La información y las conclusiones que ofrece esta publicación pretenden ayudar a los líderes políticos y responsables de la toma de decisiones a formular planes de seguridad hídrica para el abastecimiento de agua potable. También resulta de gran interés para ingenieros y científicos responsables de la planificación, funcionamiento y seguimiento del abastecimiento de agua.

En la actualidad hay más de mil millones de personas que carecen de acceso a agua potable segura. En los próximos 25 años, un tercio de la población mundial padecerá una grave escasez de agua. Es claro que las disparidades en la disponibilidad y abastecimiento de agua potable son un asunto de vida o muerte y constituyen uno de los grandes imperativos de gobierno en nuestro tiempo.

Esta publicación sintetiza los resultados de tres décadas de investigación apoyada por el IDRC sobre abastecimiento de agua. Demuestra que algunas de las respuestas de mayor peso a la problemática de la escasez de agua se han implementado a nivel local —en hogares, campos agrícolas, aldeas y vecindarios urbanos. Centrándose no sólo en los resultados de la investigación sino también en sus carencias, este libro presenta propuestas con fundamento sólido a las personas que deben tomar decisiones y a los investigadores; ofrece una serie de recomendaciones claras y pertinentes para la formulación de políticas y los esfuerzos futuros de la investigación. Concluye ofreciendo una perspectiva sobre el futuro del abastecimiento de agua y algunos de los recursos clave en este campo.

Este libro también sirve como núcleo básico de un sitio Web temático del IDRC sobre el agua: www.idrc.ca/agua. El texto completo está disponible en línea y guía al lector hacia una verdadera red de recursos que representan 30 años de experiencia del IDRC en investigaciones sobre el agua.

EL AUTOR

David B. Brooks es especialista en recursos naturales y trabaja con el International Development Research Centre en Ottawa, Canadá. El Dr. Brooks tiene conocimientos de geología y economía y fue el director fundador de la Canada’s Office of Energy Coservation. Trabajó seis años con Friends of the Earth y luego cinco años como gerente de la firma Marbeck Resource Consultants Ltd. Su principal interés de investigación está en las formas de lograr un desarrollo más sostenible en la producción y el uso de los minerales, la energía y el agua. Sus libros más recientes son: Watershed: The Role of Fresh Water in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict (IDRC 1994), del que fue coautor; Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East (IDRC 1997) del que fue coeditor, y Water Balances in the Eastern Mediterranean (IDRC 2000), del que también fue coeditor.

This workshop resulted in the report, Threats to Water Availability in Canada, a companion document to the 2001 report Threats to Sources of Drinking Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Health in Canada.

Brussels, 29/10/2003 "REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restrictions of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency and amending Directive 1999/45/EC and Regulation (EC) {on Persistent Organic Pollutants} "

“A wonderfully written and sorely needed guide to the promise of aquatic genetic resources … brimming with important pointers of ways to realize the potential of the little appreciated and frequently abused aquatic genetic resources.”
Thomas Lovejoy
President, Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment

“This is just what the doctor ordered: a sensible, balanced, and comprehensive overview of how countries can manage their aquatic genetic resources in the biotechnology age.”
Jeffrey A. McNeely
Chief Scientist, IUCN – The World Conservation Union

The advance of genetic sciences has led to a “blue revolution” in the way we use aquatic biodiversity.

By 2020, the world will be eating almost as much farmed as world fish, marine bacteria could yield the cure for cancer, and deep-sea bacteria may be exploited to consume oil spills. Science is moving ahead at a staggering speed, and the demand for genetic resources is growing rapidly – yes governance and policy lag far behind.

This groundbreaking work is the first to look at the issues of ownership, governance, and trade in aquatic resources. Blue Genes describes the growing demand for aquatic genetic resources and the desperate need to fill the policy vacuum for the management and conservation of aquatic biodiversity as a foundation for rules governing access to and use of aquatic genetic resources. Special attention is paid to the rights of indigenous and local communities providing access to those resources and their role in managing and conserving aquatic biodiversity.

