Sustainable use of natural resources
The 2008 World Development Report stresses the importance of agriculture for many developing countries. It can however only secure the economic basis for their growing populations only if landscapes are sustainably managed. Given the increasingly acute shortage of natural resources and climate change, careful and appropriate use of soil, water and forests is vital for survival. Under this block you will find sites and publications on "Sustainable use of natural resources": |
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Forests, Landscapes & Governance: multiple roles, multiple actors September 2009 Author: Carter, J. et al. The overwhelming conclusion of the two workshops documented in this publication is that the future of the world’s forest depends not so much on technical knowledge or financial investment (although both are important), but on their good governance – based on mutual respect and agreement between different stakeholders on the way forward. Simply said (but far more difficult to implement), political, social and economic decisions over resource management, use and benefit sharing should be based on legal frameworks and procedures that are equitable, transparent, and broadly accepted by members of society. Society here encompasses different levels – from the very local level (that of individual village or forest), to the landscape level, to the national, regional and also the international level.
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Focal Point for rural Development July 2008 Author: SDC and Agridea The Web platform of the SDC Focal Point for Rural Development. Like the theme of rural development, the house is complex and diverse. Here the threads of rural development within SDC and its partners are gathered.
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InfoResources: News, Focus, Trends May 2008 InfoResources News: If you wish to be updated on the latest developments and debates, subscribe to the newsletter. InfoResources Focus: provides a general overview of pertinent and topical subjects to guide one through the information jungle. Each issue focuses on a current theme relative to forests, agriculture, natural resources and the environment, in the context of international development cooperation. InfoResources Trends: compiles personal assessments of predicted changes by experts from the realms of politics and science, as well as from implementing agencies of NGOs around the world, and it makes these assessments accessible to a broader professional public.
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Forests and Energy May 2008 Author: FAO Soaring energy consumption and fossil fuel prices, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and concerns over energy import dependence are driving the search for alternatives to fossil fuels for energy production. Biofuels currently constitute the largest source of renewable energy produced on earth. As biomass, wood offers some of the highest levels of energy and carbon efficiency. This publication explores the relationship between forests and energy. It considers the present and future contribution of wood in the production of bioenergy as well as the effects of liquid biofuel crop development on forests. The paper begins with an overview of global energy supply and demand with projections to the year 2030. The contribution of wood energy is then considered in the context of a general discussion of a variety of bioenergy crops and their use in the production of first- and second-generation biofuels. The analysis evaluates the payoffs in developing different sources of bioenergy and the risks of land conversion. It also discusses market forces and ongoing technological innovations for wood energy production. Policy options and recommendations for bioenergy development are given, stressing the importance of integrated planning and monitoring of land use, and the transfer of advanced wood energy technologies to developing countries. This publication will be useful to both specialized and general audiences interested in learning more about the role of forests in energy production.
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Greenfacts - Facts on health and environment 2008 Author: Greenfacts Greenfacts’ Mission is to bring complex scientific consensus reports on health and the environment to the reach of non-specialists. Greenfacts publishes clear and faithful summaries of existing scientific reports on environmental and health topics: GreenFacts Digests and GreenFacts Co-Publications. Greenfacts are an independent non-profit organization with a multi-stakeholder governance and a non-advocacy policy.
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Biofuels, opportunity or threat to the poor? December 2007 Author: SDC An oil crisis would set back development efforts and the double impact of high food and oil prices would be devastating for the world’s poorest. The vast range of issues and diverging interests related to biofuels require careful mapping of the topic.
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Where the land is greener: case studies and analysis of soil and water conservation initiatives worl December 2007 Author: WOCAT ‘where the land is greener’ looks at soil and water conservation from a global perspective. In total, 42 SWC technologies and 28 approaches are described as applied in case studies in more than 20 countries around the world. This unique presentation of case studies draws on WOCAT’s extensive database, gathered in over 12 years of field experience. Various land use categories are covered, from crop farming to grazing and forestry. The technologies presented range from terrace-building to agroforestry systems; from rehabilitation of common pastures to conservation agriculture; from vermiculture to water harvesting. Several of these technologies are already wellestablished successes – others are innovative, relatively unknown, but full of promise.
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Capitalisation of experiences on forest programmes / elements for a working aid on forests (German) December 2007 Author: Thomas Stadtmüller Fehlschläge und Erfolge: eine Gegenüberstellung - Erfolgsbestimmende Faktoren: Versuch einer Identifikation - Aufforstungsvorhaben in der EZA: gute Absicht – geringer Erfolg - Wald als Ausgangspunkt einer Wertschöpfungskette: die Verlockung des Angebots - Agroforstwirschaft: wertvolles Produkt integrierter Vorgehensweise - Ausbildung: Schlüsselfaktor für eine langfristige Wirkung - Zielgruppen: Akteure, ihre Bedeutung und ihr Entwicklungspotential - Fach- und Führungskräfte in Waldprojekten: ein wichtiger Erfolgsgarant - Wissensmanagement: ein allgemeines Problemfeld von EZA-Projekten - Politikdialog und bilaterale Projekte: ein wertvolles Tandem - Waldprojekte in der Zukunft: Dilemma, Herausforderungen und Rolle - Multilaterale EZA und Wald: Bedeutung und Komplementarität mit der bilateralen EZA
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World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development October 2007 Author: Core Team WDR 2008 The World Development Report 2008 calls for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries. The report warns that the sector must be placed at the center of the development agenda if the goals of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 are to be realized. Download Full Text, Press Releases, Slideshow, Policy Briefs, Graphs and Figures, Audio and Video, Buy the Book
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Cyclic change of importance of forest programmes in the work of SDC from 1982 until 2006 (German) August 2007 Author: Zora Urech, Groupe de Foresterie pour le Développement, ETH Zürich Diese Arbeit verfolgt die Entwicklung der Budgets und thematischen Inhalte für waldrelevante Programme über 25 Jahre. Die quantitative Analyse hat die Vermutung aus Kreisen der Entwicklungsexperten bestätigt, dass die Ausgaben der DEZA für Waldprojekte in den letzten 10 Jahren abgenommen haben. Dies ist ein Hinweis, dass der Wald innerhalb der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit der DEZA möglicherweise an Stellenwert verloren hat. Auch die Anzahl an Waldprojekten hat innerhalb der letzten Jahre konstant abgenommen, und das Thema Wald wurde je länger desto mehr in grössere Projekte als Teilkomponente integriert. Eine Öffnung des Forstsektors für soziale, kulturelle, psychologische und ethnologische Aspekte wurde von verschiedenen Experten empfohlen. Diese Öffnung hätte nicht nur den Vorteil, dass vorhandene Bedürfnisse umfassender angegangen werden könnten. Sie könnte auch als Chance für die Integration der Waldkomponente in grössere Projekte angesehen werden, denn der Sektor Wald hat sich viel zu lange von anderen Projekten und Themen abgegrenzt. Die Akteure der forstlichen Zusammenarbeit müssen den Dialog zu anderen Themenbereichen finden und dafür sorgen, dass dadurch der Wald in der schweizerischen EZA wieder an Stellenwert gewinnt. Denn die Probleme im Bezug auf den Wald haben nicht abgenommen, die Zerstörung der Wälder hält an und die Bedeutung des Waldes steigt international gesehen an.
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