Global Environment Outlook: For Life on Earth

This volume-GE0-1- is the first product of the GEO Project. It provides a snapshot of a process in the making and aims to move the process along by documenting its progress. The principal focus of GE0-1 is a review of major environmental issues from regional perspectives, and an initial evaluation of some existing and a few promising policy responses that address regional priority concerns. It also takes a first glimpse at the future using quantitative analysis techniques. Chapter 2 1ook.s at existing key regional State of the Environment reports, action plans, and sectoral reports. It provides a global synthesis of the primary regional environmental problems, the driving forces behind them, and emerging concerns. The issues are analysed against a background of existing development patterns and objectives, operating policies. practices, and institutions. Chapter 3 takes the first step in forging the link between assessment and policy. It presents the outcome of regional policy and assessment consultations conducted as part of the GEO Project. Chapter 4 explores the future to the year 2015 and beyond using a model-based approach, assuming that no major policy or institutional changes will take place. For a selected number of topics, it attempts quantitative analyses of changes in environmental and socio-economic factors and their interlinkages.