This study assessed the extent of land use and cover change in Buliisa and Nakasongola Districts in the cattle corridor of Uganda over 27 years (1986 –2013), and their impacts on livestock management under drought induced pasture. The study found that area under open water and grassland declined by 3.5 and 48.3 per cent, while woodland, wetland, small scale farming and forest increased by 0.2, 62.2, 320.7 and 64.1 per cent, respectively, in Buliisa.

Trade in ethanol is increasing, and raises the need for the classification of various biofuels within frameworks such as the WTO. With that being said, this paper wonders how do biofuels policies and programs fit within the WTO’s stated goals of liberalisation. In addition, it examines the effects of the rapid biofuels expansion on the prices of grains, and the effects triggered in the livestock industries. The paper indicates that the biofuels industry affects and is affected by government policies in countries around the globe.

This document summarizes current findings from an evaluation of Mexico’s National Payments for Hydrological Services from 2003-2010.  Th evaluation seeks to understand the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the program, with the goal of extracting lessons learned and identifying room for possible future improvement.

Findings: an analysis of program selection criteria and the characteristics of lands enrolled suggests the program has met the dual goals of targeting funds to areas of ecological and social priority. Specifically:

Market solutions based on the trade of carbon offset credits remain a dominant feature in international climate change negotiations. This paper undertakes a preliminary assessment of potential of climate change mitigation projects by evaluating Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects related to agriculture and land use change in Latin America. Results suggest that potential benefits of carbon markets in the agriculture and forestry sectors are often overstated, with failures in the areas of additionality, project accountability and sustainable development.

This policy brief examines the manner in which Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) pilot projects have been undertaken in Indonesia and Peru. The research data summarized within the brief was gathered using a method known as Fair and Efficient REDD Value Chain Allocation (FERVA). The FERVA analysis is used to capture the perceptions and expectations of REDD stakeholders at the preliminary stages of REDD initiatives; it also informs stakeholders of the different functions of the REDD value chain.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) annual report 2011 describes the achievements of its programme of work through 240 projects in 94 countries, as well as its new strategic framework for 2011-2015. The report documents the milestones and indicators towards sustainable rural development, including a number of regional examples. It highlights IFAD’s efforts to support the empowerment of poor rural women and young people, to increase rural financial services and weather insurance, and to address climate change, which is one of IFAD’s most central strategic aims.

Water, food and energy are fundamental to African development. However, several crucial issues need to be addressed. Are African resources used to meet African needs or are they being exploited to satisfy the needs of other actors facing food and energy insecurity?

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) compares and assesses national and global action against a range of different climate targets across all relevant time frames. This report assesses whether Mexico’s current policies and climate action pledges meet the country's targets and approach the targets required for a global 2°C or lower pathway. According to the report, Mexico is among the countries most advanced in reducing emissions from deforestation and ensuring afforestation through payment for environmental services.

Land and forestry-based activities could in principle play important roles as climate change mitigation strategies. In practice, however, several questions have been raised about their feasibility. Therefore, understanding the processes and determinants of land use changes is critical. This paper aims to contribute to such understanding in the larger part of a larger project on sustainable development and economic growth. It begins with a dynamic model of land use.

This report presents an analysis of the synergies between environmental policies and the development of comprehensive environmental projects.

The success of REDD+ depends on whether it can be economically viable and if any resulting payments are sufficient to cover the opportunity cost plus any transaction cost. Where tenure security over forested areas is weak, REDD+ can pose a risk for forest communities, who could be dispossessed, excluded and marginalised. This review explores how payment for avoided deforestation and forest tenure impact the success of REDD+ projects in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and equity.

The UNFCCC framework asks countries to include a national REDD+ institutional framework with certain key elements, many of which will draw on existing legal frameworks. For example, as part of their national strategies and action plans (discussed above), countries are requested to address. land tenure issues:1 The importance of land tenure for regulating land use and assigning benefits from REDD+ has been widely noted. Nonetheless, clarifying and then administering land tenure is a complicated issue that presents a challenge for many countries.