Cave and karst landforms are distributed widely around the world. They have many values and are an integral component of the world's biodiversity. Some are habitats for a wide range of endemic species of flora and fauna, while others house rare and endangered species. Still others are the sources of rare minerals and some are important for resources such as groundwater, while some are venerated as sites of religious, spiritual and cultural importance.
These proceedings document the initial results of a joint initiative by IUCN and the World Bank to address, with key stakeholders, one of the most controversial issues in environment and development today. In April 1997, IUCN and the World Bank Group jointly hosted a two-day workshop in Gland, Switzerland to discuss the findings of an internal World Bank review of 50 large dams financed by the Bank.
The practice of keeping live birds in captivity has been widespread throughout this century and has increased considerably as the 20th century comes to a close. In the last decade or so, the increased trade in live birds from Tanzania has given rise to a number of concerns regarding the sustainability of the trade, its effects on bird numbers, and illegal trafficking.
