Conflicts associated with natural resources are twice as likely to relapse into conflict in the first five years, an imminent report suggests. Indeed the natural resource curse has been a primary determinant of intra-state conflict in terrible theatres of war such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. Yet it extends far beyond the battle to acquire precious commodities.

This paper summarises the importance of wetlands in relation to climate change and eaxmines their potential role in the measures for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) under the Kyoto Protocol. The links between REDD concepts and wetlands are explored for the following reasons:

This report outlines how climate change is expected to have serious environmental, economic, and social impacts in South Africa. It states that rural farmers, whose livelihoods depend on the use of natural resources, are likely to bear the brunt of adverse impacts. The research uses a “bottom-up” approach to gain insights from the farmers themselves based on a farm household survey collected from 794 households in the Limpopo River Basin of South Africa for the farming season 2004–2005.

ASOCAM conducted the XII ASOCAM Latin American Seminar 2009 in the district of Yucay in Cusco, Peru on ‘How to promote adaptation to climate change on water management in rural areas?’ The seminar brought together 40 participants from 8 countries submitted their institutional experiences generated so far in development projects and initiatives related to the use and management of water in the rural Andes in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

Climate models are predicting a hotter, drier and less predictable climate in the Middle East, a region already considered the world's most water-scarce and where, in many places, demand for water already outstrips supply. This report addresses the links between climate change, peace and conflict.

This paper outlines options for rural communities to participate in climate change mitigation and adaptation activities in the forest sector in Nepal. It looks at the various institutional barriers that would need to be overcome, as well as the existing institutional opportunities, particularly in relation to tenure rights, both for mitigation (Clean Development Mechanism projects and REDD+) as well as for adaptation action.

This paper investigates the impact of climate variability on maize yield in the Limpopo Basin of South Africa using the Generalized Maximum Entropy (GME) estimator and Maximum Entropy Leuven Estimator (MELE). Maize constitutes about 70 percent of grain production and covers about 60 percent of the cropping area in South Africa. It is a summer crop, mostly grown in semiarid regions of the country, and is highly susceptible to changes in precipitation and temperature.

This perspective document, part of the 16-paper series on water and climate change adaptation, focuses on the impacts and adaptive strategies in arid and semi-arid regions. The series reflect the central topic of the 5th World Water Forum, ‘climate change and adaptation’, where it was presented and discussed. The following risks posed by climate change to the water sector in arid regions are identified.

This policy brief examines the manner in which Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) pilot projects have been undertaken in Indonesia and Peru. The research data summarized within the brief was gathered using a method known as Fair and Efficient REDD Value Chain Allocation (FERVA). The FERVA analysis is used to capture the perceptions and expectations of REDD stakeholders at the preliminary stages of REDD initiatives; it also informs stakeholders of the different functions of the REDD value chain.

Trade in ethanol is increasing, and raises the need for the classification of various biofuels within frameworks such as the WTO. With that being said, this paper wonders how do biofuels policies and programs fit within the WTO’s stated goals of liberalisation. In addition, it examines the effects of the rapid biofuels expansion on the prices of grains, and the effects triggered in the livestock industries. The paper indicates that the biofuels industry affects and is affected by government policies in countries around the globe.

Although wild natural resources are a standard dietary component in southern Africa, little information exists on these resources' specific role in the maintenance of household food security among HIV-impacted households. In this context, the influence of cash savings or income generated through use or sale of natural resources (e.g., using fuelwood instead of electricity to be able to afford to buy food) is also not known.

Baseflow and precipitation in the Kickapoo River Watershed, located in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, exhibit a step increase around 1970, similar to minimum and median flows in many other central and eastern USA streams. Potential effects on streamflow due to climatic and land management changes were evaluated by comparing volumetric changes in the hydrologic budget before and after 1970. Increases in precipitation do not fully account for the increase in baseflow, which appears to be offset by a volumetric decrease in stormflow.