Latest New Publications and Resources

Rural Poverty Report 2011

Gardens of Biodiversity

Global Ocean Protection: Present status and future possibilities

(IFAD, 2010)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) released this report, which provides updated estimates on the number of rural poor people in developing countries and rural poverty rates. This 2011 edition of the report is the first since 2001. The report underscores threats to rural development posed by climate change, volatile food prices, and natural resource constraints. It also notes ecosystems and biodiversity that sustain agricultural production are changing, and highlights the challenges to boosting international agricultural productivity. In terms of opportunities, the report describes the growth of urban centers and better organized agricultural markets. It further outlines efforts to help poor rural people avoid and manage risks. [IFAD press release] [Report website]

(FAO, December 2010)

This book, published by FAO, celebrates the diversity of crops and farming techniques of the Southern Caucasus. It documents genetic resources, rural life and traditional food practices, and describes the origination of internationally important food crops from the region, like wheat, grapes, apples, apricots, pomegranates, pears and peas. It outlines traditional food production systems that encourage crop diversity and highlights the region's strong national seed banks. The book was released to coincide with the International Year of Biodiversity. [FAO news nelease]

(IUCN, the Nature Conservancy, UNEP-WCMC, UNU-IAS, and Agence des aires marines protégées, November 2010)

Edited by Caitlyn Toropova, Imèn Meliane, Dan Laffoley, Elizabeth Matthews and Mark Spalding, this report provides evidence-based recommendations on improving and accelerating actions on delivering ocean protection and management through marine protected areas (MPAs). Facilitating the sharing of experiences and lessons learned, the report aims to assist in finding new and better solutions to address the various threats to marine biological diversity and productivity. The report includes chapters on: benefits and challenges of MPAs strategies; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)'s 10% target on MPAs; meeting global goals at regional scales and in the high seas; climate change; networks and broader spatial management; and conclusions and recommendations. [The publication]

(FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department; November 2010)

These technical guidelines on the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EEA) were developed to support mainly Articles 9 and 10 of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF). Their main objective is to assist countries, institutions and policy makers in the development and implementation of a strategy to ensure the sustainability of the aquaculture sector, integration of aquaculture with other sectors and its contribution to social and economic development. [The guidelines]

(Ramsar, November 2010)

This booklet was released in anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, and will be officially launched on 2 February 2011. This 32-page commemorative booklet is a brief reflection on, and celebration of, the evolution and achievements of the Convention since 1971. [The booklet]

(FAO, November 2010)

This summary document of the FAO e-mail conference entitled "Learning from the past: Successes and failures with agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries over the last 20 years" provides a summary of the main issues discussed during a moderated e-mail conference, hosted by the FAO Biotechnology Forum from 8 June-8 July 2009, based on the messages posted by the participants, 74% of which came from people in developing countries. Participants in the e-mail conference shared experiences regarding the use of agricultural biotechnologies across the different food and agricultural sectors in developing countries, and provided concrete examples where agricultural biotechnologies were benefiting smallholders. They also discussed several cases where specific applications of agricultural biotechnologies had not succeeded, and offered suggestions to increase their success in the future. [The summary document]

(UNEP GRID-ARENDAL, October 2010)

This report, released during the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), details solutions to the current biodiversity crisis in the Arctic, but it stresses that conservation gains are only possible if root causes for biodiversity loss are addressed outside the Arctic. It finds that existing multilateral environmental agreements that include the Arctic region, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes, may be effective against threats caused by local, national or regional activities (mining and oil and gas exploitation, for example) if implemented adequately, because threats such as climate change, transboundary contaminants and habitat fragmentation are global in nature. Among its recommendations, the report stresses that: more global, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary thinking by policy-makers, scientists and other stakeholders will be necessary to deal with increasing pressures on Arctic biodiversity; the Arctic Council could play a more active role in supporting the development of specific conservation efforts and further collaboration with non-Arctic states that share responsibility for migratory Arctic wildlife; strengthening existing mechanisms for the protection and conservation of biodiversity, through the implementation of existing mechanisms, is necessary; harmonization of national reporting between the Arctic nations on issues of common concern would allow for more effective national reporting to multilateral environmental agreements; Arctic nations should substantially increase the extent of protected areas, especially in coastal zones and in the marine environment; and Arctic nations should invest in co-management regimes and programmes of adaptation for societies in the Arctic, drawing on their traditional knowledge. [The report]

