This article reviews, from a socio-economic perspective, the current state of knowledge and controversies around the causes and consequences of global climate change. It considers the prospects for reducing global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which, according to the scientific consensus, are the key anthropogenic drivers of climate change. The focus is on two major areas of economic activity, the agriculture, forestry and other land use sector and the energy sector, which together account for around 60% of global GHG emissions.

Vietnam has pilot-tested a payment for forest environmental services (PFES) program in an effort to restore and protect forest areas, some of which have been severely degraded by the excessive cutting of trees by small-scale farmers planting annual crops on steep, sloping lands. The pilot program implemented in southern Vietnam seems to be successful, yet the program in northern Vietnam has not produced the desired rates of planting and maintaining forest areas.

Land-use and land-cover changes are driving unprecedented changes in ecosystems and environmental processes at different scales. This study was aimed at identifying the potential land-use drivers in the Jedeb catchment of the Abbay basin by combining statistical analysis, field investigation and remote sensing. To do so, a land-use change model was calibrated and evaluated using the SITE (SImulation of Terrestrial Environment) modelling framework.

Context: Various species of forest trees are commonly used for ornamental purposes and are therefore frequently found in nonforest ecosystems. They constitute an important component of the so-called trees outside forests (TOF).