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Infectious diseases take a heavy toll on populations around the world. Some of the most virulent infections are also highly sensitive to climate conditions. For example, temperature, precipitation and humidity have a strong influence on the reproduction, survival and biting rates of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria and dengue fever, and temperature affects the lifecycles of the infectious agents themselves. The same meteorological factors also influence the transmission of water and food-borne diseases such as cholera, and other forms of diarrhoeal disease. Hot, dry conditions favour meningococcal meningitis – a major cause of disease across much of Africa. All of these diseases are major health problems. Diarrhoea kills over two million people annually, and malaria almost one million. Meningitis kills thousands, blights lives and hampers economic development in the poorest countries. Some 50 million people around the world suffer from dengue fever each year. The public health community has made important progress against all of these diseases in recent decades, but they will continue to cause death and suffering for the foreseeable future.

This report provides a snapshot of recent scientific literature and new analyses of likely impacts and risks that would be associated with a 4` Celsius warming within this century. It is a rigorous attempt to outline a range of risks, focusing on developing countries and especially the poor. A 4`C world would be one of unprecedented heat waves, severe drought, and major floods in many regions, with serious impacts on ecosystems and associated services. But with action, a 4`C world can be avoided and we can likely hold warming below 2`C.

Climate finance has been a key topic in recent international climate negotiations. Understanding how much and what type of finance is available to advance lowcarbon growth and combat climate change at a global level is critical to scaling up finance and ensuring that resources are used effectively.

The green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication was one of the two themes for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 (or Rio+20). Negotiations on green economy in the lead up to Rio+20 were challenging and the concept became a source of controversy and disagreement. Despite these challenges, governments agreed at Rio+20 to frame the green economy as an important tool for sustainable development; one that is inclusive and can drive economic growth, employment, and poverty eradication, whilst maintaining the healthy functioning of the Earth’s ecosystems. Importantly, the outcome document also recognises that capacity building, information exchange and experience sharing will be critical for implementing green economy policies.  In this context, it invites the UN to work with partners to provide support to developing countries and to develop toolboxes, best practices, methodologies and models to aid green economy policy design and implementation.

The concept of green economy has received significant international attention over the past few years both as a tool to address the 2008 financial crisis as well as one of the two themes for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). This has resulted in a rapidly expanding literature and emerging international practice as well as new partnerships, coalitions and platforms.  

Sustainable development has been the overarching goal of the international community since the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. Amongst numerous commitments, the Conference called upon governments to develop national strategies for sustainable development, incorporating policy measures outlined in the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21. Despite the efforts of many governments around the world to implement such strategies as well as international cooperation to support national governments, there are continuing concerns over global economic and environmental developments in many countries. These have been intensified by recent prolonged global energy, food and financial crises, and underscored by continued warnings from global scientists that society is in danger of transgressing a number of planetary boundaries or ecological limits1 .

The biological composition and richness of most of the Earth's major ecosystems are being dramatically and irreversibly transformed by anthropogenic activity. Yet, despite the vast areal extent of our oceans, the mainstay of research to-date in the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning arena has been weighted towards ecological observations and experimentation in terrestrial plant and soil systems. This book provides a framework for extending these concepts to a variety of marine systems. 

Thematic Frameworks for the cultural values of the Pacific / Ian Lilley and Christophe Sand|Pacific Islands World Heritage Tentative Lists / paul Dingwall|Developing the Solomon Islands Tentative List / Salamat Ali Tabbasum|The Cook Islands / Justina Nicholas and Ngatuaine Maui|Natural world heritage in Oceania: challenges and opportunities / Stuart Chape|bikini Atoll: a small remote atool of global significance/ Nicole Baker|Levuka, FijiL the heritage of culture contact in the Pacific / anita Smith, Sipiriano nemani and Anaseini Kalougata|Transnational Values in the development of a World heritage nomination for the Sacred site of Taputapuatea/Te Po of Opoa, French Polynesia / Ariihau Richard Tuheiava, Anith Smith|Yapese stone money: a transboundary serial nomination from Micronesia|Community as the First C: Conservation and development through tourism at Chief Roi Mata's Domain, Vanuatu / Meredith Wilson, Chris Ballard, Richard Matanik and Topie Warry|The ancient royal tombs of lapaha, Tonga : Community and world heritage / Geoffrey Clark, Christian Reepmeyer and Nivaleti Melekiola|Community participatory approach to heritage conservation in Samoa / Elisaia Talouli, Tuiolo Schuster|Samoan women: preservers of their cultural heritage / Luagalau Fo'isagaasina Etuati-Shon|Building Regional Capacity for World Heritage in the Pacific islands: toward a Pacific Heritage Hub / Anita Smith and Meretui Ratunabuabua|Safeguarding Nan Madol, Federated States of Micronesia / Diana Roma|The Kokoda initiativ, Papua New Guinea|UNESCO's World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States and the Global Strategy / Ron van Oers|Niue: a small island state in West Polynesia / Moira Enetama

Marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) is currently facing increasing human pressures and growing threats. For these reasons, it is at the heart of numerous international discussions, including a process launched under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). However, while discussions are ongoing at the international level, it is becoming increasingly apparent and relevant that action at the regional level is imperative to protect marine biodiversity in ABNJ for at least three reasons: because the regional level is today the most operational level; as progress made within regional frameworks could positively influence discussions at the international level; and if a multilateral agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on marine biodiversity in ABNJ is adopted in the future, it is likely to call for a role for the regional level. Therefore, the main issue raised in this study is the need to reinforce the regional level. In order to address this subject, the following study analyses five different regional frameworks, making the stake of the situation, highlighting the major gaps and identifying options to encompass them. The regions studied are the North-East Atlantic, the Southern Ocean, the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), the South West Pacific and the Wider Caribbean Region coupled with the Sargasso Sea.