1,724,156 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Our Planet: The magazine of the United Nations Environment Programme
Full text linkMagazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to problems with enforcing laws and regulations that protect the environment and safeguard health and sanitation
Recommended from our members
Our Planet: The magazine of the United Nations Environment Programme
Full text linkMagazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to so called "Green Economy" measures such as large public transportation plans, tree planting programs, and government policies that provide incentives for improving energy efficiency
Recommended from our members
Melting Ice, a Hot Topic - Climate Change and the Crysosphere
Full text linkMagazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to melting ice as a result of global climate change
Recommended from our members
United Nations Environment Programme Year Book 2010
No full textThis publication presents an overview of global and regional environmental issues and policy decisions during 2010
Recommended from our members
United Nations Environment Programme Year Book 2008
No full textThis publication is an overview of global and regional environmental issues and policy decisions actions during 2008
Manual on the biomarkers recommended for the MED POL Biomonitoring Programme
Full text linkThe scope of this manual is to serve as an initial source of technical
reference for laboratories interested to start routine biological-effects pollution
monitoring. A number of biomarkers have been considered in this manual, starting
from those capable of giving a general indication of biological stress due to pollution.
These biomarkers of stress (general stress indices) include the assessment of
damage to genetic and subcellular components. Both the elevation of enzymatic
activity of the mixed function oxygenase system (MFO) and the induction of
metallothionein (MT) protein synthesis also termed as biomarkers of exposure
(specific stress indices), are considered.The potential use of the last two biomarkers is considerable, since these
biomarkers are able to show the cellular response to heavy metals (MT) and
aromatic organic xenobiotic compounds (MFO), both of which are considered as
being major pollutants in coastal areas. Such biomarkers seem to offer the best
information on the biological response of the animals to the two classes of toxic
pollutants therefore reporting an early warning signal that environmental damage is in
progress. They have been carefully characterised in a number of marine organisms
and proved to be suitable to identify a biological response induced by the effects of
the chemical pollutants. However, due to the complex nature of these biological
responses, extreme caution should be exercised when coming to interpret monitoring
results from field stations. These responses have to be assessed in the light of the
physiological status of the test organisms at the time of sampling which can be
ascertained by the measurement of the two general stress indices mentioned above
(genetic damage and alteration of lysosomal activity). This manual also attempts to
address a number of technical pitfalls and whenever possible, suggests ways how to
enhance the certainty of biomonitoring results.peer-reviewe
Recommended from our members
The First Ministerial Regional Forum
Full text linkThe First Ministerial Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian countries was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 9 August 2007. The forum was jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Offices for the Western Pacific and South-East Asia, and hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ministry of Public Health, Government of Thailand and the Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI). The forum was attended by Environment and Health Ministers from fourteen Southeast and East Asian countries including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The agenda and annotated agenda of the forum are given in Annexes 1 and 2, respectively, and a list of participants is enclosed in Annex 3
United Nations Environment Programme
Full text linkThe United Nations Environment Programme offers a wealth of information, including news, reports, articles, maps, quizzes, and data, on various environment and development issues. The UNEP provides different lists of resources for each audience - government officials, scientists, academics, journalists, young people, business persons, and civil society representatives. The issues addressed fall within the topics of environmental assessment, biodiversity, chemicals, freshwater, marine and coastal areas, land, atmosphere, energy, urban issues, civil society, business and industry, governance and law, and sustainable consumption. Educational levels: General public, Graduate or professional, High school, Middle school, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division
Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter Management (RAPMaLi) for the Wider Caribbean Region
Full text linkThis document provides an update to the 2008 “Marine Litter in the Wider Caribbean: A Regional Overview & Action Plan” (RAPMaLi). The regional overview and development of the 2008 RAPMaLi was part of an initiative conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit (UNEP-CAR/RCU) with financial support from UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme and the UNEP Global Programme of Action. This update was commissioned by United Nations Environment Programme Caribbean/ Regional Coordinating Unit (UNEP-CAR/RCU)
Building disaster-resilient communities and economies
Full text linkExecutive summary
The need for building resilience
Natural hazards have the potential to devastate communities and economies around the world. Natural hazards are inevitable, but not natural disasters. When a natural hazard occurs, it is the collective societal resilience that will determine whether that event results in a natural disaster. This century, more than one million people have lost their lives to natural disasters.
Last year alone around 20,000 people were killed or went missing in natural disasters, the majority in storms, floods and other severe weather events. The impact of natural disasters can reverberate long after the event itself—global economic losses due to natural disasters in 2013 amounted to USD 131 billion, which represents almost 2% of GDP. The costs of recovery from these natural disasters—borne by governments, NGOs, business and communities—consume scarce public and private resources which could otherwise be used to develop social, economic and natural capital.
Much of this can be prevented by building disaster-resilient communities and economies. Reducing disaster risk before an event can have a direct impact on how well, and how quickly, communities recover. Across many nations, there is a funding imbalance between investing in pre-disaster resilience and paying the costs of post-disaster relief and recovery. Investment in building up- front resilience and hazard preparedness provides a positive return and reduces the need for recovery.
It is estimated that every dollar spent in disaster risk reduction returns between two and ten dollars in recovery savings. Building resilience to natural hazards requires an awareness of risk, a commitment by all stakeholders to make change happen, and a structured approach to funding and implementing effective measures for disaster risk reduction.
NOTE:
This report is Phase 1 of the The Global Resilience Project. Phase 2: The Global Risk Map (interactive map resource) can be accessed in Related Content below
- …
