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 …
Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum) is a perennial cash crop grown under the Himalayan alder (Alnus nepalensis) or mix forest tree species in the hills of Nepal, Darjeeling hills, Sikkim and Bhutan. The cardamom based agroforestry system in the Himalayas has proved to be a sustainable land use practice at the …
Eco-efficiency is an instrument for sustainability analysis, indicating how efficient the economic activity is with regard to nature's goods and services. This paper conducts an eco-efficiency analysis for regional industrial systems in China by developing data envelopment analysis (DEA) based models. Using real data of 30 provinces in China, an …
The equitable and sustainable allocation and management of water are crucial for maintaining the ecological function of freshwater water ecosystems. These functions sustain the significant services that these ecosystems provide to support human well-being; biodiversity underpins the functioning of these ecosystems and therefore the services provided. Loss of biodiversity, therefore, …
The impacts of climate change are already becoming evident in the Himalayan region in the form of a higher incidence and intensity of natural disasters. It is increasingly clear that the lives and livelihoods of the people of this region are at risk. Access to water, biodiversity, and environmental services …
Mountain communities have been adapting to changing environment for a long time. Traditional farming methods depending on recycling of available natural resources is the key to sustainable production systems. Local marketing systems have also played a vital role in reducing the emissions and food miles.
Under natural resource ecosystems shared across communities and nations, the distribution among stakeholders of risks and vulnerability to climate change is likely to be uneven on account of the nature of their stakes in the ecosystems, the degree of their dependence and the extent of degradation of the natural resources. …
This report presents a conceptual framework that can be used by stakeholders concerned by the development and management of shared freshwater resources. The objective is to promote the sustainable and equitable use of transboundary water resources, and to clarify trade-offs relating to development. The report outlines a concept for analysing …
There is a seamless link between research and assessments. The development of a science agenda should stimulate the science community to conduct additional research to address key issues in linking ecosystem services and human well-being. This is still a new area of research. The new research programme proposed in this …
This study aims to broaden understanding of climate change and its impacts in Argentina. Most focus on climate change in Argentina has been in the north, where impacts are more noticeable. But this study shows how changes in the south, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, are also likely to …
The document begins with a short overview on the impacts of degrading eco-systems on human well-being. How current energy consumption is contributing to this degradation is also addressed. The affect of climate change on ecosystem services and the energy services they provide is then briefly examined. The document concludes with …
Adaptation is necessary for reducing the impacts of climate change on forests and societies. So far, forests, forest ecosystem services, and forest-dependent people or sectors have not been adequately represented in adaptation studies or policies, even though many methods and tools are available to help scientists or practitioners address questions …
It has become essential in policy and decision-making circles to think about the economic benefits (in addition to moral and scientific motivations) humans derive from well-functioning ecosystems. The concept of ecosystem services has been developed to address this link between ecosystems and human welfare. Since policy decisions are often evaluated …
Ignoring ecosystem services will only push us to a faster ecological crisis OF THE different all-India services, the Indian Forest Service is the one that is marginalized. Its resources are less and its power to influence policy even lesser. It is understandable. As the focus shifted from timber to biodiversity …
The links between ecosystem approaches to health, natural resource management and poverty reduction are being identified as important and relevant across an increasing number of disciplines and institutions. However, specific implementation guidance is scant. One promising approach to addressing this gap is the integration of two emergent approaches to environmental …
Mountains are among the most fragile environments on earth but, at the same time, are also rich repositories of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the sources of much of the water that sustains life on the planet. The influence that mountain ecosystems exert on their neighbouring environments extends far beyond …
This recent study by SANDEE examines the link between stream flow, agricultural water use and economic returns to agriculture. Attempts to simulate the likely impacts of regeneration of a degraded forest catchment on stream flow and the consequent impact on irrigation tankbased agriculture in a downstream village. The conventional wisdom …
This report reviews the current status of payments for watershed services in developing countries. It highlights the main trends in the evolution of these schemes, synthesising the available evidence on their environmental and social impacts, and drawing lessons for the design of future initiatives.
Tree and flying squirrels are important components of forested ecosystems, and are advocated as indicators of forest health. In this global assessment of the distribution, endangerment and scientific knowledge of squirrels, we reveal trends that warrant urgent attention. The tropics, particularly the forests of south and southeast Asia, are hotspots …
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) aims to promote a better understanding of the true economic value of ecosystem services and to offer economic tools that take proper account of this value. TEEB is in two phases and this interim report summarizes the results of Phase I. It demonstrates …
The availability and quality of clean water in many regions of the world is increasingly threatened by overuse, misuse and pollution. In this context, the relationship between forests and water is a critical issue that must be accorded high priority. This thematic study on forests and water was developed in …
