Suchergebnisse

This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Small Islands sub-system of the Caribbean Sea region, an area particularly vulnerable to human activities owing to the fragility of the island ecosystems and their limited carrying capacities. Habitat and community modification, as a result of anthropogenic pressures, was found to cause the most severe transboundary environmental and socio-economic impacts in the sub-system. The governments regard rapid economic growth as a priority, which they have failed to balance with the conservation and protection of important ecosystems. The causal chain analysis discusses the root causes of habitat and community modification by investigating the cause-effect pathways of the concern. Policy options are proposed that aim to provide solutions to these fundamental issues, in order to enhance the management of the region's aquatic environment.--Publisher's description

Three separate sub-regions have been assessed within the region, including drainage basins and their associated coastal/marine zones: the South/Southeast Atlantic Basins, East Atlantic Basins, and São Francisco River Basin. Increased anthropogenic pressures due to economic development and urbanization in the coastal area have polluted the water environment and caused severe impact on important ecosystems such as coastal plains and mangrove ecosystems. Significant changes in the suspended solids transport/sedimentation dynamics in the river basins due to unsustainable land use practices associated to intense deforestation and damming has caused increasing erosion of coastal zones, silting of riverbeds, and modified the stream flows resulting in periods of water scarcity and flooding in some basins. The root causes of pollution and habitat and community modification are identified for the bi-national Mirim Lagoon Basin, a transboundary freshwater body shared between Brazil and Uruguay, and Doce River Basin that hosts biomes of global importance. Potential remedial policy options are presented.--Publisher's description

This report represents the GIWA Assessment of the Lake Chad Basin, which is located in one of the poorest and most drought prone regions in the world. Climatic variability and poor water governance has threatened the ecological and socio-economic integrity of the region. The past and present status and future prospects are discussed, and the transboundary issues traced back to their root causes. Policy options have been recommended that aim to address these driving issues and reverse the environmental degradation trends witnessed in the region over the past 30 years

This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Caribbean Islands region, an archipelago comprising drainage basins and coastal areas that contain some of the world's most diverse and productive habitats. A variety of human activities are impacting the region's sensitive and unique ecosystems, upon which the population is so dependent for their social well-being and economic survival. Pollution, originating from both land-based sources and marine traffic, is of particular concern, but despite considerable and widespread environmental and socio-economic impacts, there has been a lack of appropriate measures aimed at mitigating this concern. The past and present status and future prospects are discussed, and the transboundary issues of pollution are traced back to their root causes. Policy options are analyzed that aim to address these driving issues in order to significantly improve environmental quality and secure the region's future prosperity

"This report presents the results of the GIWA assessment of the Barents Sea region--one of the largest shallow continental shelf seas in the world and the most productive sea within the Arctic Ocean. Overexploitation of fish stocks and modification of the ecosystem caused by the invading Red king crab and other alien species have severely affected Barents Sea habitats. Policy options addressing the root causes of these problems are presented along with a discussion of the management of the large quantities of nuclear wastes stored in the area."--Publisher's description

This report presents the results of the GIWA assessment of the Russian Arctic region, which is occupying a large part of the Russian Federation and is including the Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea as well as the Russian section of the Chukchi Sea. The region contains significant stocks of natural resources, like oil and gas. The exploitation of these resources leads to severe environmental impacts, where the issues chemical pollution, oil spills and modification of ecosystems were identified as having the highest priority. The past and present status and future prospects are discussed, and the transboundary issues are traced back to their root causes. Policy options have been identified not only to preserve and restore the aquatic ecosystems and to reduce pollution, but also to aid the local population to deal with the environmental and socio-economic concerns.--Publisher's description

This report presents the results of the GIWA assessment of the Aral Sea, a land-locked sea in Central Asia. Practically all renewable water resources in the region are being used, predominantly for irrigation, and the regional economy is developing under conditions of increasing freshwater shortages. Freshwater shortage, and more specifically the issue of modification of stream flow was assessed to be of the highest priority. The past and present status and future prospects are discussed, and the transboundary issues are traced back to their root causes. The use of outmoded and inefficient irrigation technology, the continued economic difficulties and weak legislation for water use are major root causes in this region. Policy options have been recommended to mitigate environmental and socio-economic impacts and to secure the region's future prosperity.--Publisher's description

This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Caribbean Islands region, an archipelago comprising drainage basins and coastal areas that contain some of the world's most diverse and productive habitats. A variety of human activities are impacting the region's sensitive and unique ecosystems, upon which the population is so dependent for their social well-being and economic survival. Pollution, originating from both land-based sources and marine traffic, is of particular concern, but despite considerable and widespread environmental and socio-economic impacts, there has been a lack of appropriate measures aimed at mitigating this concern. The past and present status and future prospects are discussed, and the transboundary issues of pollution are traced back to their root causes. Policy options are analyzed that aim to address these driving issues in order to significantly improve environmental quality and secure the region's future prosperity

This report presents the assessment of Patagonian Shelf and associated river basins. The report focuses on the La Plata River Basin, the second largest watershed in South America, and the South Atlantic Drainage System, comprising basins that drain large arid areas of Argentina and one of the world's largest continental shelves. Pollution in the La Plata River Basin has caused considerable environmental degradation while fishing has changed marine habitats and communities. The root causes of environmental degradation in the Argentinean and Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone and the Uruguay River Basin, shared by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, are identified and potential remedial policy options are presented.--Publisher's description