A fundamental change in how we think about and approach economics is needed if we are to reverse biodiversity loss and protect and enhance our prosperity, an independent, global review on the Economics of Biodiversity said today (Tuesday 2 February). Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta’s review presents…

Healthy forests mean healthy people. Forests provide health benefits for everyone: fresh air, nutritious foods, clean water, and recreation space. In developed countries, up to 25 percent of all medicinal drugs are plant-based; in developing countries, the number is as high as 80 percent. While…

The report, “Resource Efficiency: Potential and Economic Implications,” which was commissioned in 2015 and released in Berlin at the G20 meeting, found that while investment in ambitious climate action would cause a 3.7 per cent fall in per capita gross world product by 2050, more sustainable use of…

Species’ responses to climate change are contingent on the complexity and fragmentation of their habitats. Ecological niche modelling is used to reconstruct past range shifts and identify future vulnerable areas and potential refugia of the King penguin in the Southern Ocean under climate change

A new report analyses how the transition to a low-carbon economy – and the minerals and metals required to make that shift – could affect fragility, conflict, and violence dynamics in mineral-rich states. Could the pursuit of one Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) jeopardize the success of another…

The International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy is a book series exploring critical questions under law and policy regarding the protection and sustainable management of soil and land at the international, national and regional level. Now in its fourth volume, the International Yearbook of Soil…

This paper identifies and compares the land impact of all terrestrial energy forms. It also focuses on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the use and supply of energy, as well as the maintenance and enhancement of terrestrial carbon sinks that are essential to mitigating climate…

The nomination process for the Glinka World Soil Prize 2017 is now open and organizations and individuals are invited to propose appropriate candidates. Supported by the Russian Federation, the Prize is awarded annually under the auspices of the Global Soil Partnership on World Soil Day, consisting…

According to the UN, there are 20 million people in the Sahel who are food-insecure, mainly due to lack of water. If development plans for hydropower and irrigation projects do not position ecosystems at the heart of national and regional development strategies, Europe and other nations will fail to…

A recent article "Sampling bias in climate–conflict research" in Nature Climate Change has spurred a new chapter in the lively scholarly debate over the potential relationship between climate change and violent conflict. We agree with the article’s authors that there are several forms of sampling…

New research shows massive gap in finance for restoration can be overcome with smart policies and innovative investments

WRI’s Land & Carbon Lab harnesses the data revolution to monitor the pulse of the planet’s land and its nature-based carbon. We provide decision-makers everywhere with the information they need to address the global land squeeze – to combat climate change, protect biodiversity, and improve people’s…

Ahead of the G7 meeting held in Taormina, Italy, from 26-27 May 2017, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Science and Technology Committee issued a special report titled ‘Food and Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa,’ calling for increased international development support on water and…

Desertification is a form of land degradation in drylands. It results from unsustainable land management practices and climatic factors. Thirteen EU Member States, not only in the Mediterranean region, but also in Central and Eastern Europe, have declared that they are affected by desertification…

It highlights several important technological and cultural advances that may transform drylands research and improve the links between research, management, and knowledge in dryland landscapes. Second, it highlights several cultural advances that promote interactive environments for sharing…

Marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, as well as the first time that progress on the implementation of the Platform is reviewed in light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this report takes an integrated approach to reporting on progress, gaps…

In recent years, hundreds of companies have entered the restoration industry. They represent a wide range of business models that deliver financial returns for investors while restoring forests and agricultural lands. This report profiles 14 businesses that are part of an emerging restoration…

Soil pollution may be invisible to the human eyes, but it compromises soil capacity to provide ecosystems services, including the production of safe, nutritious and sufficient food. Contaminants move through soil, air and water and enter into agri-food systems, affecting the environment and harming…

IFLA’s capacity-building International Advocacy Programme (IAP) is now fully underway. “50 countries have joined IFLA in this journey, and are already making progress towards promoting and supporting the role libraries can play in the planning and implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and the…