Cuando en el año 2000 se aprobaron los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM), la comunidad internacional contrajo un compromiso sin precedentes para satisfacer las necesidades de los pobres del mundo y salvaguardarlos de las amenazas del siglo XXI2. Los mandatarios de 147 Estados reafirmaron los principios de reducción de la pobreza, gobernanza democrática y protección de los derechos humanos, que han sido el núcleo del sistema de las Naciones Unidas desde su creación tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

China is experiencing rapid and large scale urbanization, and the resulting local and global urban environmental challenges are unprecedented. The Chinese Government has fully recognized these challenges and is aiming to promote more sustainable urbanization in line with the objectives of the eleventh five year plan, which calls for 'building a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society'. Various initiatives are being pursued to support this objective, both at the national and local levels.

En el mundo hay 1.700 millones de agricultores y agricultoras en situación de enorme vulnerabilidad frente a los impactos del cambio climático. Muchos ya padecen hambre, lo que los hace aún más vulnerables. Pero existen experiencias exitosas de cómo fortalecer la capacidad de recuperación a nivel local. Reproducir y ampliar los éxitos es la fuente de esperanza para estos agricultores, y además puede contribuir a afrontar el problema del cambio climático.

The drylands of Africa, exclusive of hyper-arid zones, occupy about 43 per cent of the continent, and are home to a rapidly growing population that currently stands at about 325 million people. Dry zones, inclusive of hyper-arid lands, cover over 70 per cent of the continent’s terrestrial surface. Outside of the cities many dryland inhabitants are either pastoralists, sedentary or nomadic, or agro-pastoralists, combining livestock-rearing and crop production where conditions allow.

Agricultural sectors play a key role in the economics of climate change. Land as an input to agricultural production is one of the most important links between economy and the biosphere, representing a direct projection of human action on the natural environment. Agricultural management practices and cropping patterns have a vast effect on biogeochemical cycles, freshwater availability and soil quality. Agriculture also plays an important role in emitting and storing greenhouse gases.

The Bali Action Plan identified two key areas for the forest sector to contribute significantly to global climate change mitigation. One area concerned approaches and incentives relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD). The second area focused on the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. REDD+ has become synonymous for a combination of these two areas.

En el marco de la Quinta Reunión Ministerial “Agricultura y Vida Rural en las Américas” y en el contexto del Proceso Cumbres de las Américas llevado a cabo en Montego Bay, Jamaica, del 26 al 29 de octubre de 2009 se firmó el PLAN AGRO 2003-2015, Acuerdo Ministerial Hemisférico Jamaica 2009 para la Agricultura y Vida Rural en las Américas.

The 450 million people living in and around Asia-Pacific forests hold a vital stake in the success of REDD. For effective reductions in emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, such schemes must:

This paper explores how a 'conflict and violence sensitive' framework in project assessment, design and implementation facilitates early identification and mitigation of negative consequences of competition and dispute, and promotes sustainable development over the longer term. It discusses the role of renewable resources in perpetuating conflict and violence, and distills lessons from selected development programming experiences in managing conflict risks associated with these dynamics.

Covers the rush to acquire land in Africa by foreign governments and private investors, fuelled by fears for global food security in the face of climate change and volatile food prices on the international market. Warns that the political and economic risks of these land purchases are colossal and outweigh any gains, and argues that African governments must make food security and sufficiency for their own people paramount.

El documento sugiere una serie de propuestas de acción a desarrollar para enfrentar la crisis alimentaria y dar cumplimiento a las diversas recomendaciones anteriores de los Estados Miembros del SELA.

Governance for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (G-SHE): Guidelines and Best Practices is . This publication, which forms part of our broader climate change adaptation strategy, puts together key guidelines related to the governance and management of the Himalayan ecosystem, along with case studies.