The book concludes with policy recommendations specifically tailored to aquatic resources and uses six case studies from four continents to illustrate key issues.

THE AUTHORS

David Greer is an independent legal consultant specializing in natural resources and biodiversity management policy. Brian Harvey is a fisheries biologist and President of the World Fisheries Trust.

This is a first phase of Project Green, a national project to create a healthier environment and a stronger economy by combining the efforts of governments, aboriginal peoples, non-governmental organizations, businesses and all Canadians to build a more sustainable future.

• Vapor Degreasing Overview
• Regulatory Requirements
• Old Vapor Degreasing Technology
• Newer Vapor Degreasing Technologies
• Appropriate Installations
• Benefits and Challenges
• Costs
• Summary of Case Study Applications
• Summary
• Contacts for More Information

Joseph Henry VOGEL (ed.)

La Convención sobre la Diversidad Biológica ha despertado mucha esperanza entre los países biodiversos y las comunidades tradicionales que serán beneficiados cuando sus recursos y conocimientos sean aprovechados en la biotecnología. El Cártel de la Biodiversidad explica cómo esas aspiraciones se pueden realizar dentro del marco legal existente y sin ninguna legislación sui generis.

Hoy en día la gran amenaza a la sostenibilidad ya no es la biopiratería, sino algo mucho más insidioso: el biofraude intrínseco a los contratos bilaterales entre una empresa y apenas un abastecedor. Dichos acuerdos fomentan una guerra de precios negando así la posibilidad de que alguien reciba una renta significativa. Como solución, los autores plantean un cártel que fije el precio de acceso y distribuya los beneficios entre todos quienes hubieren aportado dichos recursos y conocimientos. El lanzamiento del cártel no será ninguna tarea fácil. Las comunidades tendrán que volverse personas jurídicas y otorgar consentimiento fundamentado previo antes de recolectar los datos etnobotánicos. Luego, se filtrarán dichos datos con la literatura ya publicada para averiguar si pueden calificarse como secretos comerciales y ser negociados por el cártel. Cada paso es complejo y el conjunto constituye un enorme compromiso que requerirá de gran tenacidad, tanto por parte de las comunidades, como por parte de la autoridad competente. Para estos fines, el libro sirve como manual.

Puede bajar este documento desde:

http://www.josephvogel.com/cartel/paginas/framecartel.asp?idsec=3&idioma=1

SDC Chairman Jonathon Porritt said: “Climate change will have a devastating impact unless urgent action is taken to boost the contribution of renewables, alongside energy efficiency measures. For this to happen, good decision-making is needed, and this requires reliable, up to date information, based on the best available scientific evidence. We believe wind power is a critically important part of the overall energy mix, and hope that this authoritative guide will ensure wind power is harnessed in the most responsible way to ensure that emissions of carbon dioxide are reduced”.

As well as acting as a practical guide for those involved in wind farm development, the report says:

• The UK has the best and most geographically diverse wind resources in Europe, more than enough to meet current renewable energy targets

• Technological advances mean there are no limits to the amount of wind capacity that can be added to an electricity system

• Planners and decision-makers should involve communities in effective public consultation from an early stage, and their concerns must be addressed; solutions exist to many such issues

• Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy and increasing supply to 20 per cent by 2020 would present only a very modest increase in cost for consumers that compares well with other energy sources. Indeed, as fossil fuel prices increase and wind turbines become cheaper to build, wind power may even become one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation over the next 15 years

• Wind power will displace fossil-fuelled plant, and there is no need for dedicated ‘backup’ plant to cope with wind

• Wind farms have been most successful where good working partnerships are formed

Commissioner and Chair of SDC’s Energy and Transport Steering Group, Dr Bernard Bulkin said: “The development of onshore wind power is essential if we are to meet the Government’s renewable energy targets, as part of a broader programme to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This report shows that wind energy, both on and offshore, has a huge potential resource – more than enough to meet current targets. Support for wind power needs to go hand in hand with a push for much greater energy efficiency – in transport, households and the public sector”.

