The EU-funded project INSPIRATION aims to develop a European research roadmap on sustainable land management practices. The agenda would help focus Europe's research, supporting policymaking on environmentally friendly, socially acceptable and economically affordable soil and land use management.

Agriculture and rural development (ARD) are key to addressing the root causes of migration. By 2050, over half of the population in the least developed countries will still live in rural areas. Three-quarters of the extreme poor base their livelihoods on agriculture or other rural activities. In…

2016 Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Insecurity – Investing in a Zero Hunger Generation – the first post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) report of its kind. The report outlines declining progress towards defeating hunger in Asia and the Pacific, noting that nearly one-in-three…

"When we talk to investors," explain Sofia Faruqi and Andrew Wu from WRI, "one of their first questions is, 'How do we make money in restoration?'" A new infographic reveals the financial opportunities, the major revenue streams from restored land.

Our water footprints have gone global. The drivers include modern agribusiness and the unprecedented reach of value chains. Those living where rain falls or rivers flow may give little thought to the water demands of their lifestyles. Others do not have that privilege. Worldwide, people’s water uses…

Titled ‘Resilience scan April-June 2016: A review of literature, debates and social media activity on resilience,’ a report by the UK Overseas Development Institute (ODI) summarizes writing and debates in the field of resilience during the second quarter of 2016, focusing primarily on developing…

The World Disasters Report, themed ‘Resilience: saving lives today, investing for tomorrow,’ was issued by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). It identifies the need to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable and at-risk communities by investing in resilience…

Impact investing refers to investments that intend to generate measurable social and/or environmental impacts, as well as a financial return. It is often described as ‘doing good while doing well’ and is part of a wider strategy to shift finance towards more sustainable projects. This Future Brief…

The book provides evidence of how practices of sustainable land management – existing as well as new – can be adapted to specific local and regional contexts. It shows how research can support decision makers and advisors from a variety of sectors - at national, regional, and local levels - in…

Sand dams transform lives. They provide a sustainable, clean, local source of water for rural communities, saving time and creating opportunities for farming, education and poverty alleviation. By breaking the cycle of dependence Sand Dams create choice; freeing people to realise their own potential…

This report examines if the EU and its immediate neighbours are on target to achieving by 2020 the three thematic priority objectives (natural capital; resource efficiency and low carbon economy; health and well-being) of the 7th Environment Action Programme. It does that with the help of a set of…

At UN Biodiversity conference, new guidelines for agro-environmental policies in Latin America & Caribbean. In an effort to combat the impacts of environmental degradation and promote sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change, FAO this week presented a set of Voluntary guidelines for…

Faced with a global threat to food security, it is perfectly possible that society will respond, not by a dystopian disintegration, but rather by reasserting co-operative traditions. This book, by a leading expert in urban agriculture, offers a genuine solution to today’s global food crisis.

This report takes stock of key developments since the publishing of the independent report" A New Climate For Peace" commissioned by G7 members. It provides a concise risk horizon scan, and an overview and assessment of key policy developments in 2015 and 2016 that are of relevance for addressing…

Land is not made any more, in fact it is probably a diminishing resource due to infrastructure projects, building houses, erosion and, in some parts of the globe, desertification salinisation. But if land is looked after properly, it tends not to wear out like many other investments

Land degradation and taking land for urban development threaten critical ecosystem services, including provision of food and water, climate regulation and recreation. A new report, by the European Environment Agency (EEA), "Land recycling in Europe. Approaches to measuring extent and impacts" shows…

Integrated Drylands Development Programme (IDDP) is the UNDP's integrated approach to poverty alleviation and sustainable land management in the drylands.

Among these billions of people are the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities who live on and manage approximately 65 percent of the world’s land area in customary or traditional systems. Despite existing laws that secure their rights, rarely do Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities have…