Documents and Tools
UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook 2000
The UNEP report presents a comprehensive integrated assessment of the global environment at the turn of the millennium and provides a vision into the 21st century.
Cultivating Our Futures
A paper prepared for the FAO/Netherlands Conference on " The Multifunctional Character of Agriculture and Land" (Maastricht, 1999)., which highlights how multiple outputs are generated by agriculture and how we need a new approach to the multifunctional character of this activity.
The Energy and Agriculture Nexus
This FAO report focuses on the challenges and opportunities of advancing modern bioenergy technology (biomass, biofuels), in general, and on the technical, environmental and economic benefits of the energy function of agriculture, in particular.
Global climate change and agricultural production
The need to include the potential effects on agriculture of any anthropogenic climate change at global and regional levels is discussed in this FAO paper.
Banking for the environment
As this FAO Bulletin demonstrates, financial institutions could play an important role in correct resource management but bankers need to be sensitive to the issues involved, and have access to the specialized knowledge required in order to make sound lending decisions.
Biological diversity for food and agriculture
FAO's goal is to help build a food-secure world for present and future generations, through access of all people at all times to sufficient nutritionally adequate and safe food. This requires the conservation and utilization of biological diversity, particularly biological diversity for food and agriculture, within sustainable ecosystems.
Genetically modified organisms, consumers, food safety and the environment.
FAO aims at encouraging a more constructive debate on GMOs controversial matter, and at promoting full case-by-case analysis on the biotechnology applications.
Land Quality Indicators (LQI) and their Use in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
The LQI programme, a joint initiative of FAO, UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank, aims at assisting planners and policy-makers to make better use of their existing information on land quality and to promote more systematic data and information collection.
UNDP's Handbook and Guidelines for Environmental Management and Susatinable Development
This UNDP's Environmental Strategy and Action Plan focuses on supporting governments in integrating environmental considerations into their development plans. It provides environmental management guidelines that can be applied to all programme and project cycles.
Poverty and Environment: Turning the Poor into Agents of Environmental Regeneration
This UNDP Working Paper examines the multiple interaction between poverty and the environment and shows how the poor obtain a substantial part of their consumption from natural and community resources. It should be possible to make the poor agents of environmental regeneration in ways that also alleviate poverty.
Environment Strategy for the World Bank
The goal of the World Bank’s new "Environment Startegy" is to promote environmental improvements as a fundamental element of development and poverty reduction startegies and actions. For the first time the World Bank has consolidated its approach to environmental protection into a single document.
World Food Programme (WFP) and the Environment
This polcy paper highlights WFP’s approach to environmental issues within the context of food aid?.
Worldwide Initiatives
Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is the comprehensive plan of action for environment and sustainable development, which was adopted by more than 178 countries at the ‘Earth Summit’ (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development -UNCED, Rio de Janerio, Brazil, June 1992).
Johannesburg 2002: The World Summit on Sustainable Development
The next ‘Earth Summit’ will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002. The documentation about the preparatory process and the logistical information available online in this web site.
International Land Coalition
IFAD hosts the International Land Coalition, a global consortium of civil society, intergovernmental and governmental organisations working to empower the rural poor through improved access to land and other productive resources.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The UNFCCC is an agreement through which countries around the world address the issues surrounding global warming. The UNFCCC website provides comprehensive resources, news, data and information
The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The GEF was established to forge international cooperation and finance actions to address four critical threats to the global environment: biodiversity loss, climate change, degradation of international waters, and ozone depletion. GEF was restructured after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro to serve the environmental interests of people in all parts of the world.
UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit
The UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit provides practical assistance to countries affected by environmental disasters such as industrial/technological accidents, chemical and oil spills, forest fires, floods, and other sudden-onset emergencies that damage the environment and human health and welfare.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites (TEMS)
TEMS is an international directory of sites (named T.Sites) and networks that carry out long-term terrestrial monitoring and research activities. The database provides information on the "who, what and where" in long-term terrestrial monitoring that can be useful to both the scientific community and policy-makers.
UNDP-EC Poverty and Environment Initiative
The United Nations Development Programme and the European Commission are engaged in a joint initiative on poverty and the environment aimed at identifying concrete policy recommendations and practical measures that address the environmental concerns of the poor in developing countries.
FAO : Global Observing Terrestrial Systems (GTOS)
GTOS is a programme for observations, modelling, and analysis of terrestrial ecosystems to support sustainable development. It facilitates access to information on terrestrial ecosystems so that researchers and policy makers can detect and manage global and regional environmental change.
Links
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
The WMO coordinates global scientific activity to allow increasingly prompt and accurate weather information and other services. WMO's activities contribute to the safety of life and property, the socio-economic development of nations and the protection of the environment.
The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
The CSD was created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of UNCED; and to monitor and report on implementation of the Earth Summit agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels.
UNDP: Energy and Environment
UNDP is leading the UN systemwide effort to build national capacities for environmentally sustainable development by promoting global best practices and supporting strategic interventions.
FAO's Sustainable Development Department: Environment
The SD Department of FAO advises governments on integrated policy, planning, and management of natural resources.
FAO - Agriculture 21: Natural Resources and Environment Guide
This webpage is full of links to FAO websites, documents and tools on natural resources, soil and water management and renewable energy.
The World Bank Environment Website
By linking poverty alleviation and sustainable development, the World Bank is focusing on finding ways to ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of the world's physical and ecological systems or the world's poor.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
The Environment and Natural Resources Development Division (ENRD) of the ESCAP supports the efforts of its members and associate members in the Asia and in the Pacific region to achieve their desired development goals in a sustainable manner.
The UN Economic Commision for Africa (ECA)
The Food Security and Sustainable Development Division (FSSDD) of the ECA intends to become a centre of excellence for managing the inter-linked issues at the nexus of population, agriculture and environment.
CGIAR on Global Issues
The researchers working throughout theConsultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) – otherwise known as the Future Harvest centres - are examining the social and economic factors that determine how farmers and communities manage natural resources, as well examining trade and other macroeconomic policies to determine their effects on development and the environment.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
The mission of the IUCN is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
The Population Environment Research Network
The Population Environment Research Network is non-profit, academic and web-based information source on current population and environment research worldwide. The network aims to stimulate greater communication about, and the advancement of, methodologies and approaches to population - environment research.
The World Energy Council (WEC)
The WEC is the foremost global multi-energy non-profit organization, with member committees in over 90 countries, including most of the largest energy-producing and energy consuming countries. WEC aims at promoting the sustainable supply and use of energy for the greatest benefit of all the countries.
World Resources Institute (WRI)
WRI provides information, ideas, and solutions to global environmental problems, meeting global challenges by using knowledge to catalyze public and private action.
Worldwatch Institute
Worldwatch is a non-profit public policy research organization dedicated to informing policy-makers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links between the world economy and its environmental support systems.
MSU Global Access
MSU Global Access is an Internet portal to information selected by experts of the Michigan State University Office of International Studies and Programs. It contains a database of links to Websites, features country specific pages, maps, and international news.
