IUCN

11% of all coral reefs have been damaged beyond recovery or totally destroyed; another 16% were damaged in 1998 by climate change related to coral bleaching. More than 50% of the world’s mangrove forests have been cleared without understanding the enormous value of these muddy coastal forests. Seagrass beds have had similar losses in many areas. This book was written for practicing resource managers and educators in developing countries.

Our oceans are slowly dying, and the instruments of governance are inadequate to stop it. The international dimensions of ocean problems loom larger as we learn more about threats to marine species and ecosystems - invasive species are transported by international shipping, oceans fill with persistent organic pollutants, and nutrients from sewage and fertilizers cause excessive growth of marine plants.

Agriculture is one of the most important influences on biological diversity. Conventional agriculture has heavily contributed to reducing the diversity of ecosystems, species and genes, but it has also created new diversity. The eighth Interactive Session of the 2nd World Conservation Congress dealt with a broad spectrum of agricultural issues from around the world and examined the linkages between biodiversity, economy and society.