All publications and documents

The lack of political commitment, not of financial resources, is often the real cause of human neglect. This is the main conclusion of Human Development Report 1991- the second in a series of annual reports on the subject. The Report points to an enormous potential for restructuring of both national budgets and international aid allocations in favour of human development.But the plea for greater…

Topophilia is a strong sense of place, which often becomes mixed with the sense of cultural identity among certain peoples and a love of certain aspects of such a place. Topophilia, the affective bond between people and place, is the primary theme of this book that examines environmental perceptions and values at different levels: the species, the group, and the individual. Yi-Fu…

Desertification control bulletin is an international bulletin published in six monthly intervals by UNEP to disseminate information and knowledge on desertification problems and to present news on the programmes, activities and achievements in the implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification around the world. ( The bulletin is ceased in 2000. UNCCD library collection has most of…

World Status of Desertification A. CONCEPT OF DESERTIFICATION 1. The concept of desertification was defined by UNCOD in 1977 as follows: "Desertification is the diminution or destruction of the biological potential of land, and can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. It is an aspect of the widespread deterioration of ecosystems, and has diminished or destroyed…

Desertification has been occuring for millennia, but became a matter of world concernin the early 1970s when a major drought in the Sahel region of West Africa, which in the opinion of most experts continues to this day, killed between 50 000 and 250 000 people, about 3.5 million cattle and countless sheep, goats and camel. This prompt the United Nations to convene a Conference on Desertification…

The Human Development Report (HDR) was first launched in 1990 with the single goal of putting people back at the center of the development process in terms of economic debate, policy and advocacy. The goal was both massive and simple, with far-ranging implications — going beyond income to assess the level of people’s long-term well-being. Bringing about development of the people, by the people,…