Weed problems continue to be an obstacle in plant protection and in natural areas, causing high costs of control and asking for adequate prevention measures. New weed problems in any given area (risk area) may arise from three basic sources: by introduction and naturalization of new weedy plant species, by increasing spread of weedy taxa that are already present in the risk area, and by the evolution of new weedy taxa in the risk area.

Land-use conflicts reveal the contemporary evolution of rural areas, and specifically the rise of the rural living environment and its confrontation with the other functions of the countryside (productive, recreational and natural protection). Local public authorities implement regulations to organize common environmental resources use without conflicts. But local public choice can not satisfy everyone, leading to a lack of unanimity. Local public intervention inevitably creates a losing side and it is difficult for them to escape the environmental damage by leaving.

Rangeland condition assessment was conducted in the Borana lowlands, southern Ethiopia to determine the current status and future trend of the grazing land with emphasis on comparing different functional land use units, called Kalo, Worra and Foora. An approach that integrated data from herbaceous and woody plants, soil and pastoralists' perceptions was followed. Density and canopy cover of woody plants were determined in 123 plots of 500m2.

Ethnic minorities in the mountainous forest regions of northern Thailand and northern Vietnam live in a particularly restrictive political, social and economic environment. Widespread degradation of land, water and forest resources has adverse effects on the livelihoods of these groups. Given the dramatically increasing scarcity of natural resources, regulation of resource access and allocation are becoming fundamental for the development of sustainable resource management, in which an active participation of the local population in planning and implementation is a crucial prerequisite.

Across South Asia, many rural people use common land to harvest naturally-growing plants, grow crops and feed their livestock. Increasingly this activity is being commercialized as farmers move to sell the produce they obtain. Despite the importance of this development to village people, its overall effect is uncertain and there are fears that it will damage the environment.

The people of the Sahel — that huge region stretching along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert — are still striving to recover from the fallout of the terrible droughts that have afflicted the area since 1973. Drought has shattered the momentum of socioeconomic development in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. According to researchers with Burkino Faso’s Institut de l’environnement et de recherches agricoles, “Rural men and women are now struggling to survive in a land that is exhausted, denuded, desiccated, and swept away by the wind and water.”

The people of the Sahel — that huge region stretching along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert — are still striving to recover from the fallout of the terrible droughts that have afflicted the area since 1973. Drought has shattered the momentum of socioeconomic development in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. According to researchers with Burkino Faso’s Institut de l’environnement et de recherches agricoles, “Rural men and women are now struggling to survive in a land that is exhausted, denuded, desiccated, and swept away by the wind and water.”

SAS reports are made available in order to provide timely access to the information by interested researchers. This report has been subject to an internal review process to ensure accuracy and quality.

SAS reports are made available in order to provide timely access to the information by interested researchers. This report has been subject to an internal review process to ensure accuracy and quality.

The wetlands around the estuaries of Ogun River and its environs in Ikorodu/Kosofe areas of Lagos State remain unprotected. 60 per cent of Lagos metropolis was originally natural wetlands. This study tackles the quantification of land use/landcover (especially wetlands), causes, land use dynamics and the health implications through direct observations using remote sensing, surveys, disease vector studies, nutritional supply studies and GIS modelling within an ecosystem approach.