This review focuses on the role of local institutions in adaptation to climate change. It does so under the belief that climate impacts will affect disadvantaged social groups more disproportionately, and that local institutions centrally influence how different social groups gain access to and are able to use assets and resources.

Despite programmes for rural land reform and redistribution around the world, inequitable land distribution and rural poverty remain profound in much of the rural South. Suggests a new approach to land reform and rural development. ‘Rural territorial development’ is based on and encourages shared territorial identity (distinctive productive, historical, cultural and environmental features) amongst different stakeholders and social groupings. Builds on the fact that rural people’s livelihood strategies are complex and often mostly non-agricultural in nature.

Con el presente trabajo presentamos dos áreas naturales protegidas, ubicadas en dos regiones ecológicas y culturales representativas de la biodiversidad de México: Zona Protectora Forestal Cañadas de Contreras Distrito Federal y la reserva de Biosfera, Sierra de Huautla Morelos. Aplicando el enfoque de metabolismo social, etnográfico y cualitativo se evalúa la evolución de la propiedad en nuestro país y su relación con los procesos demográficos y socioeconómicos.

Both Parties agree to cooperate on land resource management,land administration and immigrant resettlement. The cooperation mentioned in this Memorandum of Understanding may include, but is not limited to, the following areas of common interest:   1. Development, protection, management and utilization of land resources;   2. Land information management, land surveys, cadastre updates, land registration, statistics, valuation, and the application of modern technologies in these areas;   3. Land use planning;   4. Land market, land allocation, relevant laws and regulations;   5.

Focusing on the case of Virunga National Park (PNVi) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this paper looks at Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and the impact of ongoing conflict. It also discusses opportunities for elevating environment-conflict issues to international policy levels to help save important ecosystems in times of conflict. It is explained that for the past two decades, the park and the surrounding area in North Kivu province have experienced near-constant violent conflict.

Focusing on Sarawak, this paper confronts the misleading claims of the Malaysian palmoil lobby and aims to inform decision makers about the serious sustainability challenges the palm oil sector faces on the ground. Key areas of contention highlighted include that:

Despite the adoption of many international agreements over the last decades, degradation of forests and deforestation has continued. Since this is largely due to the market's failure to account for forests' multifunctionality, this issue argues that a new, holistic approach is necessary to ensure sustainable forest management (SFM) is adequately supported and financed. Against this background, 35 articles explore the role of:

This paper evaluates the costs and benefits of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change through an analysis of case studies in India, Nepal and Pakistan. The paper focuses on water related disasters and the manner in which they may change as a consequence of climate change. The paper highlights that the evidence presenting the economic impacts of climate change and disasters is accumulating rapidly.

Land and decentralisation policies in Senegal have been closely linked since the country became independent in 1960. Although local governments manage public lands and participate in the management of special areas, the actual degree popular participation in land and decentralisation policies occurs strongly depends on the rights granted to local communities and governments and the available human and financial resources. This paper explores these issues and discusses their effect on decentralisation and land management in Senegal.

This paper presents an overview of pastoral systems and addresses rights issues around access and control of resources in the context of climate change.

This is a compilation of twenty seven articles focusing on the interactions, impacts and effects of the changing climate on the Amazon region. Each article examines a specific area, providing a multidisciplinary analysis of climate change impacts. Areas discussed include: