TOWA R D S D I S A STE R R E S I LI E N T S O C I E T I E S
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This report sheds new light on current issues and challenges which local governments, the business sector and organized civil society are facing in Asia. It testifies to the wealth of good, innovative practices that countries of all sizes and development stages have accumulated across Asia. It shows that sustainable human settlements are within reach, and that cooperation between public authorities, the private and the voluntary sectors is the key to success. This report highlights a number of critical issues — demographic and economic trends, poverty and inequality, the environment, climate change and urban governance and management.
This publication is a completely revised, second edition of the popular book of the same title. Aside from being fully updated, this new edition includes the dimension of adaptation to climate change and new risks resulting from climate change. The text provides and combines practical examples from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe with theoretical and conceptual frameworks. It is key reading for all those interested in improving risk reduction and adaptation strategies to extreme events and gradual changes in the context of climate change and natural hazards. Measuring vulnerability and evaluating adaptation are essential prerequisites to strengthen the capacities of communities in building resilience through knowledge-based approaches.
Publisher: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Publication Date: April 2012 ISBN: 9789211322743 Pages: 278 Price: $25.00
Publisher: United Nations University (UNU) Publication Date: August 2012 ISBN: 9789280812022 Pages: 460 Price: $42.00
Towards Human Resilience: Sustaining MDG Progress in an Age of Economic Uncertainty
Business and Climate Policy: The Potentials and Pitfalls of Private Voluntary Programs BUSINESS AND CLIMATE POLICY
RI O+20 / E NV IR O N M E N T A N D U R BA N I S S U E S
THE POTENTIALS AND PITFALLS OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS
The global economic crisis has reinforced concerns about the impact of financial and economic shocks on human development. The increasing frequency of such shocks raises questions about their systemic character and the ability of developing countries to withstand the negative impacts of economic uncertainty. Indeed, vulnerability to macro-level shocks has the potential of significantly slowing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. This report addresses essential questions about economic vulnerability and resilience. Most significantly, it explores how macro-economic crises affect vulnerable economies, what structural characteristics make economies susceptible to the harmful effects of such shocks, and what policies can help developing economies build resilience in the face of unpredictable economic change.
Climate change has become one of the most important and challenging global policy fields. Attention has primarily focused on the successes and failures of states and intergovernmental organizations but many more actors are involved and contribute solutions. The contributions to this book assess the different potentials of existing schemes. They scrutinize how very different programs at national and international levels seek to marry complex public and private goals in and across industries addressing wide groups of firms. Lessons from these programs can help design and improve programs but they also show different types of pitfalls. Lessons learned are relevant not only for climate policy, but for the many other policy fields where private voluntary programs are active.
Publisher: United Nations University (UNU) Publication Date: August 2012 ISBN: 9789280812145 Pages: 264 Price: $34.00 EDITED BY
Publisher: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Publication Date: April 2012 ISBN: 9789211263336 Pages: 276 Price: $35.00
Karsten Ronit
How to Make Cities More Resilient: A Handbook for Local Government Leaders
Global Compact International Yearbook 2012
This handbook is designed primarily for local government and policymakers in their disaster risk reduction and resilience activities. It offers practical guidance to understand and take action on the “Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient,” as set out in the global United Nations campaign "Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready!". The handbook is built on the knowledge and expertise of campaign partners, participating cities and local governments. It responds to the call for better access to information, knowledge, capacities and tools to effectively deal with disaster risk and extreme climate events. It provides an overview of key strategies and actions needed to build resilience to disasters, as part of an overall strategy to achieve sustainable development.
The main focus of this latest edition is the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). The event will mark a crossroad for sustainable development. It will set the sustainability agenda for the next decade. Therefore, the world expects that a strong call for responsible and sustainable business practices – as covered by the United Nations Global Compact – will emerge as a result. The aim of this publication is to provide a global overview of the achievements of the Global Compact. It offers proactive and indepth information on key sustainability issues to stakeholders all around the world and promotes unique and comprehensive knowledge exchange and learning in the spirit of the Global Compact principles.
Publisher: United Nations/Macondo Media Group Publication Date: August 2012 ISBN: 9783981354034 Pages: 192 Price: $30.00
GREEN ECONOMY and GOOD GOVERNANCE for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Opportunities, Promises and Concerns
EDITED BY
R I O+20 / E N V I R O N ME N T A N D U R BA N I S S U E S
Measuring Vu l n e r a b i l i t y to Natural Hazards
The State of Asian Cities 2010/11
Measuring Vulnerability to Natural Hazards: Towards Disaster Resilient Societies (Second Edition)
Publisher: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Publication Date: April 2012 ISBN: 9789211014969 Pages: 70 Price: $18.00
Green Economy and Good Governance for Sustainable Development: Opportunities, Promises and Concerns
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Business and Enterprise
Publisher: United Nations University (UNU) Publication Date: July 2012 ISBN: 9789280812169 Pages: TBD Price: $37.00
Publisher: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Publication Date: April 2012 ISBN: 9781849712514 Pages: 240 Price: $62.00
Much of the debate on green growth and environmental governance tends to be general in nature, and is often conceptual or limited to single disciplines – such as green growth being dominated by economists and governance by political scientists. This book examines such terms within the context of wide-interest topics including education, oceans and cities, and mixes conceptual discussion with empirical research. It takes stock of the achievements and obstacles towards sustainability over the last 20 years, and proposes new ideas and changes to create a more sustainable future. Students, academics and professionals interested in the notion of using a green economy and good governance to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication are recommended to read this book.
This book provides evidence of growing corporate concern about biodiversity loss and offers examples of how some leading companies are taking action to conserve biodiversity and restore ecosystems. It reviews indicators and drivers of biodiversity loss and ecosystem decline, and shows how these present both risks and opportunities to business. It examines the changing preferences of consumers for nature-friendly products and services, and offers examples of how companies respond. The book describes initiatives to enable businesses to measure, value and report their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity and ecosystem services. It examines how businesses can align their actions in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem services with wider corporate social responsibility initiatives, including community engagement and poverty reduction.
Climate Protection and Development
Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing
Jose A. Puppim de Oliveira
This book spells out, in more detail than usual, what can and should be done to avert the real risks of disaster. It summons us to an endeavour worthy of the resources and ingenuity of the twenty-first century - towards bold initiatives with big costs, and much bigger benefits. It explores the interconnected issues of climate and development, laying the groundwork for such a new deal. It presents a challenging agenda, and highlights the needs and perspectives of developing countries which may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable to readers in high-income countries. The unfortunate truth is that any large country, or group of mid-sized countries, can veto any global climate solution by refusing to participate, so a solution will only work if it works for everyone.
RESILIENT PEOPLE RESILIENT PLANET A F u t u re Wo r t h C h o o s i n g
The UN Secretary-General launched the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (GSP) of eminent world figures to formulate a new blueprint for a sustainable future on a planet under increasing stress resulting from human activities. The GSP report explores approaches for building a sustainable, fair and resilient world that serves the needs of all, reduces poverty while strengthening low carbon and inclusive growth, empowers all people, and protects the planet’s life support systems. This report feeds into intergovernmental processes, including preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 2012), and the annual meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Publisher: United Nations Publication Date: March 2012 ISBN: 9789211012569 Pages: 112 Price: $20.00
Publisher: United Nations and Bloomsbury Academic Publication Date: July 2012 ISBN: 9781780931692 Pages: 192 Price: $38.00
THE REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL’S HIGH-LEVEL PANEL ON GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
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