(CBD Technical Series No. 54, October 2010)

Edited by P.L. Ibisch, A. Vega E. and T.M. Herrmann, this report presents an analysis of the systemic character of global change, biodiversity and human development, and the relationships between them, describing and evaluating the complicated relationships and dynamics between human and biological systems. It includes a technical section, an introduction to issues related to the interdependence of biodiversity and development under global change, and a proposal for a "radical" ecosystem approach for mutual mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation and human development. Background papers address: global patterns and case studies on the interlinkages of biodiversity and human development; biocultural diversity and development under local and global change, including issues related to endogenous development, traditional knowledge and benefit-sharing, and indigenous peoples' conserved areas; and theoretical background papers presenting, among others, an alternative conceptual framework for sustainability based on systemics and thermodynamics. [The publication]

(CBD Technical Series No. 53, October 2010)

This technical compendium of the products delivered by the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership provides details on the methodology and underlying data for each of the indicators used in the third edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook. It provides governments at all levels, scientists and other stakeholders, as well as indigenous and local communities, with up-to-date information on the monitoring of status and trends in biodiversity and how monitoring information can be communicated. [The publication]

(UNU-IAS, October 2010)

Authored by Christian Prip, Tony Gross, Sam Johnston and Marjo Vierros, the report is the first comprehensive assessment of all national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and their effectiveness as tools for national implementation. Among other things, and drawing on national experiences, the report seeks to establish whether NBSAPs have been successful in integrating biodiversity concerns into sectoral and cross-sectoral policies, including sustainable development strategies, poverty reduction strategy papers and national processes to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and identify obstacles preventing parties from making progress. Recommendations focus on the steps needed to ensure that NBSAPs fulfill their role as the primary mechanism for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its new Strategic Plan. [The report]

(GEF STAP, 2010)

This Global Environment Facility Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (GEF STAP) advisory document on summarizing the evidence base for eco-certification initiatives in generating global, national, regional and local environmental benefits. The paper highlights that the evidence base provides, at best, weak evidence for the hypothesis that certification has positive socioeconomic or environmental impacts. It thus recommends that GEF investments in certification should be made in projects deliberately designed to evaluate the environmental impacts of the certification program. Such design should not just monitor the status and trends of environmental indicators, but also allow credible inferences on whether the program is contributing to changes in the status and trends of the indicators. [The document]

(FAO, October 2010)

The report provides a summary of the main changes and needs in managing, safeguarding and using PGRFA to increase the PGRFA contribution to global food security. It highlights that land clearing, population pressures, overgrazing, and changing agricultural practices are leading to genetic erosion. The report underlines that genetic information held in certain crop varieties is crucial to the development of heat, drought, salinity, pest and disease-resistant, fast-growing, high-yielding new varieties, which are essential for helping farmers respond to climate change. [PGRFA report]

(UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Seas, October 2010)

This publication provides the first systematic overview at a sub-global scale of the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity, the pressures it currently faces and the management frameworks in place for addressing those pressures. It highlights that marine biodiversity faces increasing pressures in all regions from land sourced pollution, ship sourced pollution and impacts of fishing. The report further shows that these pressures are serious and generally increasing despite measures in place to address them, and that they are amplified by predicted impacts of ocean warming, acidification and habitat change arising from climate and atmospheric change. The report warns that, without significant management intervention, marine biological diversity is likely to deteriorate substantially in the next 20 years, with growing consequences for resources and physical security of coastal nations. [Report website]

(FAO, October 2010)

This document aims to support countries in planning and conducting forest policy development processes. It highlights lessons learned from country experiences since the publication of FAO's Guidelines for Forest Policy Formulation in 1987. It reviews steps in creating, adopting and implementing national forest policy. [The document]

(FOREST EUROPE, October 2010)

FOREST EUROPE (the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe) has published a report on how it has implemented provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Europe. It presents results of an assessment undertaken by FOREST EUROPE, outlining how FOREST EUROPE has addressed the objectives of the CBD's Extended Programme of Work on Forest Biodiversity. The report highlights activities on the ecosystem approach, cross-sectoral integration, protected areas, forest law enforcement and related trade, and sustainable use and benefit sharing. [The report]

