The graphic shows the grain production in Rwanda in metric tonnes from 1960 to 1995. the graphic shows the dramatic reduction in grain production in the 1990s to one third of peak levels. The main grain crops produced are corn and sorghum.

The graph Compares the amount of grain production of Europe, China and Africa to the world. It shows Europe as both the leading grain producer and as the region with the most dramatic increase in grain production since 1950.

For the future of Africa, agriculture remains one of the most important issues. A majority of the population, especially outside urban areas, are involved in agriculture, and food security is one of the most important issues to solve in the short term in some parts of the region. The current financial importance varies, as presented in this map, with agriculture representing up to 50-60% of the total economy in some countries (Guinea-Bissau, Cent...

At the entrance to the plant, which covers more than 15 hectares, a sign announces:“Compost, bark and wood shavings for sale”. Other waste is separated, packed and redirected to logistics centres elsewhere in Norway and Sweden. Jens Christian Fjelldal, the head of the plant, explains that they sell a range of more than 200 recycled materials to buyers in Europe and even South America and Asia. The recycling activity pays its way, enabling the t...

Unscrupulous waste trade became a serious concern in the 1980s due to three converging factors: increasing amounts of hazardous waste; inadequate processing plants; and stricter regulations in the developed world with growing environmental awareness. Managing special waste streams properly became expensive, apparently too costly for some. Filthy shipments started travelling round the world.

Describing and quantifying global trade in waste is difficult. The official figures compiled by the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal are a good start, but have their limitations. Reporting is based on collaboration by member states and the Convention has no means of obliging any state to do so.

In Buenos Aires informal waste collectors recover 9 to 17 per cent of municipal waste, representing an estimated saving for the municipality of US$30 000 to US$70 000 a day or US$3.5 to US$7 per collector. Scavenger households earn an average of US$58.4 a week. Despite their role in the economy, the working conditions of Buenos Aires cartoneros and their counterparts in other cities in the developing world are very poor, working mainly at ni...

Not long ago the amount and composition of waste was such that it could be simply diluted and dispersed into the environment. Most items were reused and only a few remained, that would not decompose naturally. With industrialisation and rising urban density, a new concept followed: collect and dump out of sight. The aim was to eliminate waste or at least protect the population from it. This generally involved either openly burning it (still pract...

Despite international efforts to halt dumping of illegal waste outrageous incidents occur. Collating relevant data is difficult but there is no doubt about the damage. Toxic waste causes long-term poisoning of soil and water, affecting people’s health and living conditions, sometimes irreversibly. It mainly involves slow processes that must be monitored for years to be detected and proven (let alone remedied).

The Caspian Sea region presents a wealth of opportunities in various aspect, including bioresources, transport corridors, and not ecotourism. These new ventures may bring increased prosperity, but they also put pressure on traditional rural communities and the environment.

The prospects for rapid oil wealth contrast with fast spreading poverty following the collapse of the Soviet economy. Although massive investment has suddenly been channelled into the area, its effect is still both geographically and socially very limited, with little widespread impact on society.

For many years, coastal navigation has connected republics in the former Soviet Union. It used the only outlet from the Caspian, the Volga-Don canal, which connects the Black Sea and the Russian canal system to the Baltic. It is still used to transport raw materials, timber, coal, grain, fertilisers, etc.

The loss data on great natural disasters in the last decades show a dramatic increase in catastrophe losses. A decade comparison since 1960 is shown in the table. The reasons for this development are manifold and encompass the increase in world population and the simultaneous concentration of people and values in large conurbations, the development of highly exposed regions and the high vulnerability of modern societies and technologies, and fina...

Fishing activities have various negative impacts on marine ecosystems. The greatest cause for concern is the rapid depletion of fish population due to extensive commercial fishing. In 2002 72% of the world’s marine fish stocks were being harvested faster than they can reproduce. Bycatch – the harvest of fish or shellfish other than the species for which the fishing gear was set – accounts for a quarter of the total catch (27m tonnes in 2003) an...

Natural disasters and conflict disrupts the livelihoods and financial stability of countries, and the people. A high dependence on agriculture signifies a high sensitivity to changes in the environment, such as drought and floods. This map highlights countries with high shares of agrilculture, and also countries with high incidence of poverty, another factor in assessing the vulernability of rural population.

The loss data on great natural disasters in the last decades show a dramatic increase in catastrophe losses. A decade comparison since 1960 is shown in the table. The reasons for this development are manifold and encompass the increase in world population and the simultaneous concentration of people and values in large conurbations, the development of highly exposed regions and the high vulnerability of modern societies and technologies, and fina...

For people in countries at war or subject to economic embargos many goods are scarce, food and water constituting the most crucial shortages. But they also have to deal regularly with death and injury. In such countries disaster prevention may well not be a priority.

The economy of the various countries within the Aral Sea region sometimes greatly differ in inflation, debt and GDP. This is a report on the economies of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia.

The economy of the various countries within the Aral Sea region sometimes greatly differ in inflation, debt and GDP. This is a report on the economies of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia. In Russian.

The Environment and Security consultations in Ashgabat in 2003 pinpointed the Ferghana valley as an area of significant concern in Central Asia (UNEP, UNDP, OSCE 2003) The graphic shows the priority geographic areas and thematic issues for possible ENVSEC action in this area