptional book Barbara Ward (co-author with Rene Dubos of the bestselling Only One Earth) refused to see these processes as inevitable. It describes new technologies for recycling waste, for energy, forgetting more or less linking them to ordinary people's working lives. It also suggests a strategy for meeting the basic needs of the disadvantaged, and shows how the vast inequalities between countries can be reduced.This perceptive survey of policies outlines a planetary bargain between the world's nations that would guarantee individual freedom from poverty and keep our shared biosphere in good working order.Originally published in 1988

'This book ... should be issued to grass-root organisations everywhere' Doris Lessing, The New Scientist 'It is must reading for government planners, environmentalists and the ordinary layman' Asia Week Women in the Third World play the major role in managing natural resources. They are also the first and hardest hit by environmental mismanagement, yet they are neither consulted nor taken into account by development strategists. lrene Dankelman and Joan Davidson provide a clear account of the problems faced by women in the management of land, water, forests, energy and human settlements. They also describe the lack of response from international organizations. With the help of well-documented case studies they describe the ways in which women can organize to meet environmental, social and economic challenges.Originally published in 1988

Thirty years ago the Russell-Einstein Manifesto warned humanity that our survival is imperilled by the risk of nuclear war.In the spirit of that Manifesto, we now call on all scientists to expand our concerns to a broader set of interrelated dangers: destruction of the environment on a global scale, and denial of basis needs for a growing majority of humankind. The Dagomys Declaration (1988) of the Pugwash Council. Originally published in 1994