The Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) defines biodiversity as the variability among living
organisms from all sources including, inter alia,
terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the
ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes
diversity within species, between species, and of
ecosystems. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and TEEB
(The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) demonstrated

It is a virtual certainty that sea-level
rise will continue throughout the century and beyond 2100
even if greenhouse gas emissions are stabilized in the near
future. Understanding the economic impacts of salinity
intrusion thus is essential for planning adaptation in
low-lying coastal areas around the world. This paper
presents a case study in Bangladesh on how climate change
leads to the spread of soil salinity and the impact on

This document summarizes the approach
that the global partnership for oceans (GPO) will take in
its work with countries to help improve the health of the
oceans and reduce coastal poverty. Restoring the health of
the world's ocean is a global challenge that can and
must be solved if one has to alleviate poverty, build
resilient communities, and foster strong coastal economies.
The natural systems underpinning the health of the ocean and

The World Bank Group (WBG) has a long
experience in engaging in biodiversity with world-class
expertise in the field. It has been the single largest
funder of biodiversity investments since the late 1980s. The
WBG investments have largely been of two kinds: (1)
investments in biodiversity, aimed at the conservation and
sustainable use of species, habitats, and ecosystems that
sustain healthy ecosystems, while enhancing people's

This issue of Handshake focuses on
natural resource PPPs that are making a difference. In
Cartagena, Colombia, a hybrid public-private agency is
profiled that has standardized water service to residents
while restoring the coast, and in the process, contributed
to political stabilization. Around Africas Lake Victoria, an
environmental management initiative with the potential to
reduce the pollution and resource footprint of industrial

Urban agriculture contributes to local
economic development, poverty alleviation, the social
inclusion of the urban poor and women, as well as to the
greening of the city and the productive reuse of urban
wastes. Urban agriculture encompasses a wide variety of
production systems in both urban as well as peri-urban
areas. This study examines the contribution of urban
agriculture to livelihoods, food security, health, and the

The aim of the rapid assessment is to
support the transition from emergency post conflict recovery
to a development approach. The completion of the water,
sanitation, and hygiene, or WASH strategic framework in 2011
was intended to mark the beginning of this transition in the
water resources sector. Among other things, the transition
involved the adjustment of policy and strategy and possibly
a rethinking of approaches as the government shifts from

The increasing resilience to climate
change in the agricultural sector report presents
local-level priorities, informed by stakeholder input, to
build agricultural resilience in both countries. The
objectives of this study were threefold: (1) to improve the
understanding of climate change projections and impacts on
rural communities and livelihoods in selected regions of
Jordan and Lebanon, specifically the Jordan River Valley and

This paper sheds light on how to harvest
the "youth dividend" in Sub-Saharan Africa by
creating jobs in agriculture. The agriculture that attracts
the youth will have to be profitable, competitive, and
dynamic. These are the same characteristics needed for
agriculture to deliver growth, to improve food security, and
to preserve a fragile natural environment. With higher
priority accorded to implementation of well-designed public

This study, policy and investment
priorities to reduce environmental degradation of the Lake
Nicaragua watershed, has assessed the sources and the
magnitude of the pressures that threaten Lake Cocibolca. It
was accomplished by applying a hydrological and land use
model to the lake's watershed and by conducting
additional estimates of nutrients generated from wastewater
sources and tilapia farming. The study has confirmed that

In September 2013, the World Bank
launched the second Zambia economic brief, entitled
Zambia's jobs challenge: realities on the ground. This
report presents response of the youth to the facts and
figures shared in the Zambia economic brief. It gives a
broad range of discussion, often provocative, as to how
Zambia's employment challenges can be tackled. It
discusses the issues as diverse as cultural mind-set,