The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
The global extent and distribution of forest trees is central to our understanding of the terrestrial biosphere. We provide the first spatially continuous map of forest tree density at a global scale. This map reveals that the global number of trees is approximately 3.04 trillion, an order of magnitude higher …
Plant biodiversity is often correlated with ecosystem functioning in terrestrial ecosystems. However, we know little about the relative and combined effects of above- and belowground biodiversity on multiple ecosystem functions (for example, ecosystem multifunctionality, EMF) or how climate might mediate those relationships. Here we tease apart the effects of biotic …
On the occasion of the XIV World Forestry Congress, this publication from the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa supports countries in the region to present the best practices, challenges and opportunities in the forestry sector of Southern Africa. The forests of Southern Africa provide significant benefits in terms of …
The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Swedish Water House (SWH) Cluster Group for Water and Forests started with a mission to highlight the importance of forests and sustainable forest management to securing water resources globally. It concluded that establishing resilient landscapes is the most promising way forward and that Sweden’s …
Anecdotal accounts regarding reduced US cropping system diversity have raised concerns about negative impacts of increasingly homogeneous cropping systems. However, formal analyses to document such changes are lacking. Using US Agriculture Census data, which are collected every five years, we quantified crop species diversity from 1978 to 2012, for the …
Better methods to account for water’s value could improve corporate decision making, strengthen economic growth and ensure healthier ecosystems, according to a new report by WWF. The report, The Value of Water: A framework for understanding water valuation, risk and stewardship, shows that most investment decisions are based on the …
This report contributes new insights into the growing body of literature on inclusive green economy approaches as a key means for eradicating poverty and advancing the evolving post-2015 sustainable development agenda. The report draws on a range of country experiences and a series of case studies commissioned through the UNDP-DESA-UNEP …
Question raised in Lok Sabha on eco-system services, 04/08/2015. The Government of India has taken various steps to improve and increase the forest and tree cover, which will contribute to enhanced production of ecosystem services from forests. These include schemes such as National Afforestation Programme, National Mission for Green India, …
The provision of declaring Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in the National Biodiversity Act 2002 provides an opportunity to give recognition to the community initiatives vis-a-vis the institution of the sacred natural sites (SNS). In brief, the salient feature of the Biodiversity Act 2002, as relates to the BHS, is that …
This report explores the role of forests in a green economy transformation in Africa. Its aim is to present policymakers with a strong rationale for linking forests and REDD+ planning with green economy planning and investments. According to UNEP (2012), a green economy ‘results in improved human well-being and social …
The II BioTrade Congress entitled “Biodiversity and Climate Change: Integrating REDD+ into BioTrade Strategies” focused on how best to integrate climate change mitigation measures into BioTrade activities. In particular, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) introduced targeted measures such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), …
This paper reviews a number of OECD data sources to examine their potential for establishing indicators which can contribute to monitoring progress towards two of the 2011-2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), namely Target 3 on Incentives and Target 20 on Resource Mobilisation. Aichi Target …
Deforestation in Tanzania could cost the national economy 5,588 billion Tanzanian Shillings (US$3.5 billion, based on 2013 exchange rates) between 2013 and 2033 on current trends, highlighting the importance of investing in the forestry sector to alleviate poverty and boost growth, according to a new report. Forest ecosystems in the …
Further degradation of Indonesia's forests could impact the national economy and the lives of millions, according to a new UN study titled "Forest Ecosystem Valuation Study: Indonesia". The report finds that an additional US $600 million annually is needed to maintain Indonesian current forest cover and enable forests to deliver …
Tropical forests provide global climate regulation ecosystem services and their clearing is a significant source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and resultant radiative forcing of climate change. However, consensus on pan-tropical forest carbon dynamics is lacking. The researchers present a new estimate that employs recommended good practices to quantify …
The Regional State of Coast Report for the western Indian Ocean (WIO) is the first comprehensive regional synthesis to provide insights into the enormous economic potential around the WIO, the consequential demand for marine ecosystem goods and services to match the increasing human population, the pace and scale of environmental …
Mountain soils are the fragile foundations of ecosystems that ultimately provide water for more than half the world's population. A new FAO book offers technical insights on the sustainable management of mountain soils, which are home to a vast array of human activities ranging from quinoa cultivation in the Andes …
Availability of a safe and reliable water supply is an issue in developing nations, including India. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a site-specific source control used to satisfy human, agricultural, and safety demands for water. This study analyzed the effects of capturing rainwater for a 12.5 year period (Jan 1999–Jun 2011) …
The oft-repeated claim that Earth’s biota is entering a sixth “mass extinction” depends on clearly demonstrating that current extinction rates are far above the “background” rates prevailing in the five previous mass extinctions. Earlier estimates of extinction rates have been criticized for using assumptions that might overestimate the severity of …