(GEF, Small Grants Programme, 2010)

This catalogue of biodiversity-based products from SGP's Latin American & Caribbean portfolio demonstrates the linkage between the sustainable use of biodiversity, community empowerment and poverty reduction. It incorporates high quality photography and offers possibilities for supporting marginalized communities in forming alliances with funders, retailers, researchers, governments and NGOs in order to improve their livelihoods and conserve biodiversity. [The catalogue]

(CBD, GEF, UNDP)

The report, based on case studies from the portfolio of projects financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the UN Development Programme (UNDP) addresses eight key themes that are shaping protected areas management in the 21st Century, namely: enabling policy environments; management planning; protected area assessment and restoration; governance and participation; capacity and sustainable finance; protected area networks and ecological gap assessments; and connectivity corridors and transboundary protected areas. For each of the eight themes, the report presents a snapshot of the current status of implementation, a set of emerging best practices, and one or more case studies that illustrate innovative and successful approaches. [The report]

(The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), October 2010)

Compiling and summarizing two years of work carried out by over 500 researchers, the TEEB synthesis report calls for wider recognition of nature's contribution to human livelihoods, health, security, and culture by decision makers. It documents the multi-trillion dollar annual contribution of the natural world to the global economy, and formulates recommendations for policies and mechanisms that can help better account for, and protect, this contribution. The report approaches the challenge of bringing biodiversity to the political fore by focusing on making nature's values visible, and approaches this in three steps: recognizing ecosystems' value so as to understand what is at stake; demonstrating natural value in economic terms to support decision making; and capturing value by introducing mechanisms to incorporate this value into decision making at all political and non-political levels. [The report]

(UNEP and World Fish Centre, October 2010)

This report aims to help inform future approaches to conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems by reviewing the importance of inland fisheries as an ecosystem service, the pressures upon them, and management approaches to sustain them. The report identifies the various drivers of change in inland fisheries, including climate change. In particular, it spotlights changes in runoff patterns from increases in temperature and changes in rain fall, leading to changes in flow regimes, as well as in breeding and feeding habitats.

The report recommends five investments: improving understanding of inland fisheries' vulnerability to environmental change; developing viable options for addressing the threats posed to inland fisheries by environmental change; building adaptive capacity among key stakeholder groups to increase resilience of inland fisheries at local, national and regional scales; improving governance of inland fisheries and their ecosystems; and developing capacity to sustain and enhance social benefits from these resources. [The report]

(UNDP, 2010)

This report by Jean-Joseph Bellamy and Kevin Hill synthesizes the results of the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) programme, launched in January 2000, to deepen knowledge on countries' foundational capacities to meet global environmental objectives. The programme focused on assessing the key individual, organizational and systemic capacities needed to sustain achievements that satisfy the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), collectively known as the Rio Conventions, and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The exercise also sought to develop an understanding of the key drivers of, and barriers to, sustained environmental protection and conservation, with particular reference to meeting and sustaining objectives codified within the Rio Conventions. [The report]

(IISD, 2010)

This paper by Aaron Cosbey, Soledad Aguilar, Melanie Ashton and Stefano Ponte looks for paths to progress in the WTO's stalled negotiations on environmental goods and services – a set of talks that is frequently cited as trade policy's natural contribution to climate change objectives. It surveys the experience of a number of multilateral environmental agreements – the Rotterdam Convention (Prior Informed Consent or PIC), the Stockholm Convention (Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – and ecolabels (looking at coffee, fisheries and the Energy Star label) for lessons that could be of aid in WTO negotiations. [The paper]

(Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2010)

This report argues that further expansion of the global network of protected areas will be necessary, but will not be sufficient to attain a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss worldwide. Structural changes in consumption and in the efficiency of production are indispensable. Changes in agriculture, forestry, fishery and energy supply are required to slow down biodiversity loss, through reduced expansion of agricultural land, stopping overexploitation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and limiting climate change. [The report]

(Kew, Natural History Museum London, IUCN, 2010)

