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For more than thirty years, scientists from various disciplines have warned that the constant increase in world population and exponential world economic growth are seriously threatening our ecosystems. The vision on which this book is based is of an ongoing, adaptable societal process which leads the world down the path towards sustainability. In this vision, the speed of global environmental…

Dirt. It's in the air, under your bed, on the street and between your toes. Most of the time, you're trying to get rid of it. Does showering make you feel squeaky clean? Sure you are -- for now. Read this book to find out why you just can't escape dirt -- and why it's important for more reasons than you think. Earth, mud, grime, soil -- whatever you call it, dirt is everywhere, even where you don…

Cereals continue to be the most important source of total food consumption in the developing countries where direct consumption of grains provides 54 percent of total calories and 50 percent for the world as a whole (FAO, 2006). Wheat and rice are by far the most widely consumed cereals in the world. Maize is a major crop for both direct and indirect human consumption because it is a major energy…

Forests cover approximately 30% of the Earth’s land surface and provide critical ecosystem goods and services, including food, fodder, water, shelter, nutrient cycling, and cultural and recreational value. Forests also store carbon, provide habitat for a wide range of species and help alleviate land degradation and desertification. The Rio Conventions: the United Nations Framework Convention on…

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment Report, re-emphasized the need for adaptation to address the impacts of climate change on lives and livelihoods across all sectors. The main characteristics of climate change include rising temperatures, changes in rainfall pattern, melting of glaciers and sea ice, sea level rise and an increased intensity and/or…

Since the inception of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD) in 1994 and its coming into force in 1996, the world has changed, and not slightly. Building on the foundation laid by Parties during the first decade of the Convention, the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 8) in Madrid in 2007 adopted the 10-Year Strategic Plan and Framework to Enhance…