Land degradation threatens the livelihoods of billions of people around the world . This is particularly the case for populations living in rural areas where most of the poor people reside: estimates report that 80% of the extreme poor live in rural areas and 65% work in the agricultural sector. …
The 18th Amendment Implementation Commission seems hesitant to oblige environmentalists` proposal to transform the Ministry of Environment into Sustainable Development and Renewable Resource Management Division, Dawn has learnt.
The studies of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) indicated that, over the preceding 20 years, the problem of land degradation had continued to worsen due to human activities and climate change such as prolonged or frequent droughts aggravating land degradation. This led formally defining desertification as “land degradation” in arid, …
In the last two decades, interest in financing sustainable forest management has been gathering momentum. However, most of the approaches have yet to be mainstreamed, and remain either as ideas or experimental in the Asia-Pacific region. On the other hand, some countries, particularly those in Latin America, have seen more …
The problem of desertification sits at the interface of environmental and developmental concerns. In this article, we examine the institutional relationship between desertification science and policy through focus on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and its subsidiary body, the Committee on Science and Technology. We argue that …
Desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) in addition to the loss of biodiversity in ecosystems, the disappearance of animals and plants from many habitats, the climate change resulting in melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increase of extreme events have negative impact on the availability, quantity and quality of water …
The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has invited comments on a draft Water Policy Advocacy Framework, which seeks to provide a framework for the Secretariat to advocate for the development of water resource management policies at country level. The Framework was developed on the understanding that, …
The 2009 World Day to Combat Desertification focuses on the theme: Conserving land and water = Securing our common future. For much of the previous century and particularly since the end of the Cold War, the world has been undergoing a paradigm shift that sees security expanding beyond the notion …
Sustainable development depends on intact ecosystems and their services. This is why environmental protection in the context of sustainable development is a key concern in development cooperation. Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) address global environmental challenges, and national action plans are often the means for implementation in individual countries.The instrument of …
This study, conducted with the appreciated and committed participation of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Mr Jean Ziegler, illustrates, in the context of the 16th and 17th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, how human rights can and must be mainstreamed in sustainable …
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment Report, re-emphasized the need for adaptation to address the impacts of climate change on lives and livelihoods across all sectors. This information note is the first step to enhancing collaboration towards linking climate change adaptation, combating desertification, and biodiversity …
I t's official. Bill Clinton will not be coming to India to discuss the nuclear issue, or the Indo-Pak issue. Environment and energy will top his list of priorities. This may come as a surprise to Indian politicos, who consider this a 'soft agenda'. But Clinton will be addressing an …
CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY In force December 29, 1993, Ratified by 175 countries The convention The Convention on Biological Diversity ( cbd ) recognises the rights of countries on their genetic resources. It emphasises - the conservation of biodiversity - its sustainable use - fair and equitable sharing of benefits …
UN CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION In force from December 1996, Ratified by 145 countries The convention The persistence of countries from Africa, where two-thirds of the land area is either desert or dryland, led to the decision to adopt the Convention to Combat Desertification ( ccd ) at Rio in …
Ongoing negotiations on a legally binding instrument for international action on certain PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS Deadline for the treaty to be signed:2001 The negotiations National governments have now come together to negotiate a global treaty to control and eventually eliminate pop s from the environment. - European countries have been …
INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS ON FORESTS Intergovernmental Panel on Forests set up in 1995 Intergovernmental Forum on Forests set up in 1997 Forest diplomacy Forest trade, particularly of finished wood products, is dominated by a few Northern countries in both exports and imports. Their timber lobbies have prevailed upon their governments to …
INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT History of conflict - The world initiated a multilateral trading system with the establishment of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ( gatt ) in 1946 to promote trade liberalisation. - The Uruguay Round, held between 1986 and 1994, led to the creation of …
THE MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENTS Attempted agreement The first suggestion for a multilateral agreement on investments came during the Uruguay Round in 1994. It was strongly opposed by Southern countries as it threatened to take away regulatory control over foreign investment. The eu made an unsuccessful attempt to introduce the …
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITY Established in October 1991, number of members: 165 The institution The World Bank designed the institutional structure for the Global Environmental Facility (gef ), initiated in 1990. The us made sure gef began on a temporary three-year term. With Australia and Canada, the us maintained that such …
