In 2000, under the Clinton Administration, a new national land conservation system was created by order of the Secretary of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was given the honor of managing this new system of public lands. Codified into Federal law in the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act enacted by President Barack Obama, it is officially called the National Landscape Conservation System and includes a wide range of special areas, called National Conservation Lands, on the BLM administered public lands throughout the country, mostly in the West.

The years 2021 to 2030 have been designated as "The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration". Ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation efforts face unprecedented challenges, especially in developing countries and areas, such as the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. This huge HKH region, which includes areas in eight separate countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan), is a biodiversity hotspot with a vast array of ecosystems, landscapes, peoples and cultures. It is known as one of 'the pulses of the world'. However, the HKH is also the world's largest and poorest mountain region, where landscapes and environments have been severely damaged as a result of climate change and human activities. Coordinating conservation and restoration policies, sharing knowledge and funds, and maintaining livelihoods are major challenges and are in urgent need of improvement. This book details the past and current ecological problems in the HKH region, and the threats and challenges that ecosystems and local people face. It pays special attention to developments of transformative adaptations and presents examples of sustainable conservation and ecological restoration management practices. This book is essential reading for ecologists and conservation biologists involved in large-scale ecological restoration projects, along with practitioners, graduate students, policy makers and international development workers.

The 15-year strategy summarized here will direct the course of the Bureau of Land Managements (BLMs) National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). Americas newest system of conservation lands was created in June 2000 to conserve, protect, and restore special areas and unique resources. Prized for their cultural, ecological, scientific, educational, wildlife, and aesthetic values, NLCS sites play critical roles in conservation efforts.--Page 1.

The 15-year strategy summarized here will direct the course of the Bureau of Land Managements (BLMs) National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). Americas newest system of conservation lands was created in June 2000 to conserve, protect, and restore special areas and unique resources. Prized for their cultural, ecological, scientific, educational, wildlife, and aesthetic values, NLCS sites play critical roles in conservation efforts.--Page 1.

This open access book is based on the research outputs of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) in 2020. It covers major topics of Chinese and international attention regarding green development, such as climate, biodiversity, ocean, BRI, urbanization, sustainable production and consumption, technology, finance, value chain, and so on. It also looks at the progress of China's environmental and development policies,and the impacts from CCICED. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing insight for policy makers in environmental issues.