Communicating Nature Conservation http://www.ecnc.nl/doc/ecnc/publicat/commman.html http://www.ecnc.nl The European Centre for Nature Conservation has developed COMMUNICATING NATURE CONSERVATION : a handbook that provides practical, down-to-earth information about communication and partnership building for nature conservation. The manual introduces basic concepts in communication, explains how and when communication can play a role in policy making, lists instruments and methods for developing communication activities and building partnerships, illustrates all this with practical examples and case studies, and provides checklists of do's and don'ts. The publication is a self-study manual for anyone involved in conservation policy or conservation projects. It pays particular attention to the specific conditions and problems facing conservationists in the transition societies in Central and Eastern Europe, and provides them with instruments to improve communication with relevant target groups. At the same time COMMUNICATING NATURE CONSERVATION gives a 'state of the art' of current insights into the way communication works and deals with new approaches in conservation policy like stakeholder participation and interactive policy making. As such it is a useful reference work for conservation professionals throughout Europe, and it is likely to provide insights for those in other regions of the world. Notable Feature(s): The ECNC Web site offers a wealth of information including a directory of organizations, international policy and legislative data, European Nature magazine , a virtual library, and publications on environmental indicators of sustainable agriculture, ecological networks and other strategies for sustainability. Contact Information: The European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC) PO Box 1352 5004 BJ Tilburg The Netherlands Telephone: +31-13-4663240   Fax: +31-13-4663250 Email: ecnc@ecnc.nl A World Without Water - by Ginger Adams Otis http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0234/otis.php The concept of privatizing water service has been around since Napoléon III, but only five percent of the world population currently receives water from corporations. Activists want to stop the process before it goes any further; the world's water lords want rapid expansion. In 1998, when the private sector began angling for the water market in earnest, the World Bank predicted the global trade in water would soon generate revenues of up to $800 billion a year. Two years later, at a World Water Forum in the Hague, a triumvirate of multinational water companies backed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) successfully strong-armed the UN into defining water as a human need (which can be sold for profit by private companies) instead of a human right (which means people are ensured equal access on a nonprofit basis). Bridging the Water Divide - Gerard Mestrallet http://www.wbcsd.org/projects/water/truce-eng.pdf http://www.suez.com/ This 32-page report from the firm SUEZ addresses the challenges and opportunities in ensuring that water is available to all as a fundamental human right. For many of the world's populations, the last century was one of important progress that brought great improvements to the quality of life. For many more, however, it was an age of economic continental drift that deepened the gulf between rich and poor countries, perpetuating unacceptable living conditions and diminishing hopes for change. It is high time to close this chasm, not only to provide hope for millions of people and to foster economic development around the world, but also to improve global understanding. Access to water is a fundamental issue that must be resolved in order to make this happen. Contact Information: Gerard Mestrallet 16, rue de la Ville l'Eveque 75383 Paris Cedex 08 France Telephone: 33 1 40 06 66 46   Email: bridgingthewaterdivide@suez.com Global Water Outlook to 2025 - by Mark W. Rosegrant, Ximing Cai, and Sarah A. Cline http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/fpr/fprwater2025.pdf http://ens-news.com/ens/oct2002/2002-10-16-06.asp Water scarcity could leave millions of people without access to clean water or adequate food, warns a new report released in conjunction with World Food Day 2002. The study by two international agricultural research centers (the International Food Policy Research Institute - IFPRI and the International Water Management Institute - IWMI) calls for changes in water policies and investments to avert environmental damage, health risks and threats to the global food supply. "For hundreds of millions of poor farmers in developing countries, a lack of access to water for growing food is the most important constraint they face," said Frank Rijsberman, director general of IWMI. "If countries continue to underinvest in building strong institutions and policies to support water governance and approaches to give better access to water to poor communities, growth rates for crop yields will fall worldwide in the next 25 years, primarily because of water scarcity." Contact Information: Email: ifpri@cgiar.org How Will Climate Change Impact the World's Forests? - by Roger Sedjo and Brent Sohngen http://www.weathervane.rff.org/features/feature037.html Experts generally agree that increased concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere will result in changes in the earth's climate. However, there is much less agreement about how such climate change could affect the earth's forests. The question of climate change's impact is important because forests are an important global source of both valuable market goods, especially timber, and environmental benefits, such as species habitat, biodiversity, and soil and climate stabilization. Contact Information: Roger Sedjo, Senior Fellow Resources for the Future Washington, DC USA Telephone: 202.328.5065   Fax: 202.939.3460 Email: sedjo@rff.org In Conversation: David Brooks on Water Scarcity and Local-level Management - by Isabella Grigoroff http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=1059 This interview emphasizes the opportunities for local water management in communities around the world. A specialist in natural resources who works with IDRC in Ottawa, Canada, Dr Brooks has a background in geology and economics and was the founding director of Canada's Office of Energy Conservation. His main research interests lie in ways to move toward more sustainable development in the production and use of minerals, energy, and water. Notable Feature(s): Excellent collection of links to other resources on water management in Africa, the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, and elsewhere. Contact Information: David B. Brooks, Consultant, People, Land and Water IDRC 250 Albert Street PO Box 8500 Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3H9 Canada Telephone: 613.236.6163   Email: dbrooks@idrc.ca Population Growth Sentencing Millions to Hydrological Poverty - by Lester R. Brown http://www.worldwatch.org/chairman/issue/000621.html "We live in a water-challenged world, one that is becoming more so each year as 80 million additional people stake their claims to the Earth's water resources. Unfortunately, nearly all the projected 3 billion people to be added over the next half century will be born in countries that are already experiencing water shortages. Even now many in these countries lack enough water to drink, to satisfy hygienic needs, and to produce food." Contact Information: Reah Janise Kauffman Special Assistant to the Chairman & Director of Internationa Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC   20036 USA Telephone: 202.452.1992 X514   Email: rjkauffman@worldwatch.org Water Magazine http://www.watermagazine.com/index.htm This clearinghouse site provides hundreds of links to information about water around the world. The WaterMagazine database includes articles, water industry Web sites, book and paper reviews, as well as articles and papers only available at the Water Magazine site. The content principles behind watermagazine.com include the following: that natural water resources are a public commons and must be retained in public ownership and control; that the water industry needs to take account of all costs in evaluating supply and demand management options, and pricing services; that water and wastewater services be publicly available at the minimum prices necessary to protect their quality and capacity for future generations; that pricing policies take account of