Amazon.co.uk Review
A thorough survey of the worldwide environment, this second report of the UN's GEO initiative brings together information compiled by dozens of international agencies and 850 individual contributors. The book starts by assessing the current state of the environment, giving a global synthesis followed by regional chapters for Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and so on, examining social and economic background, biodiversity, freshwater, urban issues and pollution. The second half of the book details the policy responses of governments and agencies, again globally and regionally.
Every page is illustrated with informative graphs and maps, while key facts or specific issues are highlighted in prominent inset boxes. It is an invaluable reference for the multitude of environmental programmes and international agreements--including charts to show the countries signed up to different treaties--and an index of acronyms with more than 300 entries. There are some excellent short case studies that use examples of environmental initiatives in particular countries. For example, the successful re-introduction of the Arabian oryx to the wild in Oman, or how local involvement in forest management in Haryana, India has combined conservation with economic improvement.
Concentrating on official responses to environmental problems, the book by its nature tends to be diplomatic rather than forceful. This is the "official version"--if you want hard-hitting analysis, look to a report like the Worldwatch Institute's State of the World 2000.But for anyone needing comprehensive statistics and the full policy picture, GEO 2000 should become a well-thumbed reference. --Frank Pennycook
Product Description
An overview of environmental policy instruments and action around the world, this text presents an analysis of the conditions of the global environment, highlighting key global concerns and making recommendations for policy action. Chapter one describes the environmental impact of social and economic issues such as population, development, poverty, trade, tourism, industry and agriculture. Chapter two reviews the state of the environment based on recent assessments made by international institutions and regional collaborating centres. Chapter three describes the broad range of policy instruments and responses available, the difficulties of compliance, implementation and assessment and sets out the major global and regional policy responses. Chapter four presents the results of a GEO 2000 Scope survey identifying the key areas for further action and reports on the alternative policy studies under-taken by the collaborating centres. It concludes with suggestions for alternative policy action.
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