A global analysis of extinction risk for the world's plants and a major baseline for plant conservation, this study reveals that the world's plants are as threatened as mammals, with one in five of the world's plant species threatened with extinction. It is part of a worldwide effort to create a tool to monitor the changing status of the world's major groups of plants, fungi and animals. [IUCN press release] [The red list]

(UNDP, 2010)

This report by Jean-Joseph Bellamy and Kevin Hill synthesizes the results of the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) programme, launched in January 2000, to deepen knowledge on countries' foundational capacities to meet global environmental objectives. The programme focused on assessing the key individual, organizational and systemic capacities needed to sustain achievements that satisfy the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), collectively known as the Rio Conventions, and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The exercise also sought to develop an understanding of the key drivers of, and barriers to, sustained environmental protection and conservation, with particular reference to meeting and sustaining objectives codified within the Rio Conventions. [The report]

(EC Joint Research Centre, September 2010)

This Atlas encompasses the first-ever threat map for soil biodiversity covering the majority of EU Member States. It does not present the actual level of soil biodiversity; rather it points to the potential risk of a decline in biodiversity. The atlas aims to: support policies at the EU level; promote the activities related to soil protection and soil biodiversity; and bring soil biodiversity into policy focus by identifying needs for policy and research strategies aimed at soil protection and enhancement of biodiversity. Key contributions came from various departments of the European Commission as well as partners from industry, academia and international organizations, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. [The atlas]

(European Tropical Forest Research Network, September 2010)

Edited by Douglas Sheil, Francis Putz and Roderick Zagt, this volume includes 33 articles by a wide variety of authors involved in certification and/or the conservation of tropical forest biodiversity. Providing their views on whether certification is a good conservation strategy for tropical forests, the authors report on practical experiences from concessions and community forests, on the challenges of monitoring biodiversity, high conservation value forests and other topics. The evidence indicates that certification has helped to conserve tropical forest biodiversity but the extent of both the evidence and the implied conservation benefits remain limited. In spite of these uncertainties, certification, and therefore regulated timber harvest, remains a viable strategy in the fight against biodiversity loss in tropical forests. [The publication]

(UNEP/TEEB, September 2010)

Planned as a useful advisory tool for local and regional policy makers, administrators and managers, this report explores and gives practical guidance on how to deal with the challenge of biodiversity loss at the local and regional level. The report calls on local policy makers to understand the value of natural capital and the services it provides and apply a focus on nature's benefits in local policy areas such as urban management, spatial planning and protected areas management. It calls for local authorities to take a stepwise approach to assessing options that factor nature's benefits into local policy action, including: assessing ecosystem services and expected changes in their availability and distribution; identifying which ecosystem services are most relevant to particular policy issues; and assessing impacts of policy options on different groups in the community. [The report] [UNEP press release]

(UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series no. 32, 2010)

This report draws together scientific understanding of deep-water sponge grounds alongside the threats they face and ways in which they can be conserved. It also gives up-to-date case studies of particular deep-water sponge habitats from around the world. Despite their inherent and biotechnological value, deep-water sponge grounds have been damaged by bottom fishing. This report considers the international policy context in which deep-water sponge grounds can be conserved and concludes with a series of expert recommendations for conservation managers and international policy makers. [The report]

(Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and IISD, August 2010) This study shows how local delivery of ecosystem goods and services (EG&S) is closely linked to international policies on development cooperation, trade, climate change and reform of international financial institutions. Integrating or mainstreaming EG&S considerations into these policies provides significant opportunities to contribute to reducing poverty while simultaneously improving the quality of local EG&S. Furthermore, mainstreaming EG&S in international policies can contribute significantly to achieving policy objectives on biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources. Tools to mainstream EG&S into non-environmental policy domains are available, but there are few examples of their systematic application. Examples of tools that could play a constructive role in this process are the monitoring and reporting mechanisms developed by the Convention on Biological Diversity. [The report]

(UNEP, July 2010)

Released by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) research consortium at the first Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium, held on 13 July 2010, in London, UK, this third TEEB report highlights the business case for biodiversity and ecosystem services by illustrating the importance and immense value of natural services provided to, and affected by, a wide range of industries. The report contains chapters on: business, biodiversity and ecosystem services; business impacts and dependence on biodiversity and ecosystem services; measuring and reporting biodiversity and ecosystem impacts and dependence; scaling down biodiversity and ecosystem risks to business; increasing biodiversity business opportunities; business, biodiversity and sustainable development; and biodiversity and business growth. [The resource].

