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The Climate Change Wildlife Action Plan Guidance Document provides voluntary guidance for state fish and wildlife agencies wanting to better incorporate the impacts of climate change on wildlife and their habitats into Wildlife Action Plans. The approaches and techniques described in this document also will be useful in modifying other wildlife plans (e.g. big game/upland game/migratory bird plans, joint venture implementation plans, national fish habitat action plan, etc.) to address climate change. The document provides an overview of the information currently available on climate change, tools that can be used to plan for and implement climate change adaptation, voluntary guidance and case studies. Climate change is a large and growing threat to all wildlife and natural systems and will also exacerbate many existing threats. Efforts to address climate change should not diminish the immediate need to deal with threats that may be independent of climate change such as habitat loss/fragmentation from development, introduction of invasive species, water pollution and wildlife diseases. Since climate change is a complex and often politically-charged issue, it’s understood that the decision to revise Wildlife Action Plans or other plans to address climate change, rests solely with each state fish and wildlife agency.

Adaptation is necessary for reducing the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and societies. Various pertinent questions arise when planning and implementing adaptation in any system: What will be the impacts of climate change? To what extent is the system vulnerable? Who is vulnerable? What coping strategies exist? How can adaptation decrease impacts? What can we do to adapt? What institutional support is available to enhance adaptation? How to develop adaptation policies? (UNFCCC 2004). Many methods and tools are available to help scientists or practitioners address these questions.

This is the fifth volume in the WWF series of reports developed as part of the Arguments for Protection project which is assembling evidence on the social and economic benefits of protected areas to widen and strengthen support for park creation and management. In this volume we explore the increasing number and severity of so-called natural disasters, review how environmental degradation is contributing to this trend, look at how conservation through protection is currently mitigating the impacts of hazards and disasters and discuss the options for further developing the role of protected areas in disaster prevention and mitigation strategies.

The Government of Kiribati, represented by Hon. Nabuti Mwenikarawa, Minister of Finance & Economic Planning and Ms Teea Tira, Secretary of Finance & Economic Planning and National Authorising Officer, and the European Commission, represented by Mr Roberto Ridolfi, Head of the Commission Delegation for the Pacific, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, held discussions from March 2006 until August 2007 with a view to determining the general orientations for cooperation for the period 2008-2013.

The goal of the Pacific Year of Climate Change is to build capacity for promoting the development and implementation of solutions for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change in the Pacific Islands region.

This is the Pacific Islands region’s Strategy for solid waste management, setting the strategic direction for the period 2010-2015. It is supported by a highlevel implementation plan which sets out the key actions that will be taken to deliver the vision of the strategy.

With increasing globalization of markets, rising environmental awareness, and attention from international conventions and agreements, the vast majority of countries are looking into managing their forests more sustainably. The main limitation appears to be lack of funding for improving forest management. Traditional sources include the government, targeted investments from the private sector, international donor support, and contributions in kind from rural communities. But these are grossly inadequate, and additional finances are required. Alternative financing arrangements are being developed and tested in many countries. They include a vast array of schemes such as conservation concessions, debt-for nature-swaps, payments for environmental services, including “green funds” (payments for carbon offsets), and compensatory payments, to cite a few. However, the roles, priorities, and requirements of the various funding entities remain unclear to the vast majority of individuals involved in forest management activities. This introduction touches on the array of schemes being tested. The rest of the papers in this proceeding highlight specific schemes which are gathering interest for financing sustainable forest management.

Solomon Islands acceded to the Vienna Convention [1985] for the protection of the Ozone layer and the Montreal Protocol [1987] on the Substances that deplete the Ozone layer on 17 June 1993, the London Amendment [1990], the Copenhagen Amendment [1992] and the Montreal Amendment [1997] on 17 August 1999. Solomon Islands is classified as an Article 5 Country. In fulfillment of its obligation, Solomon Islands enter into agreement with UNEP – DTIE through which assistance is received to prepare a National Strategy and Action Plan for Monitoring, controlling and phase – out of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

The Regional Implementation Annex for Asia1 , the Annex II of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), provides the mandate and basis for regional approaches and coordination in the implementation of the Convention in Asia and the Pacific (AP)2 . This document first reviews the past activities undertaken at national, subregional and regional levels in the region since the adoption of the Convention in 1994, and then the role, functions and past activities of the Asia-RCU since it became operational in January 2001. The achievements as well as the gaps of the Asia-RCU are highlighted.