You are viewing our old site. See the new one here

Go to IISD's website

IISD Reporting Services - Linkages
bringing you the latest news, information and analysis from
international environment and sustainable development negotiations

 

 Sustainable Development

 2005 review

 Biodiversity and Wildlife

 Chemicals Management

 Climate and Atmosphere

 Forests, Deserts, Land

 Human Development

 Intergovernmental Orgs

 Trade and Investment

 Water, Wetlands, Coasts

 

LINKAGES UPDATE


 Recent Meetings

  Media Reports

  Comings and Goings

  Upcoming Meetings

  Key publications and
online resources

  Links to other resources
 

  Return to Linkages Site

  IISD.org

 

 

 

KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE RESOURCES

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

This page was updated on: 01/12/10

 

COMBATING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: A KEY TO ACHIEVING THE MDGS

(UNFPA, 2005) This toolkit on gender-based violence is aimed at policymakers advocating for the protection of women from all forms of violence and seeking to reinforce national legal mechanisms to protect women. The toolkit puts forward a plan of action focusing on advocacy through public campaigns against gender-based violence to change policy and practice at the local, national and regional level. It links gender-based violence with poverty, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and conflict situations. The toolkit.

 

HOW TO MAKE POVERTY HISTORY – THE CENTRAL ROLE OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MEETING THE MDGS

(IIED, 2005) Edited by Tom Bigg and David Satterthwaite, this book includes eight chapters on issues such as land and property rights in sub-Saharan Africa, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in urban areas, and the role of local organizations in farming, environment and people's access to food. A chapter authored by Neema Pathak, Ashish Kothari and Dilys Roe addresses issues of conservation and social justice, and the role of community conserved areas in achieving the MDGs. The book.

 

BUILDING ON GENDER, AGROBIODIVERSITY AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: A TRAINING MANUAL

(FAO, 2005) This FAO training manual explores the linkages between local knowledge systems, gender roles and relationships, the conservation and management of agricultural biodiversity, and food security. It aims at strengthening the institutional capacity in the agricultural sector, and at recognizing and fostering these linkages in the relevant programmes and policies. It contains modules on: the key concepts of agrobiodiversity, gender and local knowledge in the context of improved food security; the sustainable livelihoods framework as an analytical tool; the relationship between agrobiodiversity and gender; the dynamic nature of the relationship between agrobiodiversity and local knowledge; and a case study reflecting the conceptual aspects. The training manual.

 

MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT: ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING: HEALTH SYNTHESIS

(MA, December 2005) The sixth synthesis report from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) – on "Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Health Synthesis" – was released by the World Health Organization at a press briefing held in conjunction with the Scientific Conference on Asia Pacific Environmental Health. The report finds that, in poor countries and especially in rural areas, the health of human populations is highly dependent on the services of local productive ecosystems for food. Other key findings include that:

  • over one billion people lack access to safe water supplies, while 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, which has led to widespread microbial contamination of drinking water;

  • the generation of power causes a range of health impacts;

  • humans are at risk from inorganic chemicals and from persistent organic pollutants in food and water;

  • cultural services may be less tangible than material services, but are nonetheless highly valued by people in all societies; and

  • all ecosystem services are sensitive to climate, and will therefore be affected by anthropogenic climate change.

The report concludes that, despite net gains, the harm to human health because of ecosystem degradation is already being felt and could worsen significantly over the next 50 years. It identifies two routes to avoiding disease and injury caused by ecosystem disruption. The first is to prevent, limit or manage environmental damage; the second is to take action to protect individuals and populations from the consequences of ecosystem change. MA press release, 9 December 2005 and the report.

 

THE STATE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2005 (SOFA 2005)

(FAO, 2005) This report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) examines agricultural trade and poverty, seeking to answer whether trade can work for the poor. It suggests that benefits of trade reform may not reach the poor unless urgent complementary policies and investments are made. The report.

 

WHAT 2005 MEANS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY?

(CIVICUS, 12 December 2005) This article by Kumi Naidoo, Secretary-General of CIVICUS (the World Alliance for Citizen Participation) reflects on "the successes and failures of the efforts of civil society during the course of 2005." The article.

