The fourth report in the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides a comprehensive, scientifically credible, policy-relevant and up-to-date assessment of, and outlook for, the state of the global environment. GEO-4 is published 20 years after the landmark World Commission on Sustainable Developments Bruntland Report of 1987. Environment for Development is the GEO-4 underlying theme and the report pays special attention to the role and impact of the environment on human well-being as well as to the use of environmental valuation as a tool for decision-making. GEO-4's specialized report, the Summary for Decision Makers is an essential guide for policy-makers. Both publications are excellent tools for teaching and research and relevant in the field of international environmental governance as they highlight policy opportunities for a more sustainable approach to economic growth and development.
Concerns have been raised over the ability to meet future demand: 11 per cent of the world’s land is already used for agriculture, and in many places little room exists for agricultural expansion due to land or water shortages. Desertification endangers the livelihoods of rural people in drylands, particularly the poor, who depend on livestock, crops and fuelwood. Conversion of rangelands to croplands without significant new inputs brings about a significant, persistent loss of productivity and biodiversity, accompanied by erosion, nutrient depletion, salinity and water scarcity. In 2000, the average availability of freshwater for each person in drylands was 1 300 m3/year, far below the estimated minimum of 2 000 m3/year needed for human well-being, and it is likely to be further reduced.The New Partnership for Africa’s Development also stresses the need to combat desertification as an essential component of poverty-reduction strategies. However, investment and action to combat desertification have been held back by the isolation of drylands from mainstream development, and even by controversy over the use of the term.