Asia

Increasing incidence and intensity of natural disasters and climate change are having over-arching impacts on the environment. Sustainable development is being undermined. Ecological services and their indirect economic values are frequently omitted from assessments. Mainstreaming ecosystem concerns – both ecological and economical – and integrating them into disaster management is essential.

Drawing on a cross-section of 43 case studies prepared specially for this book, WaterWealth explains the challenges to improving water governance and management across Asia and the Pacific region. It illustrates many examples of new approaches and practices already being applied by basin managers to secure water for all. The solutions it presents are local ones—homegrown measures that build on international experience rather than transplants from elsewhere.

There are two principles here, both reflecting the natural world. The first is that natural systems are based on cycles, for example water, nitrogen and carbon. Secondly, there is very little waste in natural systems.

Asia countries have accomplished a great deal in understanding and documenting plant diversity. This edition of the Asian Plant Conservation Report presents readers with progress and successful cases of plant conservation in Asia. The first section introduces the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Subsequent sections provide basic information on features of plant diversity in Asia.