consumers' ability to pay; that clean water is a finite resource so it is important to manage its use and demand. Notable Feature(s): Extensive topic database; free subscription to database for offering to provide substantive content to Water Magazine. Contact Information: Joel Cayford Team Video Pacific Box 33/546 Takapuna, Auckland New Zealand Email: joelc@kiwilink.co.nz Within and surrounding the Morro do Diabo State Park: biological value, conflicts, mitigation and sustainable development alternatives - by Claudio Valladares-Padua, Suzana M. Padua, and Larry Cullen Jr. http://www.wildlifetrust.org/padual.pdf This report gives a comprehensive account of the successful strategies employed by the NGO Instituto de Pesquisas Ecologicas (Institute for Ecological Research - IPE) to save trees, land, endangered species, and livelihoods in the Brazilian Atlantic forest in Pontal in the state of Sao Paulo. Contact Information: Claudio Valladares-Padua Email: cpadua@unb.br An Introduction to the Public Trust Doctrine - by Paul M. Bray http://www.responsiblewildlifemanagement.org/an_introduction_to_public_trust_doctrine.htm http://www.responsiblewildlifemanagement.org/ The Public Trust Doctrine is an historical and currently evolving concept relating to the ownership, protection and use of essential natural and cultural resources. It is receiving increased attention in the United State because of the growing awareness of the duty of care owed the environment. The Public Trust Doctrine may prove useful as the nations of the world develop their own ecologically based real property law. The origins of the Public Trust Doctrine were the declaration of the Justinian Institute that there are three things common to all mankind: air, running water, and the sea (including the shores of the sea). Title to these essential resources or the common are held by the State, as sovereign, in trust for the people. The purpose of the trust is to preserve resources in a manner that makes them available to the public for certain public uses....The Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) became part of the English Common Law and the courts in the United States have applied the doctrine. Also, some State Constitutions incorporate the Doctrine like the Hawaiian Constitution which declares that, "All public natural resources are held in trust by the State for the benefit of the People." ....The common has been expanding in keeping with our changing ideas about the proper protection and management of natural and cultural resources fundamental to the welfare of society and future generations (intergenerational equity). Notable Feature(s): Links Library. Contact Information: Citizens for Responsible Wildlife Management P.O. Box 14245 Turnwater, WA   98511 USA Email: Chair@ResponsibleWildlifeManagement.org Crystal Ball Technology Helps Model Forest Stakeholders Envision the Future - by Curt LeBond http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=582 'Crystal ball' technology developed in Canada may one day let local stakeholders around the world predict the future of their forests. Computer models developed by the McGregor Model Forest Association (MMFA) are now being used to forecast the effects of different forest management scenarios on a commercially harvested forest near Prince George, British Columbia (B.C.). Tapping databases that store information on everything from soil types to tree species, the models generate mapped representations — and in some cases, three-dimensional (3D) images — of how the mountainous region would look under various land-use management strategies. The Canadian Model Forest Network includes 11 model forests across the country. An expansion of the Canadian program, the International Model Forest Network (IMFN), currently links model forests in six countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Russia, Chile, and Japan. Notable Feature(s): Related links. Contact Information: Glenn Singleton, Communications Coordinator McGregor Model Forest Association PO Box 9000 Prince George, British Columbia   V2L 4W2 Canada Telephone: 250.962.3555   Email: glenn@mcgregor.bc.ca imfns@idrc.ca Emerging Water Shortages Threaten Food Supplies, Regional Peace http://www.worldwatch.org/alerts/990717.html Spreading water shortages threaten to reduce the global food supply by more than 10 percent. Left unaddressed, these shortages could lead to hunger, civil unrest, and even wars over water, reports a new book from the Worldwatch Institute. Contact Information: Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC   20036 USA Telephone: 202 452-1999   Fax: 202 296-7365 Email: worldwatch@worldwatch.org Hidden Faces and Public Spaces - by Charla Britt & Dr. N. Kaji Shrestha http://www-trees.slu.se/newsl/35/35kaji.htm Following the landmark FAO publication (1978) “Forestry for Local Community Development” and paradigmatic shifts in government policies, the acreage of forests managed through local institutions or community forest user groups continues to expand. Communally agreed upon rules for community forest management endure because of the advantages they provide users. However, studies of community forestry have shown that a minimum requirement for forest management to succeed is an agreement among users to follow a set of rules. Workable rules have to be created, agreed upon, disseminated, observed, monitored, and infringements sanctioned. This is impossible without creating conditions for consensus, especially within the community of women procurers and users. Contact Information: FTPP Network Department of Rural Development Studies (DRDS) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Box 7005 Uppsala   750 07 Sweden Telephone: +46-18-672001   Fax: +46-18-673420 Email: ftpp.network@lbutv.slu.se Making Markets Work for Forest Communities - A Policy Brief by Sara J. Scherr, Andy White & David Kaimowitz http://www.futureharvest.org/pdf/Final_Report.pdf http://www.forest-trends.org A 2002 report from Forest Trends in Washington, DC, and Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor, Indonesia. Contact Information: Forest Trends 1050 Potomac Ave. NW Washington, DC   20007 USA Telephone: 202.298.3000   Email: info@forest-trends.org Natural Resource Perspectives http://www.odi.org.uk/nrp/index.html http://www.odi.org.uk/index.html Natural Resource Perspectives papers present accessible information on current development issues and are sent to a wide audience of policy makers, researchers and people working in the non-governmental sector. The initiative is part of the work of the Rural Policy and Environment Group (RPEG), which addresses the changing agendas of rural poverty reduction through research based policy advisory work and has had an extensive programme of publications and information exchange. The enterprise is under the umbrella of the Overseas Development Institute, Britain's leading think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. Notable Feature(s): Contact list for research fellows working on specific issues in many parts of the world. Contact Information: Public Affairs Overseas Development Institute 111 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7JD UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 7922 0300   Fax: +44 (0)20 7922 0399 Email: p.gee@odi.org.uk library@odi.org.uk Paper Cuts: Recovering the Paper Landscape: Saving Forests, Water, Energy...and Money by Janet Abramovitz and Ashley Mattoon Worldwatch Paper 149 shows how global consumption of wood fiber for papermaking could be cut by more than 50 percent through a combination of trimming paper consumption in industrial countries, improving papermaking efficiency, and expanding the use of recycled and nonwood materials. Contact Information: Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Washington, DC   20036-1904 USA Telephone: 202.452.1999   Fax: 202.296.7365 Email: worldwatch@worldwatch.org The Forest Bank: A Market-Based Tool for Protecting Our Working Forestland - by Kent Gilges http://www.wri.org/wri/incentives/gilges.html In 1995, the Nature Conservancy created a special operating unit called the Center for Compatible Economic Development (CCED) to develop and implement new businesses, land uses, and products that would help achieve conservation goals. CCED grew from the realization that to achieve conservation success, we must positively engage people and communities where we work. Rural communities, however, usually value economic well-being and job creation above conservation. Long-term conservation success, therefore, must