Wildlife Legislation and the Empowerment of the Poor in Asia and Oceania

(FAO Legal Papers Online no. 83, 2010)

Authored by Elsa Tsioumani and Elisa Morgera, this study presents a comparative analysis of national wildlife legislation in Asia and Oceania, with the aim of identifying strengths and weaknesses of legal frameworks in the promotion of sustainable wildlife management and in allowing disadvantaged people, particularly indigenous and local communities, to directly benefit from it. The authors formulate recommendations and propose specific legal options to improve legal frameworks in the region, with a view to supporting environmental sustainability, socioeconomic development and the empowerment of the poor. Part II presents country studies on national legislation from twelve countries in Asia and Oceania, highlighting the main legal provisions affecting wildlife management and use by local communities and aiming at highlighting specific legal tools for pro-poor sustainable wildlife management [The resource].

(CBD, June 2010)

A redesigned website of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was launched on 28 June 2010. The new website has an improved layout and includes more user-friendly features, such as simple navigation menus, interactive search tools and hyperlinks. It also contains additional information, including fact sheets and resources for media and outreach. [The website].

(UNPFII, June 2010)

The report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on its ninth session held in New York from 19-20 April 2010 has been issued. The report considers the study on the impacts of the global economic crisis on indigenous peoples; the Report on indigenous peoples and corporations; the study on indigenous fishing rights in the seas; the study to determine the impact of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures on reindeer herding; the study on consideration and recognition of Mother Earth rights; and the study to determine whether climate change policies and projects adhere to the standards in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [The report]

(Wings Over Wetlands (WOW), June 2010)

This new website provides comprehensive information on 294 waterbird species from 3,020 sites, identifying priority sites and populations, and also highlighting knowledge gaps. It is designed to make information easily available on the most important sites for migratory waterbirds, at the national and international levels, and can help with implementation of international and regional agreements. It is intended to help strengthen the implementation of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The website reveals major gaps in the protection of many critical sites used by migratory waterbirds across Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia. The CSN Tool.

(UNEP, GRID-Arendal, 2010)

Edited by C. Nellemann and E. Corcoran, this report is a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity and a complement to The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study. It documents over 30 successful case studies referencing thousands of restoration projects ranging from deserts and rainforests to rivers and coasts. The report confirms that restoration is not only possible but can prove highly profitable in terms of public savings, returns and the broad objectives of overcoming poverty and achieving sustainability. It also provides important recommendations on how to avoid pitfalls and how to minimize risks to ensure successful restoration. The report.

(International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), 2010)

Established in 2000, the ICRIForum was designed to streamline the delivery of information to ICRI Members and the general public regarding both the actions of the International Coral Reef Initiative and global coral reef conservation efforts more generally. ICRIForum has recently been redesigned. It offers a central location for all documents related to the work of the Initiative for the last 15 years. The web site.

The report of the International Technical Conference on agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries (ABDC-10), which took place from 1-4 March 2010, in Guadalajara, Mexico, is available in five languages. Held under the title "Agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries: options and opportunities in crops, forestry, livestock, fisheries and agro-industry to face the challenges of food insecurity and climate change," participants at the conference agreed that: developing countries should significantly increase sustained investments in capacity building and development and safe use of biotechnologies, integrated with other agricultural technologies, including traditional knowledge, and maintain the natural resource base to support, in particular, smallholders, producers and small biotechnology based enterprises; FAO and other relevant international organizations and donors should significantly increase their efforts to support the strengthening of national capacities in the development and appropriate use of pro-poor agricultural biotechnologies; and both the lack of policies and regulatory mechanisms, as well as overly stringent regulations hinder development of, and access to biotechnologies, while effective and enabling national biotechnology policies and science-based regulatory frameworks can facilitate the development and appropriate use of biotechnologies in developing countries. The conference report.

