Economic vulnerability and resilience of small states

This chapter highlights UNEP's activities in assisting Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in implementing the Barbados Programme of Action for their Sustainable Development. It covers UNEP's response to eight major areas of concern for SIDS, namely climate change and sea level rise, biodiversity resources, coastal and marine resources, coral reef protection and management, natural and environmental disasters management, management of wastes, freshwater resources management, and tourism resources. Future directions with regard to each environmental concern are also identified. The chapter also deals with UNEP's activities with regard to a number of cross-cutting issues in environmental management of interest to SIDS, including multilateral environmental agreements and environmental law, the environmental vulnerability index, capacity building for sustainable development, and environment outlook reports on SIDS.peer-reviewe

Management of water and agroecosystems in landscapes for sustainable food security.

Various food and financial crises have increased the pressure on natural resources while expanding on alternative ways of considering agroecosystems as potential long-term providers of ecosystem services if managed in a sustainable and equitable way. Through the study of interrelations between ecosystems, water and food security, this book has aimed to increase the understanding and knowledge of these interactions for better planning and decision making processes at various levels. This chapter concludes Managing Water and Agroecosystems for Food Security. It discusses the main findings of the preceding chapters, from analyses of drivers of sustainable food security, via agroecosystems with their ecosystem services and challenges for water use and scarcity, to specific challenges for environments such as drylands and wetlands. Using a comprehensive landscape approach, recommendations on water productivity, agroecosystem services and integrated water management are brought together succinctly. In addition, knowledge gaps and issues for further research have been identified that may support further implementation of the agroecological approach in many landscapes around the world