The predominant environmental consciousness in both the United States and China reflects an underlying sense of separation of people from nature. Likewise, traditional landscape paintings in the United States and China share a common underlying aesthetic—i.e., the “picturesque”. Together, these similarities appear to have led to the preservation of similar types of landscapes in both countries.

This report presents a case study on
groundwater governance in Kenya. The objectives of the study
were to: (a) describe groundwater resource and socioeconomic
settings for four selected aquifers; (b) describe governance
arrangements for groundwater management in Kenya; and (c)
identify the relevance of these arrangements for planning
and implementing climate change mitigation measures. The
report provides a comprehensive strategy to develop

This Decision approves the master plan on socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta key economic region through 2020, with orientations toward 2030 with the following principal functions: The Mekong Delta key economic region (embracing Can Tho city and Ca Mau, An Giang and Kien Giang provinces) is a key region for producing food, aquatic products and flowers and fruits, significantly contributing to ensuring national food security and the exploit of agricultural and aquatic products of the whole country. It is a major energy center of the country in the southwestern waters.

This study, policy and investment
priorities to reduce environmental degradation of the Lake
Nicaragua watershed, has assessed the sources and the
magnitude of the pressures that threaten Lake Cocibolca. It
was accomplished by applying a hydrological and land use
model to the lake's watershed and by conducting
additional estimates of nutrients generated from wastewater
sources and tilapia farming. The study has confirmed that

This paper presents a meta-analysis of what drives deforestation and what stops it. The researchers find that forests are more likely to be cleared where economic returns to agriculture and pasture are higher, either due to more favorable climatological and topographic conditions, or due to lower costs of clearing forest and transporting products to market. It is argued that timber activity, land tenure security, and community demographics do not show a consistent association with either higher or lower deforestation.

Sustainable forest management (SFM)
certification emerged in the 1980s and 1990s as a mechanism
to promote responsible forest use and as an alternative to
boycotts of forest products amid growing concerns about
forest degradation and destruction. Since then, forest
certification has evolved into a multifaceted market-based
mechanism to promote compliance with sets of ecological,
social, and economic criteria to enhance sustainability.

The Latin America and Caribbean Region
has been at the forefront of global biodiversity
conservation, dedicating 20 percent of its land to protected
areas compared to 13 percent in the rest of the developing
world. This progress has stretched available budgets for
conservation with estimates indicating that a twofold
increase would be necessary to achieve optimal management of
existing protected areas based on 2008 data. Recognizing the

Prerequisite for sustainable development of the Russian Federation is the creation and development of a system of protected areas. Main mechanism that creates optimal conditions for the fulfilment of functions of the PA is planning. At the present time we have to admit that there are problems that prevent from appropriate functioning of protected areas and solving the tasks assigned to them.

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.

Presents the experience of international development, wildlife and human rights practitioners, shared at a symposium on land grabbing and conservation in March. Land can be ‘grabbed’ for ‘green’ purposes, triggering conflicts that undermine potential synergies. Expanded state protected areas, land for carbon offset markets and REDD, and for private conservation projects all potentially conflict with community rights. Such conflict is counterproductive because secure customary and communal land tenure helps enable sustainable natural resource management by local communities.