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This document is the result of discussions among a large number of experts on maritime issues in the Mediterranean Sea and draws on the conclusions of a workshop held in Istanbul in September 20071. The discussions were informed in part by a series of papers subsequently published by IUCN as Maritime traffi c effects on biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea. Volume 1: Review of impacts, priority areas and mitigation measures (Ameer Abdulla and Olof Lindén, eds); Volume 2: Legal mechanisms to address maritime impacts on Mediterranean biodiversity (Nilufer Oral and François Simard, eds) Gland, Switzerland and Málaga, Spain: IUCN, 2008. Financial support for this initiative was provided by the Italian Government, in response to Resolution 3.070 of the Third IUCN World Conservation Congress (Bangkok, 2004). The ideas expressed here do not necessarily refl ect the offi cial position of IUCN.

The main objective of this work is to provide an introduction and sense of direction (i.e. a “Gateway”) into the complicated world of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES). It by no means intends to serve as a comprehensive overview of this vast field. It provides one entry point for engaging in PES, and was designed to fit into the broader Livelihoods and Landscapes (LLS) strategy, as developed by IUCN’s Forest Conservation Programme.

The burning of fossil fuels is generating levels of what one might term ‘brown’ and ‘black’ carbon in the atmosphere and unless checked may take global temperatures above a threshold of 2 ̊C. Dramatic reductions are possible by accelerating energy efficiency measures and boosting the deployment of cleaner energy generation and renewables such as solar, wind and geothermal. Over the past few years science has been illuminating other sources of emissions and other opportunities for action. Deforestation for example now accounts for close to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions

The Act declared Helen Reef as a State Marine Protected Area and called for a creation of a Management Plan. However, a Draft Management Plan came out of an Action Plan which satisfied the requirements from the Act. The Plan consists of a Vision that states: “We the Hatohobei people envision our islands to have an abundance of natural resources, a pristine healthy environment, and our community and friends are engaged in the sustainable use and management, utilizing traditional and scientific knowledge of our natural resources for us all today and our children for the future”

The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) states unequivocally that the world is warming. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of how climate change is affecting natural and human systems. There is increasing concern about the likely implications of climate change on poverty, economic growth, ecosystem services, livelihood opportunities as well as overall human development.

Celebrating Palau: 25 years