This document contains the proceedings of the Subregional Workshop on Land and Water Information Systems (LWRIS) in the Caribbean, held in Barbados in October 2000. The meeting was organized by FAO Land and Water Development Division (AGL), in collaboration with the Caribbean Agricultural and Research Development Institute. LWRIS experiences in the countries are presented as well as recommendations for future collaboration in database development, reporting and exchange of information, expertise and experience in land and water management in the region and the implementation of regional projects. This includes the preparation of national and regional reports on the state of land, water and plant nutrient resources in the Caribbean for dissemination through the Caribbean Land and Water Resources Network (CLAWRENET) Web site that is linked to Web sites in the countries and with the AGL Web site.

Countries of the Near East vary in the type, quantity and format of the inventories of their land resources. Quite often, these data are sporadic, incomplete, out of date or based on diverse systems of land and soil classification and mapping. There is a need for the establishment of a user-friendly database on land and water Resources for each country, to be easily available at the desktop of land use planners and decision makers. Land resources information systems experiences in the countries are presented in this document, as well as recommendations for future collaboration in database development, reporting and exchange of information, expertise and experiences in land and water management in the region and the implementation of regional projects.

Countries of the Near East vary in the type, quantity and format of the inventories of their land resources. Quite often, these data are sporadic, incomplete, out of date or based on diverse systems of land and soil classification and mapping. There is a need for the establishment of a user-friendly database on land and water Resources for each country, to be easily available at the desktop of land use planners and decision makers. Land resources information systems experiences in the countries are presented in this document, as well as recommendations for future collaboration in database development, reporting and exchange of information, expertise and experiences in land and water management in the region and the implementation of regional projects.

Includes CD-ROM on inside back cover

The purpose of the workshop was to promote Land Resources Information Systems (LRIS) and their application in the assessment, mapping and monitoring of land in relation to food security in the South African Development Community (SADC) countries. The workshop reviewed advances made both within and outside SADC. Experiences were discussed and a plan of action prepared to promote future reporting and exchange of information, data expertise and experiences in land information using technical cooperation among developing countries

Much of Guyana’s 20th century history was defined by the PNC dictatorship and the political and economic wreckage it left behind. In “Guyana’s Great Economic Downswing, 1977 to 1990”, Dr Ramesh Gampat presents a comprehensive study of these specific years when the national economy contracted by 2.7 percent annually. He explores the multiple facets of the country’s political tribalism which “does not value freedom, liberty and the flourishing of all people; it values only freedom, liberty and flourishing of tribes.” The study reinforces the widely held belief that until and unless these adversarial groups subsume their respective selfish interests and commit to the common cause of national peace and development, the great downswing might not rest as a historical event but could well re-emerge with further economic devastation if the lessons go unheeded. Dr Gampat makes a strong case for federalism as a solution to Guyana’s ethnic politics. Federalism, he posits, would ensure that all Guyanese have equal access to opportunities and resources since a system of provincial governance would be better placed to address discriminatory policies and practices at a localised level. With the country sitting on the cusp of transformative development to be propelled by new-found oil wealth, there is an urgency to settle the divisive politics if every Guyanese is to benefit fairly and equitably from the economic boom. “Guyana’s Great Economic Downswing, 1977 to 1990” offers up a studied and comprehensive analysis that should be part of that bipartisan discourse going forward. --- Ryhaan Shah, Novelist, Social Activist A few piecemeal academic articles analyzing Guyana’s economic evolution over the period 1977 to 1990 were written, but they are scattered and lost away in various journals. What was missing is a comprehensive and rigorous exploration of the era of Cooperative Socialism. Dr. Ramesh Gampat’s book fills this gap. It is a superb synthesis of historical, theoretical and econometric exploration of the Great Downswing. The book not only provides estimates of important macroeconomic concepts such as Guyana’s total factor productivity and long-term growth, but also produces the useful statistics and reviews of poverty, inequality, life expectancy, education outcomes as well as a detailed analysis of the rice sector. As if these are not enough, Gampat sets the tone by situating the exploration in the country’s long standing and debilitating ethno-political dynamics. This self-contained book will be of tremendous use to policy makers, journalists and students interested in the historical context of present-day outcomes. I highly recommend this book to public libraries and home reference libraries. ---Tarron Khemraj, William and Marie Selby Professor of Economics and International Studies, New College of Florida

This publication is part of FAO's work on soil carbon sequestration within the framework of its programme on the integrated planning and management of land resources for sustainable rural development. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the scientific aspects and potentiality of carbon sequestration in drylands on the basis of case studies across different land use and management systems carried out in several distinctive drylands areas of the world. It includes an overview of the policies and clarification of the different economic incentives regarding soil carbon sequestration in order to determine how available resources and specific programmes can be implemented in drylands in order to improve food security and rural livelihood of the populations in drylands, one of the most soil degraded and impoverished regions of the world.

On 16 November 1994, the 1992 U.N. Law of the Sea Convention took effect. Progress is now evident in the implementation of Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, as reviewed by the 1997 UNGA Special Session. These developments and the establishment of the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) make the continuation of the NILOS Documentary Yearbook, now in its 11th year, of particular significance in the years to come. The Yearbook compiles the documents related to ocean affairs and the law of the sea issued each year by organizations, organs, and bodies of the United Nations system. These include documents of the U.N. General Assembly, ECOSOC and its regional Commissions, the U.N. Secretary-General's Informal Consultations, PrepCom ISA/ITLOS, UNCED, UNEP and UNCTAD; followed by the documents of specialized agencies and other autonomous organizations of the U.N. system, including FAO, IAEA, ILO, IMO, UNESCO/IOC and WMO. The Yearbook reproduces in full documents issued in the course of the most recent year and lists other relevant documents. The NILOS Documentary Yearbook has proved of invaluable assistance in facilitating access by the community of scholars and practitioners in ocean affairs and the law of the sea to essential documentation.

This document contains the proceedings of the Regional Workshop on Ladn Resources Information Systems (LRIS) in Asia, held in Quezon City in January 2000. LRIS experiences in the countries are [presented, along with recommendations for future reporting and exhange of information, data expertise in land resources information. This includes the preparation of national and subregional reports on the state of land, water and plant nutrient resources in Asian countries.

This publication is a revised and updated version of World Soil Resources Reports No. 84, a technical manual for soil scientists and correlators, designed to facilitate the exchange of information and experience related to soil resources, their use and management. The document provides a framework for international soil classification and an agreed common scientific language to enhance communication across disciplines using soil information. It contains definitions and diagnostic criteria to recognize soil horizons, properties and materials and gives rules and guidelines for classifying and subdividing soil reference groups. Published also in Spanish and Arabic.