IUCN, Water and Nature Initiative (WANI)

With increasing demands on the water of the Pangani River Basin, coupled with a decreasing catchment runoff due to climate change, water resources are becoming increasingly scarce, and leading to conflicts among users.

Sri Lanka has one of the oldest traditions of irrigation in the world. The economy and human settlements of early Sri Lankan society were organized around the ancient water tank (water storage reservoir) irrigation systems. These traditional tank systems thus form a vital component of both the natural and manmade landscape in Sri Lanka.

The socio-economic development plan for Sekong mentions increasing forest cover as one of its major objectives. This study focuses on natural regeneration (NFR) forests and what it would cost the country if NFR schemes were not undertaken. In a country where poverty alleviation is of prime importance, estimating the contribution of NTFP harvesting for sustaining livelihoods would demonstrate the importance of NFR schemes in achieving its poverty alleviation goals.

Sri Lanka holds great potential for developing payment for environmental services (PES) and environmental service markets. However, this is a relatively new concept, and improving awareness and building institutional capacity remain a top priority and challenge.

Wetlands are vital to the livelihoods of hundred of millions of people residing in the Lower Mekong region, and particularly to the food security of many of the rural poor. This document reports on a study whose aim was to provide guidance on the use of environmental economic assessment methodologies to support wetlands management for poverty alleviation.

This publication presents the findings of one of six topics covered by the Tai Baan research in the Lower Songkhram River Basin. The research was conducted by 240 people from four villages in the area between May 2003 and April 2005, and demonstrates the depth of knowledge held by the local people.

Value is a practical guide that explains the most important steps and techniques for the valuation of ecosystem services, and the incorporation of its results in decision making. It explains, step by step, how to generate persuasive arguments for more sustainable and equitable development decisions in water resources management.

El enfoque ecosistémico se ha consolidado como una estrategia que integra las diferentes dimensiones del desarrollo, tomando como eje articuladorla gestión de los ecosisitemas, además del fortalecimiento y la inversión en infraestructura natural. Esta publicación compila ocho estudios de caso en América Latina sobre la aplicación del mismo y realiza un análisis comparativo entre ellos.