Natural resource management

Today, one billion people have no access to clean drinking water and more than two billion people live without functioning energy supply. Sustainable management of natural resources such as land, water and soil is one of the central challenges of developing countries.

Sustainable management of natural resources includes the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. Ecosystems provide a broad range of services with high (economic) value to society, such as supply of water, food, fibre and timber, as well as recreational and cultural services. Amongst others, research is needed on the monetary valuation of such ecosystem services and their contribution to poverty alleviation, as well as to the design of policy and economic incentives for their provision.

Rural transformation, economic development and climate change will continue to have strong impacts on ecosystems, changing the potential use of natural resources and requiring adequate adaptation and mitigation measures at the level of technologies as well as of policies.

List of research projects related to natural resource management conducted by members of the North-South Centre »»

NB: Projects that are part of a North-South Centre managed programme have a
reference to their detailed description on the respective page of the Annual Report 2010.