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The GIWA Final Report provides a comprehensive review of the most important findings from the GIWA regional reports. It summarises the major transboundary concerns and their environmental and socio-economic impacts. To better understand these concerns and develop solutions to address them, the Report identifies the root causes and draws policy relevant conclusions. It also outlines knowledge gaps which impede the sustainable management of international waters.
This publication is one of a series of strategic impact assessments carried out as part of the Global International Waters Assessment Project (GIWA-UNEP/GEF) to evaluate the worlds transboundary waters, in recognition of the links between freshwater and coastal marine environments and the effects of human activities. This report focuses on the South China Sea region - bopunded on its eastern extent by the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea and Pacfic Islands, southern and and southeastern extent by the Indonesian Seas, northern extent by East China Sea and part of its western extent by the Mekong River
This report presents the assessment of the Amazon Basin, the largest basin on the planet and also one of the least understood. Although sparsely inhabited, the Basin is subject to extensive anthropogenic impacts through deforestation, mining, hydropower generation and agricultural activities that all have contributed to considerable changes in aquatic habitats and communities. The root causes of habitat and community modification are identified in the Madeira Basin, shared by Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, and potential policy options are presented.
This report presents the assessment of the Amazon Basin, the largest basin on the planet and also one of the least understood. Although sparsely inhabited, the Basin is subject to extensive anthropogenic impacts through deforestation, mining, hydropower generation and agricultural activities that all have contributed to considerable changes in aquatic habitats and communities. The root causes of habitat and community modification are identified in the Madeira Basin, shared by Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, and potential policy options are presented.
This report presents the results of the GIWA assessment of the Colombia & Venezuela and Central America & Mexico sub-systems - located in GIWA region 3, the Caribbean Sea. The regional team identified habitat and community modification as the priority concern of both sub-systems. In the Colombia & Venezuela sub-system, coastal habitats are being degraded by a multitude of issues, particularly land-based sources of pollution. The transboundary ecosystems of the Central America & Mexico sub-system have been severely degraded as a consequence of agricultural and urban expansion, increased pollution loads and unsustainable forestry practices. The past and present status and future prospects of these issues are discussed, and they are traced back to their root causes. Feasible policy options are proposed that target key components identified in the Causal chain analysis in order to minimize future impacts on the transboundary aquatic environment.--Publisher's description.
This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Baltic sea region, one of the largest brackish water areas in the world. As a semi-enclosed sea, it is very sensitive to antrhopogenic pressures. Pollution remains the overarching problem. Eutrophication and overexploitation of fisheries remain severe problems. Policy options to mitigate these conditions are based on the Helsinki Convention and the EU Wate Framework Directive.
This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Pacific Islands region, which comprises 20 island nations or territories that exhibit enormous geomorphological, climatic, cultural and demographic diversity within a vast oceanic expanse. The region is unique because its inhabitants, who have close links with, and great cultural, economic and spiritual dependence on, their terrestrial and marine environment, are often the owners and users of these resources and ultimately govern their conservation and sustainable use. In addition to highlighting the overexploitation of fish and other living resources in densely populated areas, this report emphasises the vulnerability of many of these small island states to the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise and fluctuations in rainfall, which has enormous influence on the availability of freshwater in the region. The root causes of overexploitation and freshwater shortage are illustrated using several case studies, and potential policy options to mitigate these problems in the future are discussed.
This United Nations report examines the current state of knowledge of the world's oceans, for policymakers, and provides a reference for marine science courses.
This illustrated report sets out a global review of the state of the world's freshwater resources, based on the collective work of 24 United Nations agencies, following on from the conclusions of the first UN World Water Development Report 'Water for People, Water for Life' published in 2003 (ISBN 9231038818). This second edition discusses progress towards the water-related targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals and examines a range of key issues including population growth and increasing urbanisation, changing ecosystems, food production, health, industry and energy, as well as risk management, valuing and paying for water and increasing knowledge and capacity. It contains 16 case studies which consider key challenges in water resource management and makes a number of recommendations to guide future action and encourage sustainable use, productivity and management of our increasingly scarce freshwater resources.