Commenting in the report foreword, Sir Tom Blundell, former Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, says: “I am pleased to note that the SDC report confirms that wind is both the cheapest and one of the most abundant of the UK's renewable resources. At current levels of gas prices, and certainly if credit is given for its carbon-free status in line with current Government estimates of the social cost of carbon, it is already cost-competitive with gas-fired electricity on the best onshore wind sites, and seems likely to be the cheapest of all forms of power generation by 2020 on such sites, even without a carbon credit”.

One example in the report is Black Law in Scotland, where ScottishPower and RSPB Scotland established a way of working together to integrate habitat enhancement with wind farm development. According to RSPB Scotland Director, Stuart Housden: “Black Law highlights the benefits of finding wind farm sites where there are no conflicts with conservation interests... given the wind farm did not present a significant threat to bird life, and following detailed negotiations… we have together secured a really positive project that brings significant environmental benefits to the area”.

Cites are the magnet for the growth of the social, economic and political development of the country. It has a power for the development of arge-scale and smallscale industries, educational institutions, administrative offices, public and commercial establishments etc. In turn it attracts more migration from the rural area to the urban area, or shifting from one urban center to another urban center. So the population density is getting magnified in certain pockets of the cities. There will be an incredible need for basic amenities like housing, water, sewage management and transportation. The vital on urban land availability is tremendous and there will be a certain chance of deviation in the city plan (eg. master plan i.e. changes in the land use). As a result there will be a categorical damage of historical, biological, archeological, aesthetic and visual impacts and pollution in land, water, air and noise.

There should therefore be a definite impact assessment for any such type of development to safeguard the city environment. The conventional way of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is a less accurate and more time consuming process because it has more dependant and independent variables which have to be taken in to account (eg. Landuse, land price, population density, socio -economic level, road accessibility, railway accessibility, air quality, ground water quality, noise level, biological content, historical value, archeological and visual importance), which also have different consequences. There needs to be a tool or support system, which can handle the larger volume of spatial and non-spatial data, to be capable of complexity of analysis and produce an alternative plan. Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry and GIS are the latest technologies and tools, which will produce much more accurate results and perform various geographic analyses even in complex situations. This paper will articulate the different factors to be considered for impact assessments for urban planning and development, and lists about the data which can be useful for this study, the previous study which was done in a similar area in another part of country, and detailed methodology which can be adopted for this are discussed.

In fact, this standarised data set should be regarded as a working tool for the scientific community, especially concerning the fields of glaciology, climatology, hydrology, and quarternary geology.

Newer issues of the FoG can be downloaded below. All FoGs can be ordered as hardcopy at WGMS.

FoG VIII for the years 1995-2000 is now printed and available both as hardcopy and pdf. .

Published FoGs:

FoG I 1959-1965
FoG II 1965-1970
FoG III 1970-1975
FoG IV 1975-1980
FoG V 1980-1985
FoG VI 1985-1990
FoG VII 1990-1995 [pdf]
FoG VIII 1995-2000 [pdf]

Revise en:

¿Cuánto hemos avanzado en materia de desarrollo y sustentabilidad ambiental en la región? ¿Qué lecciones hemos aprendido en cuanto a la efectividad de las instituciones ambientales y las responsabilidades asumidas por los distintos actores de la sociedad? ¿Qué perspectivas ofrecen los distintos instrumentos utilizados para el logro de objetivos de conservación y control de la calidad del medio ambiente? Estas son algunas de las preguntas que este volumen dilucida y responde. Los autores aportan un análisis valioso de la gestión ambiental en América Latina y el Caribe, utilizando amplias fuentes de información de la región en su conjunto así como de algunos países que han sido seleccionados por representar experiencias de relevancia para su estudio. La visión histórica que presentan los autores, con reflexiones sobre las prácticas actuales de gestión ambiental, los esquemas adoptados por los gobiernos y los cambios inducidos durante su evolución, han de enriquecer el campo de estudios sobre gestión ambiental en la región.