(CBD and UNEP-WCMC, May 2010)

The third edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3), a major assessment of the current state of biodiversity and the implications of its continued loss for human well-being, confirms that the world has failed to meet its target to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. It notes that the linked challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change must be addressed with equal priority and in close coordination if the most severe impacts of each are to be avoided, and outlines a possible new strategy for reducing biodiversity loss, including addressing the underlying causes of indirect drivers of biodiversity loss, such as patterns of consumption, the impacts of increased trade and demographic change, and ending harmful subsidies. Subject to an extensive independent scientific review process, it is one of the milestones of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. GBO 3.

CARBON, BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: EXPLORING CO-BENEFITS

(UNEP-WCMC and German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, 2010)

This new website highlights the potential for actions on reducing emissions from land use change to secure additional important benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services (co-benefits). The website demonstrates the utility of spatial analyses to assist decision makers in identifying areas where high carbon, high biodiversity priority, and ecosystem service values overlap, which represent opportunities for securing co-benefits. It showcases UNEP-WCMC's recent work with in-country partners on developing such analyses and includes an interactive mapping tool that allows users to explore the spatial relationships between carbon and co-benefits. The web site.

(Wings Over Wetlands project, May 2010)

Launched during the 14th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity, this training kit is designed to build capacity to plan, implement, monitor and engage in effective flyway-scale conservation of migratory waterbirds and wetland habitats in Africa and Eurasia. The package includes three modules with comprehensive text, case studies and exercises supported by ready-to-use presentations, as well as accompanying CDs with a range of additional material. The kit is designed to assist in targeted trainings that can be customized by topic as they relate to flyway conservation, wetland management and migratory waterbird conservation. The training kit.

(Convention on Biological Diversity, 2009)

This guide addresses the linkages between drinking water, biological diversity and development/poverty alleviation. It aims to raise awareness of sustainable approaches to managing drinking water that have been tested globally. The guide introduces the available techniques, technologies and procedures that optimize social and environmental outcomes in the management of drinking water. It also outlines  the connections between drinking water, development and biodiversity, and assists parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in strengthening national and sub-national drinking water development policies, strategies, plans and projects that integrate poverty alleviation and biodiversity. Finally, it provides sources and references where readers can find more detailed information. The guide.

(CBD, April 2010)

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has published its ninth volume of the "REDD-plus & Biodiversity e-Newsletter." Aiming to inform CBD national focal points and partners about biodiversity aspects related to reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+), this volume highlights a new collaboration between the CBD and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), and several projects and publications related to REDD+. The e-Newsletter.

(World Bank, 2010)

In order to mark the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, this annual review focuses on the importance of biodiversity conservation in sustaining livelihoods and reducing poverty. It includes viewpoints on the importance of indigenous peoples in biodiversity conservation, protected areas, marine biodiversity, and invasive species and poverty. Feature articles address biodiversity funding at the World Bank, ecosystem-based solutions to climate change, and making wind power safer for biodiversity. The publication reviews projects such as the Global Tiger Initiative, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and a World Bank-GEF-IUCN project seeking to leverage funds from private companies that use animals and plants in their logos to support species conservation efforts. It also includes regional reviews and developments on funding for biodiversity through REDD +, as well as voluntary standards. The publication.

(Fridtjof Nansen Institute Report 3/2010, March 2010)

Intended as a contribution to the ongoing negotiations of an international regime on access and benefit sharing (ABS) under the Convention on Biological Diversity

(CBD), this report clarifies the main interfaces with other international agreements and processes relevant for ABS, with a view to the challenges of ensuring mutual supportiveness. It provides information of importance for identifying the scope of an international ABS regime, and offers contributions to the discussion of the usefulness and possible design of a sectoral approach to ABS within the framework of an international regime. The report.

(PBL, UNEP-WCMC, UNEP/GRID-Arendal)

The website of the GLOBIO model has been fully renewed. The model is a tool to assess past, present and future human impact on biodiversity. As a policy tool, it is regularly applied in global, regional and national assessments. The GLOBIO website.

(World Bank, 2010)

This book presents ecosystem-based approaches to mitigation and adaptation as an essential pillar in national climate change strategies. It starts with an introduction to ecosystem-based mitigation and adaptation, then describes the role of natural ecosystems in mitigation through carbon stocks, sinks and reservoirs, and addresses how to reduce vulnerability through ecosystem-based adaptation. The book concludes by evaluating how to implement ecosystem-based approaches to climate change within the World Bank Group. The book.