promote economic development and improvement in the quality of life for target rural communities while maintaining or enhancing the environment in surrounding landscapes. One of the promising business concepts developed by CCED is The Forest Bank. This paper presents its approach and successes. Contact Information: World Resources Institute 10 G Street, NE (Suite 800) Washington, DC   20002 USA Telephone: 202.729.7600   Fax: 202.729.7610 Email: donnaw@wri.org. The Profits of Doom - by William Langewiesche http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/04/langewiesche-p1.htm This April 2001 article reports on Butte, Montana, one of the most polluted cities in America, as it learns to capitalize on contamination from decades of copper mining and waste from its operations. Notable Feature(s): Links to related articles and Butte community organizations and agencies working for change, land and water reclamation, and environmental treatment. The Specter of Fuel-Based Lighting - A Dramatic Opportunity for Technology Leapfrogging in the Developing World - by Evan Mills and Stephen Johnson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory http://eetd.lbl.gov/emills/PUBS/PDF/FBL_1-pager.pdf Contemporary questions of energy, environment, and equity converge in unusual and unexpected ways around a technology that seems to be of the past but is very much a part of the present: fuel-based lighting in the developing world. ... Emerging, 1-watt high efficiency lightemitting- diode (LED) technologies could significantly improve the quality and quantity of illumination, while reducing costs and emissions dramatically from present levels. A 1-watt LED cluster requires 95% less power than energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps and can be run on approx. one square foot of solar photovoltaic panels or small pico-hydro systems. This represents an unprecedented opportunity for technology leapfrogging in developing countries, and would help condition world markets for the impending LED lighting revolution. Notable Feature(s): Additional context: "The $230-billion Global Lighting Energy Bill" from the Proceedings of the First European Conference on Energy-Efficient Lighting, International Association for Energy-Efficient Lighting, Stockholm. Contact Information: Email: emills@lbl.gov sgjohnson@lbl.gov The Water Harvester: Episodes from the Inspired Life of Zephaniah Phiri - by Mary Witoshynski http://www.new-agri.co.uk/01-2/inprint.html http://www.africanbookscollective.com Here is a short introduction to a book about Zephaniah Phiri's approach to small-scale farming in Zimbabwe - the story of a man who has spent much of his life developing new ways to harvest rainfall and preserve his soil. Contact Information: African Books Collective The Jam Factory Park End Street Oxford   OX1 1HU UK Telephone: 01865 726686   Email: orders@africanbookscollective.com Who Owns Water? - by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke http://www.thenation.com/docPrint.mhtml?i=20020902&s=barlow "Water promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century: the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations." --Fortune Wind Power: The Missing Link in the Bush Energy Plan - by Lester R. Brown http://www.earth-policy.org/Alerts/Alert14.htm World wind power use has multiplied nearly fourfold over the last five years, a growth rate matched only by the computer industry. In the United States, the American Wind Energy Association projects a staggering 60 percent growth in wind-generating capacity in 2001. Contact Information: Earth Policy Institute 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC   20036 USA Telephone: 202.496.9290   Fax: 202.496.9325 Email: epi@earth-policy.org Winds of change: The future looks bright for one source of renewable energy - by Crispin Aubrey http://society.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4507618,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/ This October 2002 Guardian Weekly article reports that the wind energy industry has entered a new phase in which the seeds of technological maturity are bearing fruit in economies of scale...One reason why the wind industry has been able to embark on larger projects is that it is now trusted by the banks, whose loans are crucial to its progress. European investment analysts have issued glowing reports over the past year or so, praising the technology's potential. This has brought in a new wave of investors keen to share the clean power dividend. Most dramatically, these include oil giant Shell, which recently bought up two large wind farms in the US, and multinational General Electric, which snapped up Enron Wind after its fortunes got entangled with those of its bankrupt parent. This shift has even brought a smile to the face of Greenpeace, keen to see oil companies in particular moving into renewable energy. What wind energy has proved is that it is possible to move from the marginal into the mainstream with clear financial incentives and technology innovation, cutting both costs and emissions in the process. A new report from Greenpeace and the European Wind Energy Association projects that wind could be supplying 12% of the world's electricity by 2020... World Social Forum: Actions Speaking Louder than Words - by Naomi Klein Globe and Mail, February 1, 2001 http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=10422 A report from the first annual World Social Forum, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, that focuses on the responses of the small farmers, particularly those representing Brazil's Landless Peasant Movement, who are attempting to fight the consolidation of agriculture into the hands of a few multinationals, through genetic engineering of crops, patenting of seeds, and industrial-scale, export-led agricultural policies. A Directory of Solar, Wind, and Other Renewable Energy Resource Information Wind Power Set to Become World's Leading Energy Source - a June 2003 report by Lester R. Brown Open for Business: Entrepreneurs, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development Solar Energy Directory of Off Grid Markets Around the World Solar Development Group Selling Solar: Financing Household Solar Energy in the Developing World Soluz The Challenge of Rural Energy Poverty in Developing Countries Solar Electric Power Association News of Solar Power in Communities Renewable Energy Policy Project NAPS Systems CASE International Centre for Application of Solar Energy NREL Solar Household Energy, Inc. Drinking Water Supply using Solar Pumps in Uganda Solar Electric Light Fund: SELF Solar Electric Power System Nonprofit Organizations in the World American Solar Energy Society Rural Electrification with Solar Energy as a Climate Protection Strategy Solar Power is Reaching Where Wires Can't - By David Lipschultz Go Solar Mexico: A Pilot Project for Improving Access to Electricity in Off-Grid Rural Areas And Then There Was Light - Solar Energy Project in Vietnam B-REED Brazil Rural Energy Enterprise Development (similar programs in Africa and China) BP Solar - Rural Village Projects Agricultural Intensification by Smallholders in the Western Brazilian Amazon: From Deforestation to Sustainable Land Use Balancing Agricultural Development and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/abstract/abstr130.htm http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/abstract/abstr129.htm Two reports by different authors, Stephen A. Vosti, Julie Witcover, and Chantal Line Carpentier in the first case, and Andrea Cattaneo for the second. The reports are published in full-text format by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Notable Feature(s): IFPRI. Contact Information: International Food Policy Research Institute 2033 K Street, NW Washington, DC   20006-1002 USA Telephone: 202.862.8177   Fax: 202.467.4439 Email: vosti@primal.ucdavis.edu Cattaneo@ers.usda.gov Birdlife International http://www.birdlife.net/ BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental conservation organisations with a focus on birds that works together on shared priorities, exchanging skills, achievements and information. BirdLife International is present in 103 countries and territories worldwide. The BirdLife International Partnership strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. Its aims are: To prevent extinction and maintain or improve the status of all bird species; To conserve and improve the quality of sites and habitats for birds; To conserve biodiversity by