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The issue of climate change is quite obviously an environmental concern. However, far too often, we ignore the myriad other burdens associated with global warming. The grave problems caused by climate change are not solely environmental in nature; rather, they are predicaments of public health, national security, public safety, and economic development, to name only a few. Climate change and global warming touch upon practically every aspect of our society. Those who continue to ignore, deny, or downplay the critical developing issues caused by climate change place our nations and our world at risk. Those who embrace these charges understand that battling global warming will lead not only to an enhancement in our environment and quality of life, but to economic benefits and a growth as well. To put it simply, embracing the climate challenge allows us to avoid the worst effects of climate change and to green the bottom line.

This paper is a conceptual analysis of how “green” Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) can be the key to sustainable social and economic development under the regime of climate change. The prevailing IWRM principles developed by the Dublin and Rio statements (1992), the Millennium Assembly (2000) and the WSSD (2002) attach a narrow, technical and single purposive orientation to IWRM, which are inadequate in fighting against the impact of climate change. Standing on the brink of irreversible impacts of climate change, it is now most urgent to secure the water sector from the devastating impacts of climate change by appropriate responses through policies and acting accordingly. Integrating a climate-proofing approach to IWRM policies is termed as “green” IWRM. Analysis emphasizes that only “green” IWRM can promote water security under the changing climate. The paper outlines the strategies that should be taken to make the IWRM “green”, which will further ensure sustainable use of freshwater, participation, gender balancing and equitable and efficient management fostering sustainable development.

Argentinian Patagonia is a 750,000 km2 semi-arid region. Sheep were introduced there in the late 19th century, peaked at about 20 million head in 1960 and fell sharply thereafter reaching 8 million at present. Decline in productive capacity was blamed on overgrazing or climate change alternatively, but maps in 1998 indicated that 34 % of the region was severely desertified. We analysed the regional FPAR in the GIMMS NDVI dataset from NOAA satellite imagery in the last 30 years, a period in which the land has been destocked and under generally improved management. The trend of FPAR does not show a generalized “greening”, or recovery process, even when the rainfall trend was removed. A case study in Los Pozos Farm in the south shows that total stock has fallen monotonically since 1930 under a rainfall regime that remained constant. Variable stocking rates that tracked the productivity introduced in 1990 stabilized grazing capacity but did not induce a clear recovery in forage production. The erosion of unstable soils and damage to perennial vegetation probably explain the farm production losses, and management rather than climate change is the most probable cause. Production analysis shows that stocking rates that maximize short-term income in wool are too high and will probably damage the land. Good management has the potential to stabilize and maybe slowly revert long-term mismanagement effects on these cold desert ecosystems, but under the present market economy and land tenure system it seems unlikely that producers will give up profits to avoid possible long-term degradation.

This important book deals with the relationship between world trade law and climate change policy. It takes a different perspective than the majority of publications in the field. While the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to the extent that they support continuing liberalisation and generally unrestricted international trade, have come to be seen as a central part of the problem, Epps and Green argue that the objectives of mitigating climate change on the one hand and deterring protectionism on the other do not necessarily conflict with each other. On the contrary, their hypothesis is that synergies exist between these goals, and, through the manner where they reinforce each other, that they have potential to increase social welfare. The authors thus assess the potential of international trade law as a tool for addressing the challenges of climate change. In light of this, the WTO is not considered as the “bad guy” in international relations, whose regime prevents States from implementing trade-related measures in order to be able to achieve the ultimate aim of safeguarding that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, but rather as a key actor with regard to the fulfillment of that target. While “WTO Members have very different perceptions of what the trading system ought to do on climate change” (Pascal Lamy), the approach followed in this book may ultimately have a stronger impact on the attitude of States concerning the relationship between WTO law and the climate change regime than the somewhat fruitless repeated pleas for “greening” the WTO.

Changes to the world's climate that were once imperceptibly slow are now clearly visible and happening quickly. Dying coral reefs, the disappearing arctic ice sheet, and proliferating invasive insects in temperate zone forests are among the most visible signs, but countless less dramatic phenomena show that climate change is real. The changing climate is part of a new global environment that impacts all countries, economies, sectors, and people. Microfinance, like everything else, will not be spared. This paper proposes ideas for what we can do to combat climate change at the household, micro-business, microfinance institutions (MFIs), and systemic levels. The author hopes that MFI managers will be inspired by some of the examples provided. However, each MFI should find its own way of addressing climate change, weighing the risks of inaction against the cost and risks involved in institutional change.

The realisation that climate change is caused and can also be stopped by humankind gained increasing recognition in 2007. The magic threshold up to which an increase in the average global temperature is considered to be still tolerable is between 2° and 3° Celsius. If this threshold is exceeded, the consequences are significant and almost impossible to control. In order to avoid this, greenhouse gas emissions will have to be cut in half against 1990 emission levels over the next 40 years around the globe. To achieve this, the European Union set itself ambitious goals in early 2007.

This chapter discusses two financial markets — the carbon and weather markets — and their potential role in helping stakeholders address climate change more effectively. While this chapter focuses on how these markets can benefit the poor in developing countries, it also examines the major constraints that must be addressed before the poor can gain access to carbon and weather markets. It also suggests how governments and donors might effectively facilitate sustainable carbon and weather market activity in developing countries.

The paper aims to map Kenya’s national development planning framework, investigate any environmental (including climate change) mainstreaming (EM) strategies employed, and identify the prospects and challenges for EM furtherance. The country’s heavy reliance on environment and natural resources for socio-economic development makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change. Effective EM will thus ensure better resource management and utilisation, improve livelihoods and enhance climate change adaptation. EM strategies are investigated through a review of published literature, government policy documents and statements, and key informant interviews with representatives of institutions and organisations involved in national development policy and planning. Effectiveness of normative, organisational and procedural EM strategies employed is evaluated from a horizontal environmental policy integration perspective. The country’s political commitment and strategic vision, administrative culture and practices, assessment of and participation in planning, monitoring and learning from experience, and use of policy instruments to achieve EM are analysed. The participatory and integrated district development planning framework offers a unique opportunity for EM. However, absence of environmental representation in key development planning agencies and processes, no coherent national sustainable development strategy or office to coordinate EM, non-greening of public procurement, and non-diversification of policy instruments are identified as major challenges. The paper is among the very few studies that have investigated cross-sectoral EM at a national level in Africa and will greatly contribute towards the achievement of Agenda 21s call for the integration of environment into national development policy and planning processes. The findings can be applied across sub-Saharan countries and beyond.