(PLoS Biology, March 2010)

This study by scientists from 13 different organizations and research institutions states that forest protection offers one of the most effective and immediate strategies to combat climate change. The paper makes specific recommendations for incorporating protected areas into overall strategies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation and degradation (REDD). The paper.

FRAMING THE FLOW: INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO UNDERSTAND, PROTECT AND VALUE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ACROSS LINKED HABITATS 
(UNEP/WCMC, 2010)

This report of the UN Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP/WCMC) provides a synthesis of the current state of knowledge regarding the natural capital of water-related ecosystems and habitats, and offers an overview of the innovative approaches that can support the analysis of the links between interconnected ecosystems. It analyzes the linkages across coastal ecosystems and the 'value added' in terms of ecosystem services provided by these linkages as opposed to the services provided by just one system studied in isolation. The linkages between ecosystems are examined under consideration of environmental, economic, management and social aspects and recommendations are provided for integrating this new paradigm into cross-sectoral environmental practices. The report.

WATER, WETLANDS AND FORESTS: A REVIEW OF ECOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC AND POLICY LINKAGES

(CBD Technical Series No. 47, March 2010)

This report of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was produced in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and other partners. It aims to foster better awareness of the crucial role that forests and wetlands play in sustaining the availability and quality of water critical for human well-being. Some of the key messages of the report include: about a third of the world's largest cities obtain a significant portion of their drinking-water supply directly from forested protected areas; water, wetlands and forests interact to produce healthy and productive ecosystems; forest and wetland mismanagement can adversely impact water quality and biodiversity; and forests regulate soil erosion and pollution, preventing desertification and salinization. The report.

INCENTIVE AND MARKET-BASED MECHANISMS TO PREVENT LAND DEGRADATION: FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY FOR APPLICABILITY

(Global Mechanism (GM) and Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), 2010)
This paper is part of the GM's response to the Ten-year Strategy (2008-2018) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, in which country Parties request the GM to identify and explore innovative finance, including market-based mechanisms. The paper identifies 14 incentive and market-based mechanisms that encourage land users to adopt sustainable land management (SLM) practices. It also describes the factors that influence the applicability of each of the mechanisms in a country context and provides a methodology to assist countries in identifying the most appropriate mechanisms. The paper.

REDD-PLUS & BIODIVERSITY E-NEWSLETTER, VOL. 8

(CBD Secretariat, February 2010)

This e-newsletter reviews recent publications of relevance to reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and biodiversity, and includes a call for posters to the fourteenth meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), to be held from 10-21 May 2010, in Nairobi, Kenya. The e-newsletter.

STATE OF BIODIVERSITY MARKETS: OFFSET AND COMPENSATION PROGRAMS WORLDWIDE

(Ecosystem Marketplace, March 2010)

This report is a global survey of schemes designed to preserve biodiversity by making it possible for real estate developers to offset their damage to nature by paying for the creation or preservation of habitat. It documents 39 government-mandated "compensatory mitigation" schemes around the world and 25 others in the works. More than 600 "species banks" or "mitigation banks" operate within these schemes, seeking to earn income by securing commercial or degraded land and returning it to its natural state to generate offsets for developers who damage habitat by digging mines or building roads and houses. Only 20% of the documented projects generate price data, but these revealed a market of between $1.8 billion and $2.9 billion per year. Additionally, the schemes place at least 86,000 hectares of land under some sort of conservation management or permanent legal protection per year. The report.

SAFE FLYWAYS FOR THE SIBERIAN CRANE

(International Crane Foundation, 2010)

This book marks the conclusion of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project. It explains the background and development of the 10 year-project on the conservation of the Siberian Crane, a critically endangered species, along its two main flyways in Eastern and Western Eurasia. The project is the first of its kind to use a "flyway" approach to stabilize and sustain the remaining 3,000-3,500 Siberian Cranes and millions of other migratory waterbirds along their migratory paths. It has also played a catalytic role in boosting the conservation and rehabilitation of critical wetlands. The book is illustrated by a wide range of photos depicting the Cranes, other species, their habitats, and of conservation and awareness-raising activities undertaken during the project. The book.