Los autores son: Manuel Rodríguez-Becerra y Guillermo Espinoza. La edición general del libro estuvo a cargo de David Wilk, Especialista Senior de la División de Medio Ambiente del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo

Visit in:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green/pubs/brochure.pdf

Puesto que el año 2005 coincide con el lanzamiento del Decenio Internacional para la Acción "El agua, fuente de vida", GEMS/Agua está en disposición de mostrar de qué manera el seguimiento y la evaluación de la calidad del agua contribuye a alcanzar los objetivos internacionales relacionados con el agua, tales como los que se contemplan en la Declaración del Milenio.

Although the investment requirements are large (it is estimated that the effort will cost US$11.3 billion each year until 2015), the report emphasizes the financial and emotional payback that achieving that goal will bring.

In a year that begins the International Decade of Action, Water for Life, the JMP 2005 report charts the effects of lack of drinking water and sanitation - a condition that plagues some 1 billion and 2.4 billion people, respectively - with special regard to gender issues; the report also studies the various actions that have been implemented, and looks at progress towards international targets.

Said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman, 'While the world is on track to meet its safe water targets, progress on basic sanitation, in terms of the number of people who need to gain access to sanitation facilities each year for the first time, needs to accelerate by at least 58 percent between now and 2015 to meet the Millennium target.'

The JMP 2005 report underscores the particular needs of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where demand and poverty are greatest: in order to meet the goal, South Asia must supply an additional 42 million people with sanitation every year, and Africa 27 million.

The report contains the most detailed analysis to date of the impact of U.S. air pollution. New research contained in the report helps quantify the problem and looks closely at the regional impacts. It also helps determine the impact Ontario-created pollution has on provinces and states downwind.

In the report, the Ontario government has gathered and analyzed more than three decades of air quality monitoring data; conducted a systematic, scientific study of historical weather patterns; used state-of-the-art computer modelling studies to determine the behaviour of pollution in the atmosphere; and provided a comparison of the quantity of emissions that are released from U.S. sources versus those released by Ontario.

The report documents the damages from air pollution in Ontario, and attaches economic costs to the damages caused both by air pollution from Ontario sources and by pollution that comes from transboundary sources in the U.S. The report’s conclusions provide the clearest picture yet that air pollution poses a threat to the people of Ontario.

Key Findings in the Report

Ontario’s Actions

The report recognizes that Ontario is responsible for some transboundary air pollution. The government continues to take strong action and has introduced a number of major initiatives to reduce harmful air emissions, such as smog and greenhouse gases, including:

Next Steps

The findings in the report support Ontario’s position that a multi-jurisdictional strategy is urgently needed to address the significant problem of transboundary air pollution. The strategy should include a combination of domestic measures by individual states and provinces, and joint undertakings.

On June 20, 2005, Ontario is hosting the Shared Air Summit at the University of Toronto where policy makers from Ontario and the United States will meet to discuss transboundary air pollution as well as general air quality issues and their impact on human health, the environment and economy.

• Background
• Aqueous Cleaning Overview
  • Immersion
  • Pressure Spray
  • Ultrasonic
  • Cleaner Useful Life
• Closed-Loop Cleaning Overview
  • Regulatory Requirements
  • Applicable Industries
  • Benefits
  • Concerns
• Closed-Loop Aqueous Cleaning Technologies
  • Simple Bag and Cartridge Filters
  • Coalescers/Skimmers
  • Case Study: Lockheed Martin Defense SystemsThin Film Oil Separator
  • Case Study: Racine Plating Company
  • Case Study: Lindberg Heat Treating Company Membrane Systems
  • Case Study: Interplex Metals, Inc.
  • Case Study: Werner Company
• Contacts for More Information
  • Resources and Vendors
  • State Technical Assistance Programs

El SIGA tiene como antecedente la investigación titulada "Generación de un Sistema de Información Geográfica y propuesta de Gestión Territorial para la cuenca del Arroyo Malvín, Departamento de Montevideo, Uruguay" (González et al., 2000). La misma fue realizada conjuntamente por un equipo de técnicos del Departamento de Desarrollo Ambiental de la Intendencia Municipal de Montevideo y de investigadores de la Facultad de Ciencias - Universidad de la República (Uruguay), con fondos del Programa de Pequeños Fondos Competitivos para la Investigación del SEMA/IDRC.

