IUCN

Fires are a natural phenomenon. However, over 90% of all wildland fires today are due to human action causing significant forest loss between 6-14 million hectares of forest per annum. This leads to enormous economic losses, damage to environmental, recreational and amenity values, and loss of life. There is strong recognition that action is needed to catalyse a strategic international response to forest fires.

This publication records the methods, lessons and experiences of organizations involved in CBNRM programmes in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, to enable organizations and communities to discover and learn from the implementation experiences of counterparts in neighbouring areas. The focus is on practical approaches, with a brief overview of the national CBNRM programmes and enabling legislation.

This report is on the first national conference on CBNRM that was a culmination of a series of three workshops on key topics in CBNRM, namely: community mobilization, enterprise development and natural resource monitoring and management. The objectives of the conference were to reflect on the progress made so far in implementing CBNRM activities, to consider the recommendations from the workshops and to deliberate the way forward.

Coastal management is a prominent topic of concern to the world, and an understanding of the ecological processes in mangrove ecosystems is essential. These ecosystems are a distinctive feature in the tropical and subtropical coastlines of the Americas and the Caribbean, with great scientific, economic and cultural value. The scientific contributions in this monograph are focused on resource management and the policy decisions that are required for mangrove management.