protecting birds and their habitats; To integrate bird conservation into sustaining people's livelihoods. Notable Feature(s): Descriptions of projects around the world. Contact Information: BirdLife International Wellbrook Court Girton Road Cambridge CB3 0NA UK Telephone: +44 1 223 277 318   Fax: +44 1 223 277200 Email: birdlife@birdlife.org.uk Convention on Biodiversity Clearing-House Mechanism http://www.biodiv.org/chm/ http://www.biodiv.org:8080/relinks/search.htm The Clearing-House Mechanism promotes technical and scientific co-operation at all levels among Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It also facilitates access to and the exchange of information on biodiversity around the world. Notable Feature(s): Several excellent search engines for Convention materials, thematic areas covering every conceivable issue related to biodiversity and the law, sustainable development, tourism, and the like; available in English, Spanish, and French. BIOSEARCH feature at: http://207.107.99.12:8080/phantom.acgi Contact Information: Telephone: (+1) 514 287 7024   Fax: (+1) 413 332-8442 Email: chm@biodiv.org Defend the Global Commons http://www.citizen.org/documents/defendeng0803.pdf http://www.citizen.org/cmep/ This August 2003 issue reports on organizations around the world defending water as a common resource. Notable Feature(s): Extensive collection of materials, reports, findings, and more from Public Citizen, protecting health, safety, and democracy in the United States. Contact Information: Public Citizen 1600 20th Street, NW Washington, DC   20009 USA Telephone: 202.588.1000   Email: slittle@citizen.org FAO Forestry Department http://www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp http://www.fao.org/forestry/FODA/UNASYLVA/unasyl-e.stm The FAO Forestry Programme addresses one of the most important, complex and controversial issues of modern times - how to use trees, forests and related resources to improve people's economic, environmental, social and cultural conditions while ensuring that the resource is conserved to meet the needs of future generations. Notable Feature(s): Extensive subject directory; n-line edition of Unasylva, the quarterly international journal of forestry and forest industries published by FAO; information on social, cultural, environmental, and economic issues associated with forests; English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Chinese; country-specific forestry profiles; contact directory for FAO forestry regional offices; global conventions related to forests; year 2001 State of the World's Forests. Contact Information: Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Rome   00100 Italy Telephone: 39-06-57054778   Fax: 39-06-57055514 Email: ftpp@fao.org Fern http://www.fern.org/ The organization Fern keeps track of the EU's involvement in forests and co-ordinates NGO activities at the European level. Fern advocates changes in EU activities to achieve the sustainable management of forests, respect for the rights of forest peoples and greater transparency in EC aid to tropical forest countries. Fern's main campaigning areas are: aid, trade, forest certification, climate change and intergovernmental processes. "Fern" is not an acronym - the name was chose for its symbolic value, as ferns are one of the few plant families found in all forest types. Notable Feature(s): Monthly newsletter and other publications; links directory; network and policy activities throughout the EU. Contact Information: Sara Street, Administrator Fern Fosseway Business Centre 1C, Stratford Road Moreton-in-Marsh UK - GL 56 9NQ Telephone: +44 1608 652 895   Fax: +44 1608 652 878 Email: sara@gn.apc.org Forest and Biodiversity Links http://forests.org/forsite.html Contact Information: Glen Barry Email: grbarry@students.wisc.edu Forest Conservation Portal http://www.forests.org/ Forests.org, Inc. works to end deforestation, preserve old-growth forests, conserve and sustainably manage other forests, maintain climatic systems, and commence the age of ecological restoration. Notable Feature(s): A vast site of news and information on forests and forest issues around the world; daily newsletter provides wide ranging coverage of the efforts to save the world's forests, biodiversity and indigenous cultures from various threats. This list is currently being distributed to 3000+ groups, activists, academics and others around the world; forest conservation discussion. Contact Information: Glen Barry, president, Forests.org, Inc. PO Box 46281 Madison, WI   53744-6281 USA Telephone: 608.213.9224   Email: gbarry@forests.org Forest Conservation Program (FCP) of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) http://iucn.org/themes/fcp/home.html http://www.iucn.org/ Key site for information, news, research, analysis, and perspective on everything to do with forests around the world. Through its Forest Conservation Program, the IUCN aims to maintain and restore forest ecosystems, both to conserve biodiversity and to ensure sustainable and equitable production of goods and services. Notable Feature(s): Forest Innovations. Contact Information: Bill Jackson Coordinator, Forest Conservation Programme IUCN The World Conservation Union 28 rue Mauverney CH-1196 Gland Switzerland Telephone: +41-22-999-0263   Fax: +41-22-999-0025 Email: webmaster@hq.iucn.org forests@hq.iucn.org Global Water Partnership (GWP) http://www.gwpforum.org/servlet/PSP The Global Water Partnership is a working partnership among all those involved in water management: government agencies, public institutions, private companies, professional organizations, multilateral development agencies and others committed to the Dublin-Rio principles. The mission of the Global Water Partnership is to "support countries in the sustainable management of their water resources." Notable Feature(s): The GWP ToolBox for Integrated Water Resources Management, a vast and useful collection of organizations and programs focused on water issues, plans, and research. Contact Information: GWP Secretariat Hantverkargatan 5 SE-112 21 Stockholm Sweden Telephone: +46 8 562 51 900   Fax: +46-8 562 51 901 Email: gwp@gwpforum.org Green Power Network http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/home.shtml http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/ The Green Power Network is a clearinghouse news and information service of the U.S. Department of Energy and is maintained by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Notable Feature(s): Extensive market and program profiles of businesses and communities taking leadership steps to develop renewable energy resources in meeting their needs for power; free monthly e-mail updates of new initiatives; marketing activities information and news about green power marketers, customers, products, product certification, pilot programs, regulatory issues, and reactions from environmental and public interest groups on the evolution of the new green power markets. Contact Information: Email: green_power@nrel.gov International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) http://www.iied.org/index.html IIED is an independent, nonprofit organization promoting sustainable patterns of world development through collaborative research, policy studies, networking and knowledge dissemination. IIED works to address global issues such as mining, the paper industry, and food systems. Founded in 1971, as the International Institute for Environmental Affairs in the United States, today the institute is represented by a multicultural, multilingual staff of over 70 people from 18 countries and is headquartered in London. Notable Feature(s): News, full-text reports on many topics, including human settlements, urban issues, drylands, forest sector, sustainable development, developing markets for environmental assets, and more; briefing papers for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Contact Information: International Institute for Environment and Development 3 Endsleigh Street London WC1H 0DD UK Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7388-2117   Fax: +44 (0)20 7388-2826 Email: mailbox@iied.org International Model Forest Network (IMFN) http://www.idrc.ca/imfn/index.html http://www.modelforest.net/e/home_/internae.html The IMFN vision is foster cooperation and collaboration in the advancement of management, conservation and sustainable development of forest resources, through a world-wide network of working model forests. Notable Feature(s): Newsletters; IMFN program information