Natural resources

The Hima is a traditional system of resource tenure that has been practised for more than 1400 years in the Arabian Peninsula. It is the most widespread and longstanding indigenous/traditional conservation institution in the Middle East, and perhaps on Earth! The Arabic word “hima” literally means “a protected area”. In pre-Islamic times, access to this place was declared forbidden by the individual or group who owned it.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic lies at the heart the Mekong River basin. It has an abundance of natural resources including water, wetlands, forests and biodiversity. Managing these rich resources in a sustainable manner is essential to the efforts to meet its development objectives of reducing poverty while promoting economic growth.

Understanding and managing the concerns of local people is essential for the success of most, if not all, conservation initiatives. These two volumes are a resource set designed to help professionals employed in conservation initiatives to identify the social concerns that are relevant for their work, assess options for action and implement them. The first volume is a companion to a process and may be used to assist in planning, evaluating or redesigning a conservation initiative.

The contribution of wild plants and animals to human welfare is widely appreciated but not routinely measured. Reliable and up-to-date information on the economic importance of wild resources is needed to ensure that development policies and investments take account of the full costs and benefits of alternative land uses. This report presents a summary of findings of recent research on the value of non-timber forest products, game and freshwater fisheries in Senegal.

The contribution of wild plants and animals to human welfare is widely appreciated but not routinely measured. Reliable and up-to-date information on the economic importance of wild resources is needed to ensure that development policies and investments take account of the full costs and benefits of alternative land uses. This report presents a summary of findings of recent research on the value of non-timber forest products, game and freshwater fisheries in Senegal.

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.

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.