The contribution of wild plants and animals to human welfare is widely appreciated but not routinely measured. Reliable and up-to-date information on the economic importance of wild resources is needed to ensure that development policies and investments take account of the full costs and…
This is a unique publication relating to legal frameworks of natural resources management. Following the “Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Sustainable Soils” (EPLP 45), this publication contributes to the revision of existing, and drafting of new, legislation relating to soils. It…
Water ecosystems have long been perceived by decision makers as having little value simply because their economic value is poorly understood and rarely articulated. Calculating the economic value of an ecosystem is a means of providing information which can be used to make better and more…
Human wellbeing depends on the capacity of the earth’s natural systems to provide ecosystem goods and services. However, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment chillingly concludes that unless we take action to mitigate the current decline in ecosystem services, the cost to society will be…
Despite endorsements of the concept of sustainable development and the linking of sustainable development with the Millennium Development Goals, progress towards the eradication of poverty has been disappointing. The underlying principles of sustainable development need to be more critically and…
The population of western gray whales numbers only about 100 animals and is classified on Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥'s Red List as "critically endangered". Under the auspices of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥, an independent scientific review panel was established to evaluate scientific aspects of western gray whale conservation in the…
We live in a world of rapid global change : biophysical, socio-economic and institutional. This book examines the issues and options for protected area management to ensure that we continue to protect the Earth's most valuable ecosystems in the face of these unprecedented changes.