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Information about the factors associated with conservation participation by local communities is important to garner support and involvement within a natural protected area. This research examined how residents’ natural resource dependency and other social, economic, and access-related variables predict conservation participation. Data were collected based on a stratified random sampling of households from Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project (GCAP)—a newly designated mountainous protected area in Nepal. Analysis was conducted via an ordered logistic regression model. Higher levels of participation were observed among households that comprised of a larger family size, belonged to a higher caste/ethnicity, resided in higher elevations, and noted frequent visits and interactions with park management staff. However, natural resources dependency (i.e., income and fuelwood fodder) lacked a statistically significant relationship with conservation participation. Similarly, the economic dimension (i.e., land holdings and total livestock unit) was not a significant predictor of participation. Overall, key findings suggest that conservation participation at GCAP needs to be improved with multiple outreach activities, especially to resource-dependent households. More specifically, it is important to ensure equitable access so that locals can participate in programs that provide alternative resource use options, skills development, and trainings for income generation activities.

China, with its growing population and economic development, faces increasing risks to health from climate change, but also opportunities to address these risks and protect health for generations to come. Without a timely and adequate response, climate change will impact lives and livelihoods at an accelerated rate. In 2020, the Lancet Countdown Regional Centre in Asia, led by Tsinghua University, built on the work of the global Lancet Countdown and began its assessment of the health profile of climate change in China with the aim of triggering rapid and health-responsive actions. This 2021 report is the first annual update, presenting 25 indicators within five domains: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerability; adaptation, planning, and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. The report represents the contributions of 88 experts from 25 leading institutions in, and outside of, China. From 2020 to 2021, five new indicators have been added and methods have been improved for many indicators. Where possible, the indicator results are presented at national and provincial levels to facilitate local understanding and policy making. In a year marked by COVID-19, this report also endeavours to reflect on China's pathway for a green recovery, ensuring it aligns with the carbon neutrality goal, for the health of the current and future generations.

The Republic of Guinea has a rich and diversified hydrological potential. Several rivers in the sub region have their source. The hydrographic network comprises 1161 rivers, grouped into 23 watersheds. The country has 14 international rivers, including the Niger River, whose basin is shared by nine countries. Unfortunately, water resources are now threatened by anthropogenic activities of diverse origins (extensive agriculture, open-pit mining, illegal fishing, bush fires, making cooked bricks along streams, etc.) and the adverse effects of climate change. Moreover, the institutional and legal aspects are not conducive to the sustainable management of water resources. The impact of water shortage will be felt on all socio-economic activities. The agriculture sector is the main user of water in the country, droughts and recurrent floods have led to a decline in cereal food supplies. The country has a high hydroelectric potential (6,000 MW), unfortunately, only 6% of its potential is used. In order to meet its international commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, by 2030, the country will have to quintuple its hydroelectric production, which constitutes clean energy. The drinking water supply sector remains confronted with the low capacity of production and treatment of water. The management of water resources in the country is based on general plans for water development elaborated between 1978 and 1982. However, the country seeks to have a national policy for integrated water resources management and development of an action plan focusing on taking into account cooperation on shared watersheds.

This paper summarizes studies of carbon mitigation potential (MP) and costs of forestry options in seven developing countries with a focus on the role of agroforestry. A common methodological approach known as comprehensive mitigation assessment process (COMAP) was used in each study to estimate the potential and costs between 2000 and 2030. The approach requires the projection of baseline and mitigation land-use scenarios derived from the demand for forest products and forestland for other uses such as agriculture and pasture. By using data on estimated carbon sequestration, emission avoidance, costs and benefits, the model enables one to estimate cost effectiveness indicators based on monetary benefit per t C, as well as estimates of total mitigation costs and potential when the activities are implemented at equilibrium level. The results show that about half the MP of 6.9 Gt C (an average of 223 Mt C per year) between 2000 and 2030 in the seven countries could be achieved at a negative cost, and the other half at costs not exceeding $100 per t C. Negative cost indicates that non-carbon revenue is sufficient to offset direct costs of about half of the options. The agroforestry options analyzed bear a significant proportion ofmore » the potential at medium to low cost per t C when compared to other options. The role of agroforestry in these countries varied between 6% and 21% of the MP, though the options are much more cost effective than most due to the low wage or opportunity cost of rural labor. Agroforestry options are attractive due to the large number of people and potential area currently engaged in agriculture, but they pose unique challenges for carbon and cost accounting due to the dispersed nature of agricultural activities in the tropics, as well as specific difficulties arising from requirements for monitoring, verification, leakage assessment and the establishment of credible baselines.« less

Abstract Rapid urbanization has influenced the transformation of local and global food systems, altering the availability, access to, and distribution of healthy food. Micronutrient deficiency and hunger have been exacerbated worldwide. Balancing social, economic, and environmental needs and demands is complex, and often presents tradeoffs between nutritional security and sustainable practices. While various frameworks have been developed to support policy and decision makers in prioritizing tradeoffs that impact urbanization and food production, they are not easily operationalized due to complexities of implementation stemming from the availability of data, place-specific nuances, and methodological difficulties, among others. There is a need to develop analytical approaches to enable researchers, planners, and policymakers to better understand the impact of land use choices on sustainable local food production. The foodshed approach can be a powerful tool to improve the sustainability of regional and local food systems. This research proposes a simulation strategy to evaluate the impact of agricultural land use and crop choices on nutritional production in rapidly growing urban areas. The application of this framework for decision-making is exemplified in the Toluca Metropolitan Zone, Mexico by showing how tradeoffs between macronutrient and micronutrient daily requirements could be explored under a variety of land use scenarios. This analytical framework can be used to understand options for providing nutritional security to the local population.