El artículo presenta las condiciones que promueven su formación y se muestran los intentos de captación artificial de estas neblinas desde principios de los años 60 hasta el presente. Finalmente, ofrece un breve análisis de las perspectivas futuras de este recurso hídrico.

• Chromium Plating Overview
• Regulatory Requirements
• Hexavalent Chromium Technology
  • Non-Chromium Alternatives
• Trivalent Chromium Technology
  • Vendors
  • P2 for Trivalent Chromium Baths
  • Current Research on Trivalent Chromium Baths
• Benefits and Challenges
• Costs
• Summary of Case Studies
• References
• Contacts for More Information

es una asociación sin ánimo de lucro, nacida para la promoción y defensa de la Sierra de Baza, como medio físico, biológico y humano, dentro de un desarrollo sostenible.

Y ello a través de, entre otras cosas, la recuperación y protección de la flora y fauna autóctona, del patrimonio arquitectónico, arqueológico e histórico, y de las costumbres y tradiciones populares de los habitantes de la Sierra de Baza.

Nuestra Sierra se ha convertido en un punto de referencia para los amantes de la naturaleza y de las actividades al aire libre, en gran medida a partir de su inclusión en la Red Andaluza de Espacios Naturales Protegidos, con la categoría de PARQUE NATURAL.

El Parque Natural de la Sierra de Baza, con una extensión de mas de 52.000 has., reúne unas 1.500 especies de plantas, de ellas 147 endemismos; unas 30 especies de mamíferos, unas 100 especies de aves; y otras 25 especies de reptiles y anfibios. A ello se une la presencia ininterrumpida del Hombre desde hace mas de 7.000 años, siempre en profunda relación vital con la montaña y los recursos que la naturaleza les brindó; resultado de lo cual es la Sierra de Baza, tal y como hoy la conocemos.

Los temas de la propiedad, la conservación y el intercambio de germoplasma vegetal son complejas y se politizan cada vez más. Siembra de Soluciones, Tomo 1: Alternativas políticas en materia de recursos genéticos (actualización de Gente, Plantas y Patentes) ofreció a los responsables de las decisiones políticas una descripción clara de los hechos, las luchas y los foros relevantes con respecto a los recursos genéticos. Y presentó una imagen lúcida sobre la importancia del germoplasma y su relación con las negociaciones comerciales, con los conflictos sobre propiedad intelectual y con la seguridad alimentaria y sanitaria, tanto en el ámbito nacional como internacional.

Siembra de Soluciones, Tomo 2: Opciones para leyes nacionales de control sobre recursos genéticos e innovaciones biológicas es una herramienta de gran utilidad para que los responsables de las decisiones políticas puedan resolver los temas planteados en el Tomo 1. Este volumen contiene colecciones comentadas de disposiciones legislativas opcionales para la creación de leyes nacionales con el fin de regular el acceso a los recursos genéticos y la elaboración de diversas formas de protección de la propiedad intelectual para variedades vegetales, innovaciones biológicas y el conocimiento indígena y local. Aunque no han sido escritas para ser adoptadas por ninguna legislación nacional en su forma actual, estas disposiciones proveen un excelente medio por el cual los líderes políticos y gobernantes pueden evaluar la gama de opciones que tienen por delante.

El Grupo Crucible II espera que los lectores encuentren estos dos tomos de utilidad para su propia comprensión de los temas y el mejor ejercicio de sus responsabilidades de decisión política y de formación de opinión.

