IUCN Environmental Policy and Law Paper

Fewer than 11% of CBD Parties have adopted substantive ABS law, and nearly all of these are developing countries, focusing almost entirely on the ‘access’ side of the equation. Most of the CBD’s specific ABS obligations, however, relate to the other side of the equation – benefit sharing. This book considers the full range of ABS obligations, and how existing tools in user countries’ national law can be used to achieve the CBD’s third objective.

This book provides a systematic analysis of the requirements of access law, both the CBD requirements and the basic requirements of enforceable legislation. Often key legal issues that have a significant impact on enforceability of ABS agreements are not addressed in national legislation, therefore, this book addresses these issues with the aim to recognize and understand the nature of the legal impediments that must be addressed for the drafting of functional ABS legislation.

Central America is a region that shares ecosystems, river basins, and protected areas. The development of projects, plans or activities likely to produce transboundary impacts need to be appropriately considered, and an EIA process established and anchored in regional policies and legislation. This book, analyses the relevant initiatives on transboundary EIA in the world, and advances the basic elements of a regional agreement on EIA in a transboundary context for Central America.

El Centro de Derecho Ambiental y la Oficina Regional de UICN para Mesoamérica presentan el libro Gobernanza de aguas compartarget_idas: aspectos jurídicos e institucionales, el cual es un esfuerzo conjunto que recoge los aportes del diálogo sobre gobernanza de cuencas compartarget_idas celebrado en Ciudad de Guatemala en septiembre de 2004 y organizado por la Unidad de gestión del agua de la UICN-Mesoamérica.

The African Convention on the conservation of nature and natural resources was adopted in 1968 in Algiers. Considered the most forward looking regional agreement of the time, it influenced significantly the development of environmental law in Africa. Two and a half decades of intense developments in international environmental law made it necessary to revise this treaty, update its provisions and enlarge its scope.

Judges play a critical role in the development, enforcement and compliance with environmental law. To showcase the role of the judiciary in upholding the rule of law, IUCN organized a “Judiciary Day” at its 2004 World Conservation Congress in Bangkok. This publication contains papers and speeches covering some of the cutting-edge themes that were discussed.

Este libro analiza el marco jurídico e institucional de los recursos hídricos en determinados países de América del Sur. El tratamiento de temas clásicos como la asignación de agua para diferentes usos y la prevención y control de la contaminación es complementado por la consideración de cuestiones relativas a la conservación tales como caudales ecológicos, conservación de las aguas subterráneas y derechos tradicionales y ancestrales.

Les Conventions locales de gestion des ressources naturelles et de l’environnement sont une grande réussite au Sénégal. Ces instruments contractuels, négociés au niveau local par une délibération de la collectivité locale et approuvés par l’Administration, peuvent porter sur une simple ressource, un groupe de ressources, ou encore sur un écosystème entier, comme c’est le cas dans le delta du Saloum.

This is a unique publication relating to legal frameworks of natural resources management. Following the “Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Sustainable Soils” (EPLP 45), this publication contributes to the revision of existing, and drafting of new, legislation relating to soils. It highlights the need for national soil policy, and sets out a soil management plan.

Among the various innovative instruments linked to the Kyoto Protocol is the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which offers developed countries a chance to offset some of their greenhouse gas emissions by funding development projects in areas such as renewable energy and forestry. Over the last two years, the rules of the CDM and those relating in particular to afforestation and reforestation have evolved significantly.