This report is part of a broader global
study, the Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change (EACC),
which has two principal objectives: (a) to develop a global
estimate of adaptation costs for informing international
climate negotiations; and (b) to help decision makers in
developing countries assess the risks posed by climate
change and design national strategies for adapting to it.
The purpose of this study is to assist the Government of

Artisanal mining – a livelihood for an estimated 20 million people around the world – has historically not been an area where USAID and other donors have invested substantial resources. While a wide range of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) practices occur throughout the world, the exploration, extraction and trade of diamonds have become increasingly viewed as controversial due to purported links with rebel movements, environmental destruction, and child labor.

Submission of evidence by Lawyers Network and Justice Trust to the Letpadaung Investigation Commission...(Submitted 28 January, 2013, re-submitted with exhibits 5 February, 2013)...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Aden has a number of widely recognized
unique assets, which are critical inputs to its emerging
strategic positioning within Yemen and the region. Most
notable is its natural deep-water harbor on the Red Sea,
striking landscapes and distinctive topography, abundance of
raw materials, and rich urban heritage. In addition, the
residents of Aden are known for their hospitable nature and
openness to diversity. Today, leadership in Aden, both

Prevê-se que nos próximos anos Moçambique entre na lista dos dez maiores produtores de carvão e dos vinte maiores produtores de gás natural no mundo. Com $ 2,7 mil milhões investidos nos sectores mineiro e de hidrocarbonetos em 2011 o país vive um autêntico frenesim de recursos minerais.

The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill of 2013 (MPRD-AB) has generated fresh debate regarding the appropriate system for allocating mineral prospecting and mining rights in South Africa. The draft bill no longer specifies that mining rights are to be allocated according to the first-in, first-assessed (FIFA) principle.

How have Latin American countries been using Environmental Impact Assessments in order to build more sustainable extractive industries? A focus on Peru provides some interesting lessons.

Is it possible to develop extractive industries while preserving the environment? Several Latin American countries have been attempting to improve the environmental sustainability of their extractive industry sectors by developing their legal frameworks, in particular through the use and adaptation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) tool.

China’s impressive inroads into Africa’s resources sectors over the past decade are explained largely by the timely match between a cash-loaded China in search of raw materials and a continent with a vast pool of underdeveloped mineral deposits, exploration of which has been hindered for decades by underinvestment and infrastructure bottlenecks. Chinese ‘infrastructure-for-resources’ loans are ultimately a product of the convergence of Chinese and African interests at the dawn of the 21st century.

Much of Hong Kong is currently undeveloped and consists of vegetated, relatively steep hillsides, which are considered to be natural terrain. However, in many of these areas there is evidence in old aerial photographs of man-made features, which for the last 30–40 years or so have been hidden by dense vegetation. Before the 1970s the vegetation was considerably less dense than today and much of the ground surface was bare and clearly apparent.

The landscape surrounding Sudbury, Ontario, has been severely affected by 100 years of mining and forestry and a recent, large-scale ecological risk assessment found that terrestrial plant communities continue to be impaired by remnant metals and poor soil conditions. We investigated the risks of these adverse landscape conditions on a small headwater stream by digitizing land cover at a fine scale and relating it to benthic invertebrate diversity and metal concentrations at 13 sites in the system.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has begun a process of developing a legally binding instrument to manage emissions of mercury from anthropogenic sources. The UNEP Governing Council has concluded that there is sufficient evidence of significant global adverse impacts from mercury to warrant further international action; and that national, regional and global actions should be initiated as soon as possible to identify populations at risk and to reduce human generated releases.

This paper traces a genealogy of land access and legitimization strategies culminating in the current convergence of mining and conservation in Southeast Madagascar, contributing to recent debates analyzing the commonalities and interdependencies between seemingly discrete types of land acquisitions.