AUTOR

El Grupo Crucible II es una agrupación de personas muy diferentes, que discuten apasionada y respetuosamente sobre propiedad intelectual, derechos de los agricultores, mecanismos de beneficio mutuo y estructuras convenientes para la conservación de semillas. Más de 45 personas de 25 países participaron en una o más de las reuniones realizadas e intercambiaron opiniones y datos por vía electrónica. El común denominador entre los miembros del Grupo Crucible II es que comparten una pasión por los recursos fitogenéticos y una creciente preocupación por que uno de los recursos más vitales de la humanidad se encuentre amenazado y sea dilapidado.

El proceso del Crucible II ha contado con el apoyo de BMZ/GTZ (Ministerio Federal de Cooperación Económica de Alemania / Agencia Alemana de Cooperación Técnica), Alemania; ACDI/CIDA (Agencia Canadiense de Desarrollo Internacional), Canadá; FDH (Fundación Dag Hammarskjöld), Suecia; CIID (Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo), Canadá; COSUDE (Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación), Suiza; y Asdi-SAREC (Agencia Sueca de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo), Suecia.

Dr. B.G. Warner is a professor at the University of Waterloo. C.D.A. Rubec is a researcher at the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada.

A series of keys, descriptions, some new names, diagrams, and colour photographs are featured in this new edition.

This publication can be downloaded free of charge from www.portofentry.com/Wetlands.pdf.

La version française peut être téléchargée de www.portofentry.com/frenchWetlands.pdf

aboutREMEDIATION partnered with the Canadian Brownfields Network, government agencies and private industry to develop the Ontario Municipal Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox as a pilot project for Canadian communities. According to Tammy Lomas-Jylhä, General Manager, aboutREMEDIATION, "This resource guide has been prepared to assist municipalities in understanding the process of redevelopment and creating an awareness of the significant role they play in motivating and championing brownfields redevelopment in their communities. Municipalities can use and adapt components of the Toolbox to address their specific needs".

"The emerging interest in Brownfield redevelopment has created a real need for municipalities and other interested parties to understand these opportunities in order to respond effectively and creatively", says Harry Dahme, Senior Partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. In Ontario, municipalities are starting to "re-think" community growth and planning by incorporating concepts of "re-use", and "re-vitalization" into Community Improvement Plans. But, many of these municipalities are in the early stages of brownfield redevelopment and require assistance, resources and tools to guide them through the process. "The Brownfields Toolbox was developed to address this need and focuses on the common elements of many recently developed brownfield strategies", notes Dave Harper, Brownfields Practice Leader, Jacques Whitford Environmental Ltd.

The Ontario Brownfields Toolbox is comprised of three components. The 10 Key Elements of a Redevelopment Strategy describes the basic elements municipalities should consider when creating a vision for community improvement and brownfields redevelopment. The Brownfields Decision Tree outlines the steps to redevelopment in a flow chart format, in accordance with the legislative and policy framework that municipalities must operate within. The 5 Steps to Redevelopment is the foundation of the Brownfields Toolbox and focuses on Community Readiness, Evaluation, Transaction, Implementation and Site Management. Common challenges and issues are identified in each step, along with practical tips and solutions to help municipalities address them.

"Gowling Lafleur Henderson was a proud participant in drafting the Toolbox. We hope that municipalities and others find it to be a useful resource that increases the redevelopment of underutilized properties and lands", states Harry Dahme.

"The Toolbox will allow progressive municipalities to partner with creative developers and property owners to benefit from the redevelopment of Brownfields sites within their communities. Jacques Whitford enjoyed the opportunity to be a Toolbox partner, and supports brownfield revitalization by assessing and quantifying environmental risks", says Dave Harper.

Plans are underway to expand and customize the Toolbox to meet the needs of other stakeholders and provinces and to accelerate brownfields redevelopment across Canada. Opportunities are available for companies to participate in the Toolbox by showcasing and promoting their products and services, and assisting in the development of expanded versions.