RAMSAR ADVISORY MISSION NO. 62: MOZAMBIQUE

(Ramsar, 2010)

This report summarizes the findings of the Ramsar Advisory Mission that visited the Marromeu Complex Ramsar Site in Mozambique from 16-20 August 2009, to undertake consultations there and at the national, provincial and district levels. The report also presents 24 recommendations for short- and long-term action, including suggestions for sources of further external support. The Mission included a representative of the Secretariats of the Convention on Migratory Species and the Agreement on African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. The report. 

FLYWAY CONSERVATION AT WORK – ACROSS AFRICA AND EURASIA

(Wings Over Wetlands (WOW)UNEP-GEF African-Eurasian Flyways Project, 2010)

This newsletter provides an overview of the WOW project and the latest achievements of this flyway initiative in the African-Eurasian region. The newsletter showcases the flyway-scale conservation work and materials being developed under the project. It includes sections on: bird migration and flyways; the Critical Site Network (CSN) Tool; the flyway training programme; and demonstration projects. The newsletter.

REPORT AND PRESENTATIONS FROM THE POLICY SEMINAR ON THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

(ITPGR Secretariat, 2010)

The summary, background papers and presentations made at the Policy Seminar on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Global Challenges and Future Direction, held from 15-18 December 2009, in Bari, Italy, have been made available online. The seminar included sessions on agro-biodiversity, food security and climate change, as well as a closing session on conclusions and future outlook, and addressed benefit-sharing projects of the Treaty. Two working groups discussed the benefit-sharing fund of the funding strategy, and the multilateral system on access and benefit-sharing. The report.

PRIMATES IN PERIL: THE WORLD'S 25 MOST ENDANGERED PRIMATES, 2008-2010

(IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, International Primatological Society, Conservation International, 2009)

This report, compiled by 85 experts from across the world, reveals that nearly half of all primate species are now in danger of becoming extinct from destruction of tropical forests, illegal wildlife trade and commercial bushmeat hunting. The list includes five primate species from Madagascar, six from Africa, 11 from Asia, and three from Central and South America, all of which are the most in need of urgent conservation action. The report. IUCN press release.

GUIDELINES ON BIOFUELS AND INVASIVE SPECIES

(IUCN, 2009)

This report sets out recommendations for decision makers and biofuel producers to minimize the risk of crops becoming invasive, ranging from assessing potential traits of biofuel species in a given environment to effective controls when biofuel crops are being transported. The report. IUCN press release.

TOOTHED WHALES REPORT

(UNEP/CMS, February 2010)

This report, launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)/Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), warns that large-scale fishing operations are seriously threatening the lives of the majority of toothed whale populations. It notes that some 86% of all toothed whale species are at risk from entanglement and death in gillnets, traps, weirs, longlines and trawls. Further, lack of food and forced changes in diet as a result of overfishing pose additional threats to 13 of the 72 toothed whale species. Many populations are also suffering from: the ingestion of marine debris; habitat loss; and the effects of chemical and noise pollution. The report.

SUBMARINE CABLES AND THE OCEANS: CONNECTING THE WORLD

(UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series No. 31, January 2010)

Published by UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Cable Protection Committee Ltd, this report provides a factual description of the submarine cable industry and the interaction of submarine telecommunications (which route 95% of all international communications traffic) with the marine environment. It seeks to focus and guide deliberations and decision making on the wise conservation and protection of the oceans in concert with their sustainable management and use. The report.

STATE OF THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

(UNPFII, January 2010)

This report notes that the world's 370 million indigenous peoples suffer from higher rates of poverty, health problems, crime and human rights abuses if compared to the non-indigenous population both in developing and developed countries. The report indicates that indigenous peoples are also more vulnerable to environmental pollution and climate change effects. It highlights that self-determination and land rights are vital for the survival of indigenous peoples. The report.

REDD REALITIES: HOW STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION COULD IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

(Global Forest Coalition, December 2009)

Written by Ronnie Hall and Simone Lovera, this report addresses the question: how does the theoretical success of REDD work out on the ground, in places where legislation on biodiversity is weak, and where safeguards to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples hardly exist? The report.