Indonesia comprises more mangroves than any other country, but also exhibits some of the highest mangrove loss rates worldwide. Most of these mangrove losses are caused by aquaculture development. Monetary valuation of the numerous ecosystem services of mangroves may contribute to their conservation.

The ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry are part of a broad range of initiatives aimed at ensuring that investments in agriculture meet global standards and promote responsible and sustainable investment. The primary purpose of the Guidelines is to promote investment in food, agriculture and forestry in the ASEAN region that contributes to regional economic development, food and nutrition security, food safety and equitable benefits, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources.

We are currently seeing the development of a set of laws and practices preventing artisanal fishermen and their communities from having rights to fishing stock. The topic of halieutic resources generally provokes little interest when raised in relation to natural resources grabbing, despite the fact that millions of people’s income earning rely on fishing and aquaculture1. In the same way, fishing is vital to ensuring global food security. In many countries, fish is the largest source of high-quality animal protein for people and form an important part of their diet.

Environmental degradation of coastal
areas was identified as a key issue in Ghana's
Environmental Action Plan. The central objective of the
World Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management
(ICZM) initiative in Ghana, which commenced in 1995, was to
identify economically, socially and environmentally
appropriate interventions and projects in the coastal zone
that improve the prospects for human development. ICZM is

Environmental degradation primarily
affects the poor, both in rural and urban areas. Reversing
the downward spiral of this degradation is essential to any
strategy for reducing poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. This
study outlines the World Bank's strategy for improving
its assistance to SSA countries as they move toward
environmentally sustainable development (ESD). It assesses
the environmental situation and long-term trends in Africa,

The Niger Delta is one of the
world's largest wetlands and includes by far the
largest mangrove forest in Africa. Within this extremely
valuable ecosystem, oil activities are widespread - Rivers
State and Delta State produce 75 percent of Nigeria's
petroleum, which represents over 50 percent of national
government revenues. However, despite its vast oil reserves,
the region remains poor. Gross National product (GNP) per

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden contain
some of the world's most important coastal and marine
environments and resources. In view of their environmental
uniqueness, the threats they are facing, and the need for
actions, the preparation of the Strategic Action Programme
(SAP) for the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden was initiated in
October 1995. THE SAP process, coordinated by the Regional
Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the

This Strategy Note sets out a framework
for World Bank involvement in the environment sector in the
immediate to medium term. It elaborates upon and reinforces
the environmental objectives specified in Thailand's
Eighth National Economic and Social Development Plan
(1997-2001) and the World Bank's Country Assistance
Strategy for 1998. This report is organized in six sections.
Section 1 provides a brief introduction to the changing