Land degradation is as a result of broad range of scales and factors, which include biophysical, climatic, demographic and socio-economic. The aim of this paper was to provide an analysis of wetland utilisation, ecosystem degradation and their effect on the Lake Victoria (Kenya) ecosystem. This involved analysis of socioeconomic and remote sensed data. The main sources of wetland degradation in the Lake Victoria basin were identified as (1) farming activities, (2) grazing and macrophyte harvesting and (3) coupled with catchment degradation-deforestation.

An empirical measure of the value of forests

This paper examines the main ways in which Payments for Environmental Services (PES) might affect poverty. PES may reduce poverty mainly by making payments to poor natural resource managers in upper watersheds. The extent of the impact depends on how many PES participants are in fact poor, on the poor’s ability to participate, and on the amounts paid. Although PES programs are not designed for poverty reduction, there can be important synergies when program design is well thought out and local conditions are favorable.

Global economic growth during the past century has lifted many into lives of unprecedented luxury.The cost has been the degradation of vital ecosystems

Some examples

Forest evaluation is an established practice worldwide