A global approach to the world's problems is presented, viewing social, cultural, scientific, and humanistic questions as factors in a world that is a single interacting system. It is noted that the basic needs of the third world, which represents nearly half of the world's population, have not been met. A discussion on this topic addresses the…

The conference described in this report convened to provide a forum for exchanging ideas and opinions on the role of the United Nations in global energy management. The conference was one in a series of international meetings (14 have been held to date) to consider how to increase the effectiveness of the United Nations during the 1980s. The…

Intended for policymakers, this document focuses on environmental factors limiting the expansion of the world's food supply, the dilemma of fostering third world economic development, and prospects for energy development. The first of five parts gives an overview of a 1983 Population Reference Bureau conference which focused on current thinking…

Attempts to identify the need for support communication in water development projects in developing countries. Describes how the support communication process could be planned and implemented in ways that would enhance environmental quality. Focuses on water projects in the rural areas of developing nations. (TW)

This document deals with efforts aimed at reforesting large areas of degraded lands. It includes sections on: (1) tree cover trends; (2) fuelwood challenges of the future; (3) the need to supply industrial wood; (4) stabilizing soil and water resources; (5) forests and climate change; and (6) mobilization for reforestation. (TW)

Poor land and environmental pressures are degrading many of the world's dryland areas. Despite international efforts to halt desertification, the problem is worsening; one-third of the earth's land area, and as many as 850 million of the world's poorest people, are potentially at risk. Presented are some of the key facts and possible solutions to…

This booklet focuses on demographic change during the 1980s and 1990s, with special emphasis on the social and political pressures of accelerated demographic growth. It is intended for use in classrooms, community discussion groups, and seminars. Two world population trends are designated as most likely to dominate the demographic picture in the…

Describes how environmental problems in developing countries partly arise out of lack of development. Emphasizes that environmental education is critical under these conditions. Argues for the systematic integration of economic and environmental plans for various regions. (TW)

Arranged into four parts, the paper discusses the importance of international and institutional cooperation and the appropriate use of technology in the search for new and renewable energy sources. The first part of the paper discusses the inevitable depletion of the world's oil supply, the increasing interdependency of nations, the implications…

Global inflation should be viewed more as a sympton of social problems than as an economic disease that can be cured by monetary and fiscal policy. Social problems signaled by inflation include exploding demand, rising costs for essential commodities, stagnating productivity, and a decline in the real standard of living. Inflation is interpreted…

The report identifies regions in which deserts and arid zones are increasing; discusses social and climatic causes of deserts; and suggests ways to cope with and reverse problems of famine, malnutrition, and drought. Increasingly, land is being sapped of its ability to sustain agriculture and human habitation north and south of the Sahara, in…

Recognizing that science and technology (S/T) have become increasingly relevant to important public policy issues, Congress has mandated the periodic preparation of a "Five Year Outlook for Science and Technology" to help U.S. policymakers anticipate and deal with these issues more effectively. This book, the result of a study conducted by the…

Aside from the growth of world population itself, urbanization is the dominant demographic trend of the late twentieth century. The number of people living in cities increased from six hundred million in 1950 to over two billion in 1986. If this growth continues unabated, more than half of humanity will reside in urban areas shortly after the turn…

The infusion of technology into society has created social and environmental problems as well as benefits. Four concerns linked with technology are discussed in this paper: rising unemployment, growing social inequalities, dwindling oil and gas reserves, and potential long-term ecological problems. Indiscriminate transfer of modern labor-saving…

The second of a series of annual reports designed to provide a global assessment of progress toward a sustainable society, this publication monitors changes in the global resource base (land, water, energy, and biological support systems), focusing particularly on how these changes affect the economy. Included in the report are news on innovative…