covering Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Asia, and the United States; an extensive documentation center. Contact Information: Pauline Dole International Model Forest Network Secretariat P.O. Box 8500, 250 Albert Street Ottawa, Ontario   K1G 3H9 Canada Telephone: 613.236.6163 x.2521   Fax: 613.234.7457 Email: imfns@idrc.ca International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) http://www.irc.nl http://www.irc.nl/themes/index.html IRC is an independent, non-profit organization supported by and linked with the Netherlands Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council. The IRC believes that access to water and sanitation are basic human rights. For IRC, creating an enabling environment for sustainable water and sanitation interventions means helping to close the gap between policy and practice, and supporting innovative approaches to crucial social issues. Notable Feature(s): Online access to practical manuals and reports on providing water and sanitation in rural and low-income urban areas in developing regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eurpoe); water resource management tools; public participation in environmental health services; publications; advocacy projects including World Water Day. Contact Information: International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) P.O. Box 2869 2601 CW Delft The Netherlands Telephone: 31-15-219 29 39   Fax: 31-15-219 09 55 Email: general@irc.nl International Water History Association (IWHA) http://www.iwha.net/ IWHA has established a forum for historians of water, historians with an interest in water, and policy makers with an interest in history. These parties come from a wide range of academic disciplines and public and private institutions. IIWHA aims to provide a cross fertilisation of ideas and experience, which could illuminate the complex processes shaping water resource use, and reveal interrelated aspects or historical contingencies and precedents. Notable Feature(s): Links to international water history resources. Contact Information: Alv Terje Fotland CDS, Strømgt. 54 Bergen   N-5007 Norway Telephone: + 47 55 589315   Fax: + 47 55 589892 Email: alv.fotland@sfu.uib.no International Water Law Project (IWLP) http://www.internationalwaterlaw.org/ The International Water Law Project Web site was created to provide pertinent information on international water law and policy and related topics. Notable Feature(s): Extensive source of world water news; international, regional and national water law and policy links; directory of treaty Web sites; water-related discussion lists; bibliography. Contact Information: Gabriel Eckstein, Esq. Email: gabriel13@worldnet.att.net International Water Management Institute (IMWI) http://www.iwmi.org/ http://www.cgiar.org/iwmi/ IWMI conducts a worldwide research and capacity building program to improve water resources and irrigation management through better technologies, policies, institutions, and management. Scarce and polluted water supplies have their greatest impact on poor people, especially women and children. Improving the productivity of water can make a major contribution to reducing poverty and improving peoples' lives. IWMI's work explores ways to help alleviate poverty, protect and conserve the environment, maintain food security, provide poor and disadvantaged people better access to water resources, and contribute to food security and poverty eradication by fostering sustainable increases in the productivity of water through better management of irrigation and other water uses in river basins. IWMI's World Water and Climate Atlas is a growing collection of data products and analytical tools focused on climate and water resources. IWMI has assembled these data and tools in a standardized format that can be quickly and easily analyzed using the accompanying software package, the Synthesizer. Examples of what can be done with the Atlas include: identify areas suitable for rainfed agriculture, provide inputs for hydrologic modeling of river basins, extract climate inputs for crop modeling, and help project water supply and demand globally, nationally, and by river basins. IWMI is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Founded in 1984, IWMI's headquarters are located in Sri Lanka. IWMI has residential offices in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Turkey, and Mexico. In Côte d'Ivoire, IWMI has a staff member located at the headquarters of a sister institute, the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA). IWMI also has a number of important non-residential activities located in South Africa, Kenya, India and Nepal. Notable Feature(s): IWMI will be pleased to answer questions concerning the overall Atlas and the Synthesizer: send email to IWMI (i.makin@cgiar.org); the IIMI library database currently holds over 23,000 citations relevant to irrigation and water resources management of published and unpublished monographs, research reports, conference and workshop proceedings, journal articles etc added to the database from 1986 onwards; excellent collection of related links; on-line newsletter of research and case studies on water management, community development and related issues. Contact Information: David Seckler, Director General, CGIAR Email: d.seckler@cgiar.org InterWATER http://www.wsscc.org/interwater/index.html InterWATER aims to help one find reliable sources of information about water and sanitation in developing countries. Notable Feature(s): A listing of "Key International Organizations in Water and Sanitation" and the "interWATER Guide to Organizations" in the field, their addresses and Web sites. Contact Information: Email: general@irc.nl IUCN Water Conservation and Governance Projects http://www.iucn.org/themes/wani/projects.html http://www.iucn.org/themes/wani/index.html The main goal of the IUCN Water and Nature Initiative is the mainstreaming of an ecosystem approach into catchment policies, planning and management. IUCN members and partners recognise that the budget of the Initiative is small compared to the billions invested annually in water management by the private sector, governments and aid agencies. Therefore, the Initiative will develop a coherent set of activities that are innovative and targeted at guiding future investments and actions in water resources management and nature conservation. Notable Feature(s): Useful collection of documents related to water issues around the world. Contact Information: IUCN Water & Nature Initiative Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland Switzerland Telephone: +41.22.9990000   Fax: +41.22.9990002 Email: waterandnature@iucn.org MedPlant - Medicinal Plants Network http://source.bellanet.org/medplantnet/ MedPlant is a relatively new initiative that emerged out of a recognition that few mechanisms exists to allow organizations and agencies working on medicinal plant issues, to share information on their activities, their successes and challenges. Although several regional initiatives exist, there is an expressed need for an international network that would allow existing regional networks to maintain their regional identity while sharing their experiences and learning from lessons of other agencies/individuals around the world. MedPlant is a response to these needs, and is made up of a diverse group of actors working on medicinal plants. The network is currently housed in Canada at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) with technical support from Bellanet. Notable Feature(s): Extensive resources, including best practices, case studies, on-line databases, conference proceedings, and other publications, news, and forums for global interaction. Contact Information: Rolie Srivastava, Project Co-ordinator, Medicinal Plants International Development Research Centre 250 Albert Street PO Box 8500 Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3H9 Canada Telephone: 416.979.1443   Email: rolie@sympatico.ca Native Forest Network (NFN) http://www.nativeforest.org The Native Forest Network is a global and autonomous network of forest activists, indigenous peoples, conservation biologists, and non-governmental organizations working to protect native forests worldwide. NFN is working to protect public lands, stop pollution from pulp and paper mills, reduce consumer demand for virgin wood, promote alternative fiber and much more. Through its bulletin (free subscription by contacting NFN) the Network promotes the protection of native forests worldwide. Notable Feature(s): Southern Hemisphere