 

MALARIA DOSSIER

(SciDev.Net, October 2005) The Science and Development Network has developed a section of its website dedicated to malaria research and policy. Its "malaria dossier," which developed with guidance from an international panel of experts, presents articles about various aspects of this major disease, from low-cost policy options to early warning and response systems for epidemic-prone regions. Malaria kills as many as three million people each year. The dossier.

 

INTERACTIVE EDUCATION FOR RURAL PEOPLE TOOL KIT

(FAO, 2005) This "Tool Kit" web site provides education and training materials for rural teachers, instructors, trainers, parents, researchers, and others involved in formal and non-formal education for rural people. FAO prepared it as lead agency, in cooperation with UNESCO, for the global education for rural people initiative, launched in Johannesburg in 2002. The Tool Kit.

 

TRIPS AND HEALTH: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

(WTO, October 2005) The World Trade Organization has developed a webpage designed to answer questions about the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement and its provisions on licensing for pharmaceuticals. According to the WTO, the issue is the subject of "a certain amount of confusion." The webpage.

 

WORLD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SURVEY 2005

(UN, 2005) The World Economic and Social Survey 2005 Financing for Development examines the agenda for action that was set out in the Monterrey Consensus and draws attention to action in the financing and trade areas that needs to be undertaken to achieve both the Millennium Development Goals and the broader United Nations Development Agenda. The report.

 

DANGER NEED NOT SPELL DISASTER, BUT HOW VULNERABLE ARE WE?

(UNU, 2005) This research brief reviews "Measuring Vulnerability to Hazards of Natural Origin," a book proposed for publication by the UNU Press in 2006. The book explores the opportunities for adopting a pre-emptive rather than reactive approach to natural disasters. The brief.

 

FRESHWATER POVERTY REDUCTION: SERVING PEOPLE, SERVING NATURE

(WWF, September 2005) By analyzing several WWF projects around the world, this new report from the global conservation organization shows a strong link between environmental improvement and economic development. It demonstrates improvements in the livelihoods of poor local communities where WWF-supported conservation projects are in place and shows that employment, income, health and education levels can be improve as a direct result of better management of scarce freshwater resources. The report.

 

INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS AND GENDER ASPECTS IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – GUIDELINES FOR PRACTITIONERS

(WWF, IWGIA, KULU, Nepenthes, DIIS, August 2005) Edited by Gertrud Bjørning and Elisabeth Kiørboe, for the IGNARM network on indigenous peoples, gender and natural resource management, these guidelines aim to offer some conceptual and practical tools for improving natural resource management activities and to open a dialogue among practitioners as to how gender and indigenous concerns can best be integrated in natural resource management processes. The guidelines.

 

MOBILIZING RESOURCES TO HALVE WORLD HUNGER

(FAO, September 2005) Issued by the FAO at the time of the 2005 World Summit, this report argues that, to reduce hunger, it is essential that a larger share of new development funding be allocated to agriculture and rural development than in past decades. Pointing to research showing that agricultural growth, especially if focused on small farmers, is the most important engine for the creation of employment and income for the poor, the report stresses that adequate public funding for essential public goods, such as infrastructure, research and capacity building, is a necessary prerequisite for private investment in agriculture. FAO's press release, 14 September 2005 and the report.

 

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF FOOD AND NUTRITION POLICIES

(Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993) This book from 1993, which was edited by Per Pinstrup-Andersen and was published for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is now available for downloading as an entire document or by chapter in PDF. The report.

 

POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

(World Bank, 2003/2005) This text was posted on the Poverty-Environment Partnership website in August 2005. Authored by Jan Bojo and Rama Chandra Reddy, the report examines Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability. The paper asks: to what extent do Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) define and adopt targets and indicators that align with those of MDG7; to what extent do the available data allow tracking of progress with respect to MDG7; when data are available, what are the trends; and how can the data be effectively utilized to examine the status and trends of countries in relation to MDG7? The report.

 

MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL WEALTH FOR POVERTY REDUCTION

(PEP, 2005) This report from the Poverty-Environment Partnership develops a framework for analyzing the contribution of natural resources to human well-being and sets out an agenda for public investment and policy reform. The report and other PEP papers and additional resources.

 

HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY: AN AGENDA FOR CHANGE

(2005) Edited by Felix Dodds and Tim Pippard, this book, which includes chapters from a number of senior politicians and officials, considers the causes of, and possible solutions to, human and environmental insecurity. More information.

