The countries of circum-Sahara Africa adversely affected by desertification, their sub-regional organisations, their Northern partners and the concerned international organisations of the United Nations System have created the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) in May 1992. OSS's mission is conducted within the international framework of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) and Agenda 21 and aims to favour the development and the optimisation of its African partners' information wealth, for an optimal use of the means for combating desertification.

This document focuses on the Statistical "Master Book" of Tigray and is the first attempt ofits kind to bring together into one major document all the statistical resources of Tigray, This effon was undertaken through the collaborative efforts ofthe Economic Commissionfor Africa (ECA.) andthe Tigray Development Association (IVA) under the joint programme, "Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Rehabilitation in Tigray (SAERT)".

The lack of balanced development where economic, social and environmental dimensions are given due consideration for long term sustainable development has led the international community to consider different paradigms of development. The multiple challenges to development in Africa have necessitated the use of a holistic approach that integrates economic, social and environmental dimensions, and generates new knowledge, policies and actions.

The agricultural and rural sector is very important in Africa and enormous efforts have been made to develop it, not only at the national level, but also at the regional and subregional level. However, despite this, the growth of the sector has not kept pace with population growth: according to FAI, the population is increasing by 3.3 per cent per year, but agricultural output by only 1.5 percent per year.

The report is a result of input solicited from Member States and regional partners, and extensive desk review of available documentation and internet resources on drought and desertification, as well as information exchange with and comment from various

organizations and individuals. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive but it brings out the main findings obtaining from the above sources on the subject matter.

This paper focuses on the environment and water resources in Africa. Africa is at a threshold of changes and faces challenges that will have a fundamental impact on the survival and prosperity of its people. These challenges are already manifesting themselves in many ways; the most significant of winch is the ability of

African states to ensure food security for a growing population on a sustained basis.

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) at its Sixteenth Session 1. (CSD-16) to be held in 2008, will focus on the assessment of the progress made in implementing programs and actions on sustainable development under the thematic cluster of issues covering agriculture and rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa.

Habitat: United Nations Conference of Human Settlements, held in Vancouver in 1976, recommended that 'A national policy for human settlements and the environments should be an integral part of any national economic and social development policy.

This second issue of the biennial series of the African Compendium of

Environment Statistics, presents environmental and environment-related data for the African region. Like the first issue, it is also in many ways experimental but covers wider topics. A special feature of this issue is greenhouse gas emissions and mineral production in Africa.

Food insecurity is expected to accelerate substantially in sub-Saharan Africa where available evidence suggests that environmental degradation such as soil erosion, desertification and deforestation is seriously depend for increasing their agricultural productivity. As a result, about 44 percent of Africa's population live below the poverty line earning an income of about $39 per month.

This series of African compendium of environment statistics, presents environmental and environment –related data for the African region.

This paper presents the An assessment of urban environmental problems and policies in selected ECA member states, of the Ninth Session of the Conference of African Planners, Statisticians, Population and Information Specialists held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.