office; action alerts and international news; links to related resources. Nature Conservancy (TNC) http://nature.org/ The Nature Conservancy calls itself "Nature's real estate agent." After more than 45 years, the Conservancy has protected more than 11 million acres of ecologically significant land in the U.S. and assisted in protecting more than 60 million acres worldwide. Notable Feature(s): Description of TNC's international program: identifying and protecting threatened areas in Indonesia, Melanesia and Micronesia working in Latin America in concert with more than 45 organizations covering 22 countries to provide community development, professional training and funding for legally protected areas. biodiversity index Contact Information: The Nature Conservancy International Headquarters 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, Virginia   22203-160 USA Telephone: (703) 841-5300   Resources and Environmental Degradation as Sources of Conflict - By Anne H. Ehrlich, Peter Gleick, and Ken Conca http://www.pugwash.org/reports/pac/pac256/WG5draft.htm In today's world, human pressures on natural resources are increasing, while many resource bases are deteriorating or being depleted, creating an increased potential for competition and conflict between nations or groups within societies. Among the resources that have sources of contention leading or contributing to conflict in the distant or recent past are fresh water, productive land, fisheries, mineral deposits, and fossil fuels. In addition, as environmental pressures rise, the quality of certain resources and natural products, such as fresh water, fisheries yields, and forest products, is becoming an important issue connected with scarcity. Resources for the Future (RFF) http://www.rff.org/ Resources for the Future is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization based in Washington D.C. that conducts independent research -- rooted primarily in economics and other social sciences -- on environmental and natural resource issues. Founded in 1952, RFF was created at the recommendation of then-CBS Chairman William Paley, who had just chaired a presidential commission that looked into whether the U.S. was becoming overly dependent on foreign sources of important natural resources. Paley was one of the first to recognize the importance of an organization devoted exclusively to natural resource and environmental issues. Today, RFF has more than 40 researchers working on a variety of issues, ranging from climate change to electric utility restructuring to sustainable forestry. Most researchers have Ph.D.s in economics, but we also have researchers who hold advanced degrees in engineering, ecology, city and regional planning, American government, and public policy and management, among other disciplines. Notable Feature(s): Valuable subscription lists for updates on news, research, and various policy issues. Contact Information: Resources for the Future 1616 P Street NW Washington, DC   20036 USA Telephone: 202.328.5000   Fax: 202.939.3460 Email: webmaster@rff.org Sustainable Development Dimensions http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/SUSTDEV/Welcome_.htm An excellent site for news, policy, and developments in many fields of interest, including population, women, rural development, the environment, and others. Sustainable Solutions - Building Assets for Empowerment and Sustainable Development http://www.fordfound.org/publications/recent_articles/sustainable_solutions.cfm These fourteen initiatives supported by grants from the Ford Foundation illustrate the growth of a global movement for social equity, environmental justice, and sustainable development. San Juan Nuevo, Mexico: A Purépecha Community Conserves Its Forests While Creating Wealth Los Angeles, United States: Communities Armed with Buckets Take Charge of Air Quality Karnataka, India: A Community Pools Its Resources to Restore Lands and Livelihoods Eastern Amazon, Brazil: The Xikrin Reclaim Their Forest and Culture Balayan Bay, Philippines: Community Marine Sanctuaries Restore Natural Assets El Salvador: Post-War Villages Rebuild Social Bonds and Natural Assets Limpopo Province, South Africa: The Displaced Makulekes Recover Community Land and Wildlife Assets Cairo, Egypt: Zebaleen Develop Incomes and Community froman Overlooked Urban Asset Oaxaca, Mexico: Organic and Fair Trade Coffee Growers Connect to Global Markets Hayfork, United States: A Community's New Enterprises Restore a National Forest Southeastern Zimbabwe: The Mahenye Manage Wildlife for Revenue and Economic Infrastructure Gujarat, India: A Nation's Communities Protect and Manage Their Forests British Columbia, Canada: The First Nations Reclaim a Temperate Rain Forest Acre, Brazil: An Amazon State Forges a Sustainable Future The New Economy of Water - The Risks and Benefits of Globalization and Privatization of Fresh Water - by Peter H. Gleick, Gary Wolff, Elizabeth L. Chalecki, Rachel Reyes http://www.pacinst.org/reports/new_economy_of_water.pdf http://www.pacinst.org/ This 2002 report from the Pacific Institute provides a comprehensive look at water issues facing the world today. There is little doubt that the headlong rush toward private markets has failed to address some of the most important issues and concerns about water. In particular, water has vital social, cultural, and ecological roles to play that cannot be protected by purely market forces. In addition, certain management goals and social values require direct and strong government support and protection. Some of the consequences of privatization may be irreversible; hence they deserve special scrutiny and control. Contact Information: Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, 654 13th Street Preservation Park Oakland, CA   94612 USA Telephone: 510.251.1600   Fax: 510.251.2203 Email: pistaff@pacinst.org The World Heritage Convention and List http://www.unesco.org/whc/nwhc/pages/home/pages/index.htm This site contains detailed information on the 721 properties which the World Heritage Committee has inscribed on the World Heritage List (in 124 countries). Notable Feature(s): News; full-text of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Contact Information: World Heritage Centre UNESCO 7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07SP France Fax: +33 (0)1 4568-5570 Email: wh-info@unesco.org The World's Water - Information on the World's Freshwater Resources http://www.worldwater.org/ http://www.worldwater.org/conflictIntro.htm This site has a wealth of information on the world's water, including a fascinating chronology of water conflicts that addresses the complex relationship between water and international security. Notable Feature(s): Extensive data source for global and local water supply, sanitation, desalination, and water-related disease outbreaks; useful links. Contact Information: Wil Burns Email: wburns@pacinst.org USDA Forest Service - International Programs http://www.fs.fed.us/global/ The USDA Forest Service International Programs promotes sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation internationally. By linking the skills of the field-based staff of the USDA Forest Service with partners overseas, the most critical forestry issues and concerns are addressed. International Programs regularly taps into the agency's wide range of expertise. Wildlife biologists, forest economists, hydrologists, disaster and fire management specialists, and policy makers are among those who comprise the staff of over thirty thousand employees. Innovative technologies are brought back to the country, cross boundary environmental problems are addressed, and opportunities to hone USDA Forest Service skills are increased. Notable Feature(s): Calendar of international events, training, and seminars; Newsletter of news, international program and policy information, and pertinent links; extensive collection of Around the Globe accounts of USDA international programs - all organized by country. Contact Information: USDA Forest Service International Programs Outreach & Partnerships 1099 14th Street, NW Suite 5500W Washington, DC   20005 USA Telephone: 202.273.4695   Fax: 202.273.4750 Email: lpaqueo@fs.fed.us Vetiver Network http://www.vetiver.org/ http://www.vetiver.org/TVN_FRONTPAGE_ENGLISH.htm The Vetiver Network is a nonprofit managed by professionals, with the objective of disseminating information on the use of VETIVER GRASS for soil and water conservation, land rehabilitation, embankment stabilization, pollution control, and enhancement of