 

POVERTY AND CONSERVATION: LANDSCAPES, PEOPLE AND POWER

(IUCN, 2005) Authored by R.J. Fisher, Stewart Maginnis, W.J. Jackson, Edmund Barrow and Sally Jeanrenaud, this book focuses on conservation's potential to contribute actively to poverty reduction and long-term sustainable development. The authors argue that attempts to reconcile development and conservation needs have failed in the past not because they are irreconcilable but because integration has been limited both institutionally and in terms of geographic scale. The book highlights several arguments in favor of linking poverty reduction with conservation, and discusses some strategies for achieving this, including: focusing on removing constraints (particularly institutional limitations) and building opportunities; identifying causes of environmental degradation and poverty beyond the site level and addressing problems at the appropriate geographical and institutional level; and using landscape-level solutions as well as site-based solutions, and seeking ways to meet objectives in different parts of the wider landscape rather than trying to address them all in a single site, such as a protected area. The book.

 

REPORT ON THE WORLD SOCIAL SITUATION 2005: THE INEQUALITY PREDICAMENT

(UN DESA, 2005) This report focuses on the international aspects of inequality, following the assumption that issues of equity and inequality have acquired such importance that it renders a difficult task to strengthen the development agenda without first addressing the segmentation of society that levels of inequality have contributed to producing. More information.

 

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2005: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AT A CROSSROADS: AID, TRADE AND SECURITY IN AN UNEQUAL WORLD

(UNDP, 2005) This year's Human Development Report takes stock of human development, including progress towards the MDGs. The report highlights the human impacts of not achieving the MDGs, and identifies extreme inequality between and within countries as one of the main barriers to human development. The report.

 

AFRICA: UP IN SMOKE?

(Working Group on Climate Change and Development, June 2005) This report from a group of non-governmental organizations and think tanks argues that efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa will fail unless urgent action is to address climate change. More information.

 

BIOTECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURE, AND FOOD SECURITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

(IFPRI, June 2005) Edited by Steven Were Omamo and Klaus von Grebmer, this book brings together experts from within and outside Africa to discuss the current status of biotechnology in southern Africa, the conceptual framework for multistakeholder dialogues, the political and ethical issues surrounding biotechnology, food safety and consumer issues, biosafety, intellectual property rights, and trade involving GM foods. The book.

 

MODERN FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY, HUMAN HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

(World Health Organization, June 2005) This WHO study concludes that GM foods can contribute to development and enhanced human health, but safety assessments should continue, as some of the genes used have not been in the food chain before. The study also recommends that in future, evaluation should be widened to include social, cultural and ethical considerations.

 

More information

The study

WHO Press Release

 

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, POVERTY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN LATIN AMERICA: 1994-2004

(World Bank, May 2005) Authored by Gillette Hall and Harry Patrinos, this study updates findings from a 1994 book. It considers how social conditions have evolved in the five Latin American countries with the largest indigenous populations (Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru) and concludes that, despite their increased political influence, indigenous peoples have made little economic and social progress in the last decade and continue to suffer from higher poverty, lower education and a greater incidence of disease and discrimination that other groups.

 

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY: LEARNING FROM THE COHOUSING MODEL

(Trafford Publishing, 2005) Written by Graham Meltzer, this new book, which is based on Meltzer's PhD dissertation, considers environmentally and socially innovative housing projects in Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

 

NEXTBILLION.NET – DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ENTERPRISE

(WRI, 2005) This hyper-interactive online blog, which was launched on 26 May 2005, seeks to offer a bottom-up educational resource and threaded-discussion tool, with the overriding theme being that there are four billion poor people at the "bottom of the pyramid" who represent purchasing power for an immense undeveloped marketplace.

 

PATHWAY TO GENDER EQUALITY: CEDAW, BEIJING AND THE MDGS

(UNIFEM, January 2005) This UNIFEM publication examines the gender dimensions of the MDGs through the lens of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference of Women – the two global processes relevant to women and gender issues. Prepared ahead of the ten-year review of progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action, the publication highlights how CEDAW, the Beijing process and the MDGs are mutually supportive and complementary, and recommends resources and entry points for engagement. The Beijing+10 review process will take place at the 49th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women from 28 February to 11 March 2005.

 

If you would like to submit details of
recently published documents and online resources,
send a message to
Diego Noguera, IISD

up to top