Este documento proporciona informacion y sugerencias para transformar las metas y los conceptos de la Carta Panamericana sobre Salud y Amiente en el Desarrollo Humano Sostenible en planes y acciones en los paises y entre paises, adecuadamente respaldados. Dado que existen factores particulares, a menudo singulares, que conforman las situaciones de los paises y las oportunidades de cooperacion entre ellos, no se propone un programa regional ni un conjunto de metas unicos. La intencion es presentar informacion tecnica y gerencial --marcos de pensamiento en funcion de las necesidades y las respuestas-- que pueden utilizar los paises para lograr los objetivos de politica establecidos en la Carta y los compromisos y acuerdos internacionales que la anteceden, a efectos de que un desarrollo sostenible coadyuve a lograr mejoras del bienestar humano a nivel regional.

This report presents the results of the GIWA assessment of the Colombia & Venezuela and Central America & Mexico sub-systems - located in GIWA region 3, the Caribbean Sea. The regional team identified habitat and community modification as the priority concern of both sub-systems. In the Colombia & Venezuela sub-system, coastal habitats are being degraded by a multitude of issues, particularly land-based sources of pollution. The transboundary ecosystems of the Central America & Mexico sub-system have been severely degraded as a consequence of agricultural and urban expansion, increased pollution loads and unsustainable forestry practices. The past and present status and future prospects of these issues are discussed, and they are traced back to their root causes. Feasible policy options are proposed that target key components identified in the Causal chain analysis in order to minimize future impacts on the transboundary aquatic environment.--Publisher's description.

This report presents the assessment of the GIWA Eastern Equatorial Pacific region, which includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. Pollution in the Southwest Mexico sub-system, freshwater shortage in the Central Equatorial Pacific sub-system, and the unsustainable exploitation of fish and other living resources in the Pacific Colombian sub-system were considered as the priority concerns. The root causes of these water-related problems are identified and policy options are proposed.--Publisher's description.

The North American Mosaic has four overarching features. First, it is, to the extent feasible, based on comparable information on the status and trends of major indicators of the state of the environment in Canada,Mexico, and the United States. Second, the report confirms that these three countries together make up an incredibly complex, dynamic, and interconnected ecosystem in which humans play a dominant and decisive role. Third, the report raises important and sometimes disquieting questions concerning the sustainability of some current trends. Finally, the report is a reminder that our economic, social, and physical well-being are utterly dependent on the life-sustaining services provided by nature. This report emphasizes the importance of developing mutually compatible economic, social, and environmental goals and policies across the three-country region.