the environment. Extensive vetiver research undertaken throughout the tropics, particularly in Thailand, Australia, China, Malaysia and India, over the past 10 years demonstrates a wide range of applications and uses as well as better understanding of the physiology and mechanics of the plant and system. The Vetiver System is a “biological” or “soft” engineering method that is responsive to environmental mitigation needs over a broad range of ecological conditions for a range of applications that are normally treated with “hard” engineering solutions or not at all. Vetiver grass and the Vetiver System could play a crucial role in improving the availability and quality of water in tropical and semi-tropical countries, since it behaves as a biological sieve in preventing the movement of soil (and the attached pollutants), by conserving and “cleaning” water, and by strengthening, through its root system, soil profiles, thus preventing water induced slippage and collapse and subsequent damage to property and life. There are twelve known varieties of vetiver grass, the most important is Vetiveria zizanioides. For centuries the oil extract from the roots of V.zizanioides has been used in the perfume trade. Indigenous peoples have recognized vetiver for its medicinal uses, for thatching, mulch, and feed, and for soil and moisture conservation. In more modern times the sugar industry has used vetiver grass quite widely as contour conservation hedges and for the stabilization of road sides and embankments. Vetiver once thought to be confined to wetlands thrives over a range of ecological conditions. It grows both on highly acidic (< pH3) and alkaline soils (pH11). Its roots will grow to depths of 3 - 4 meters. It is not effected seriously by pests or diseases. Many cultivars are non flowering, these when combined with a non spreading root system prevents "escape". Each clump of vetiver is extremely dense, so dense that if con figured correctly will act as a near perfect filter. The grass is easy and cheap to establish, and needs minimum maintenance. The average root strength is estimated at 75 Mpa. Roots of vetiver will increase soil shear strenght by 35% at a depth of 0.6 meters Notable Feature(s): Vetiver Newsletter on projects and applications in Latin America, Europe, Africa, the United States and Asia; on-line library; links; country papers, databases, publications and other research; editor's page with news updates and conference data; a global contact directory of individuals working with the Vetiver grass system; extensive bibliographies. Contact Information: Joan Miller The Vetiver Network 3601 N 14th Street Arlington, VA   22201 USA Telephone: 703.525.7092   Fax: 703.243.6203 Email: vetiver@vetiver.org Water as a Source of International Conflict - Kenneth D. Frederick http://www.rff.org/resources_articles/files/waterwar.htm Water Resources Associates (WRA) http://www.watres.com/ WRA was formed in 1994 by a network of established individual consultants with world-wide experience of water issues. WRA provides specialist consultancy services in any field - water supply, irrigation, flood control, groundwater, basin development, systems analysis and modelling - where water is a key component. WRA's combined experience spans 110 countries covering all the major climatic regions of the world. Notable Feature(s): Wealth of information on modeling software, assessment projects, related topics and training programs. Contact Information: Water Resource Associates PO Box 838 Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 6DX UK Telephone: +44 (0) 1491   Fax: +44 (0) 1491 838790 Email: infoa@watres.com Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) http://www.wsscc.org/ http://www.wsscc.org/source/index.html The WSSCC is a cross between a professional association and an international NGO. It operates with a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly, but is not affiliated to the UN. WSSCC members come from more than 140 countries. The WSSCC's small full-time Secretariat is hosted by the World Health Organization at its Geneva headquarters. Its activities have grown substantially in its first eight years, and the focus is increasingly on regional and country-level operations. Notable Feature(s): A world-wide network of practitioners working for community-based management of water supply, sanitation, and conservation, waste recycling, services for the urban poor, rural development, pollution control, and advocacy and communication strategies; complete archive of the SOURCE Weekly - a weekly email update of short news and the bi-monthly SOURCE Bulletin with more in-depth news; up-to-date global calendar of water-related conferences, workshops, training opportunities and the like; new Web links. Contact Information: Ranjith Wirasinha, Executive Secretary Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council c/o WHO (CCW), 20 Avenue Appia CH-1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland Telephone: 41 22 791 3685   Fax: 41 22 791 4847 Email: wsscc@who.ch Water: Local-Level Management http://www.idrc.ca/water/ http://www.idrc.ca/media/water_crisis_e.html Managing water scarcity effectively and fairly is one of the great imperatives of governance today. In more prosperous countries, water scarcity curtails economic growth and diminishes quality of life. In poorer countries, it breeds sickness, blocks development, deepens inequalities, and undermines the survival of entire societies. More than 1 billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water and 3 billion people lack access to basic sewage systems. Over the next 25 years, one-third of the world's population will face severe water scarcity. Experience around the world shows that local water management is an essential part of the solution. Notable Feature(s): Local solutions in the global water crisis; Part 1 of a report on the issue (all five parts are on-line in full-text format); extensive additional resources on the topic from global and regional specific perspectives; interview with the author. Contact Information: IDRC PO Box 8500 Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1G 3H9 Telephone: +1-613-236-6163   Email: info@idrc.ca WaterAid http://www.wateraid.org WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and effective sanitation. WaterAid works in both rural and urban areas, and currently has programmes in 15 countries in Africa and Asia. In each project and country the circumstances are different; however, there are common features that can be applied to any WaterAid project. In every project, WaterAid's response is guided by a set of criteria and beliefs, including: Clean water and sanitation are essential for life and all people should have affordable access to them Water, sanitation and hygiene education must be integrated to give maximum health benefits Decision-making must be delegated to local partner organisations and communities as far as possible, to avoid dependency and encourage sustainability Local people must be actively involved in planning, constructing, managing and maintaining their own projects Notable Feature(s): Current research on Private sector participation in water and sanitation; WaterAid case study of work in India; additional case studies from around the world; press release about November 2002 UN declaration of access to water as a human right. Contact Information: WaterAid Prince Consort House 27-29 Albert Embankment London, SE1 7UB UK Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7793 4500   Fax: +44 20 7793 4545 Email: wateraid@wateraid.org WaterPartners International http://www.water.org/ Notable Feature(s): WaterPartners International projects around the world; water news; online newsletter. Contact Information: WaterPartners International P.O. Box 22680 Kansas City, MO   64113-0680 U.S.A. Telephone: 913.312.8600   Fax: 316.462.0578 Email: info@water.org White Paper on Water Policy http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/white_papers/water.html#Contents Although the focus is on South Africa, the treatment of themes is broad and universal in scope. A valuable on-line primer of all the issues involved in developing the legal infrastructure for water allocation and management. Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) http://www.wwt.org.uk/ Based in the UK, WWT is leading efforts to develop a global program of education and public awareness about wetlands, in partnership with the Ramsar Convention, Wetlands International, and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). WWT's "WetlandLink International," with contacts in more than 100 countries, seeks to increase effective contact between wetland education/conservation centers around the world and to develop techniques for the creation and restoration of wetland habitats. WWT monitors the numbers and distribution of wildfowl globally and draws up conservation assessments and action plans for threatened species, promoting their implementation with their global partners. Notable Feature(s): Educational programs; training courses and designs for new centers; a newsletter for WWT participants that provides an international context for their work and helps them to locate relevant expertise and exchange ideas. Contact Information: The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge Glos GL2 7BT UK Telephone: (01453) 891900   Fax: (01453) 890827 Email: enquiries@wwt.org.uk Wildlife Interest Group A section of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) http://eelink.net/~asilwildlife/ http://www.jiwlp.com/ The Wildlife Interest Group was organized in 1984 under the auspices of the American Society of International Law, whose Constitution provides for the establishment of Interest Groups "designed to broaden interest in and study of international law and to encourage inquiry into particular fields of international law." Membership in the Group is restricted to members of the Society; however, non-members can participate in many of the Group's programs, including conferences. Notable Feature(s): Archived materials from the Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy; useful bibiliography on environmental change and its impact on species/ecosystems. Contact Information: Wil Burns, Senior Associate, ASIL Wildlife Interest Group c/o Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy 1210 Floribunda Avenue #7 Burlingame, CA   94010 USA Telephone: 650.703.3280   Fax: 801.838.4710 Email: asilwildlife@pacbell.net World Rainforest Movement (WRM) http://www.wrm.org.uy/index.html The World Rainforest Movement is an international network of citizens' groups of North and South involved in efforts to defend the world's rainforests. It works to secure the lands and livelihoods of forest peoples and supports their efforts to defend the forests from commercial logging, dams, mining, plantations, shrimp farms, colonisation and settlement and other projects that threaten them. Notable Feature(s): Extensive list of publications about forests, forest people, indigenous rights, and more: often available in Spanish, French or Portuguese; action alerts; information sorted by country and by topic; links. Contact Information: Ricardo Carrere The WRM International Secretariat Maldonado 1858 Montevideo   11200 Uruguay Telephone: +598 2 403 2989   Fax: +598 2 408 0762 Email: wrm@wrm.org.uy World Resources 2005 -- The Wealth of the Poor: Managing ecosystems to fight poverty http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_pdf.cfm?PubID=4073 Ecosystems are—or can be—the wealth of the poor. For many of the 1.1 billion people living in severe poverty, nature has always been a daily lifeline—an asset for those with few other material assets. Profounc poverty is a fundamental obstacle to the dreams and aspirations of people in every nation. Even after five decades of effort to support development and growth, the dimensions of poverty still stagger us. Almost half the world’s population lives on less than $2 per day; more than a billion live on $1 or less. Poverty at this scale ripples beyond the boundaries of any particular country or region and affects the well-being of us all. The publication of World Resources 2005 comes at a particularly critical time. Economies in many developing countries have been growing at a rapid pace for several years. That growth has made us aware of two stark realities: in the largest of those countries it has lifted millions out of extreme poverty; but the price these nations are paying in accelerated degradation of their natural resources is alarming. Contact Information: World Resources Institute 10 G Street, NE (Suite 800) Washington, DC   20002 U.S.A. Telephone: 202.729.7600   Fax: 202.729.7610 Email: library@wri.org World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) - United Nations/UNESCO http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/ http://www.unesco.org/water/ This UN-wide programme seeks to develop the tools and skills needed to achieve a better understanding of those basic processes, management practices and policies that will help improve the supply and quality of global freshwater resources. Notable Feature(s): Notable case studies; news; calendar; conflict resolution and more; water challenges and agencies concerned, e.g., securing the food supply, protecting ecosystems, sharing water resources, valuing water. Contact Information: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) UNESCO - Division of Water Sciences 1, rue Miollis 75015 Paris France Fax: 33.(0)1.45.68.58.11 Email: wwap@unesco.org World Wildlife Fund Global Network (WWF) http://www.panda.org/ WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature is the world's largest and most experienced independent conservation organization, with around 5 million supporters and a global network of 27 National Organizations, 5 Associates, and 21 Programme Offices. WWF offers multi-faceted clearinghouse site devoted to issues of conservation and biological diversity. The focus extends to water, climate, forests, and sustainability and beyond. Notable Feature(s): Living Planet Report on the state of the world's natural environment and the human pressures upon it; sophisticated search engine of the entire WWF domain; field reports; kids' stuff; research tools, news, multimedia education and entertainment; links to WWF offices and programs around the world. Contact Information: WWF International Avenue du Mont-Blanc CH-1196, Gland Switzerland Telephone: +41 22 364 91 11   Fax: +41 22 364 53 58 Worldwatch Institute http://www.worldwatch.org/ http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/sow/2002/ Worldwatch is a nonprofit, public policy research organization dedicated to informing policymakers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links between the world economy and its environmental support systems. The Worldwatch Institute is dedicated to fostering the evolution of an environmentally sustainable society--one in which human needs are met in ways that do not threaten the health of the natural environment or the prospects of future generations. The Institute seeks to achieve this goal through the conduct of inter-disciplinary non-partisan research on emerging global environmental issues, the results of which are widely disseminated throughout the world. The Institute believes that information is a powerful tool of social change. Human behavior shifts either in response to new information or new experiences. The Institute seeks to provide the information to bring about the changes needed to build an environmentally sustainable economy. In a sentence, the Institute's mission is to raise public awareness of global environmental threats to the point where it will support effective policy responses. The Institute's outlook is global because the most pressing environmental issues are global. Given the earth's unified ecosystem and an increasingly integrated global economy, only a global approach to issues such as climate change, depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, the loss of biological diversity, degradation of oceans, and population growth can be effective. Notable Feature(s): Issues analysis of major challenges facing the world; vast research center on energy, economy, people, and nature, which includes resources on climate change, materials, transportation, population, urbanization, water, security, natural disasters, forests, oceans, bioinvasion, and a host of other topics; description of the new book: State of the World 2002 which features a Foreword by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and includes chapters on climate change, farming, toxic chemicals, sustainable tourism, population, resource conflicts and global governance, with a special focus on the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, which will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August/September 2002. Contact Information: Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Washington, DC   20036-1904 USA Telephone: 202.452.1999   Fax: 202.296.7365 Email: worldwatch@worldwatch.org