CD-ROM compiles the results of the Review of the protected areas and development in the four countries of the Lower Mekong River Region. It includes a series of eight reports, 32 thematic maps of protected areas in each country and the region, presentations of the four field studies, photo galleries from the field study areas and aerial views of Lao PDR, and comparative summaries of the national reports.

There is a considerable gap between the science of conservation biology and the design and execution of biodiversity conservation projects in the field. Science is often failing to inform the practice of conservation, which remains largely experience-based. The main reason is the poor accessibility of evidence on the effectiveness of different interventions. This is the basis for this book adopting an 'evidence-based approach', modelled on the systematic reviews used in health sciences and now being applied to many policy arenas. Evidence-based Conservation brings together a series of case studies, written by field practitioners, that provides the evidence-base for evaluating how effective conservation and poverty alleviation strategies can be better implemented. A series of systematic reviews uses experiences and data from fifteen integrated conservation and development projects conducted in the Lower Mekong region, specifically in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. They provide wide-ranging overviews of the effectiveness of protected areas and how innovative tools and methods for monitoring and evaluation can be utilised for more effective outcomes. Results are in the form of management and policy recommendations, based on the quality of evidence and the cost-utility of the intervention. By bridging the gap between field practice and conservation, the analysis should lead to more effective integrated conservation and development interventions. The book represents one of the first attempts to apply the evidence-based approach to conservation and development.

This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible overview of land systems vulnerability assessment in Asia - fundamental to the understanding of the link between global change, environmental sustainability and human wellbeing. The extent and intensity of human interactions with the environment have increased spectacularly since the Industrial Revolution. Thus, the global change research community and development practitioners increasingly recognize the need to address the adverse consequences of changes taking place in the structure and function of the biosphere and the implications for society. With a focus on Asia, this book provides an overview of the vulnerability of land systems and the subsequent multiple stressors in this region. The book offers a discussion surrounding the potential causal processes that affect land systems vulnerability and our capacity to cope with different perturbations. It also identifies factors that help to integrate vulnerability assessment into policy and decision-making. • Addresses the complex issues arising from human–environment interactions that cannot be satisfactorily dealt with by core disciplinary methods alone. • Key coverage of a variety of topics from the vulnerability of smallholder agriculture and urban systems to the impact of socioeconomic processes at the sub-regional level. • Coverage of the causal processes that affect land systems vulnerability and capacity to cope with different perturbations are documented. • Focus on integrating vulnerability assessment into policies and decision-making • Includes contributions from leading academics in the field.

Redefining Diversity and Dynamics of Natural Resources Management in Southeast Asia, Volumes 1-4 brings together scientific research and policy issues across various topographical area in Asia to provide a comprehensive overview of the issues facing the region. The Reciprocal Relationship between Governance of Natural Resources and Socio-Ecological Systems Dynamics in West Sumatra Indonesia, Volume 4, covers a diverse range of issues related to natural resources and its management in West Sumatra Indonesia. The chapters cover issues with livelihood dependence, rights and access to natural resources, natural resources management practices, socio-ecological systems, and governance. Shared experiences and lessons learned from the case studies examined serve as a basis for policy makers and environmental practitioners to recognize the potential of West Sumatra's natural resources for ecological, social and economic development, food security, poverty alleviation, and natural resource sustainability. - Features contributions from mostly local authors - Explores an area experiencing considerable environmental challenges, including impacts on biodiversity and local economies - Includes chapters on forests and illegal logging, land resources, water resources, protected lands, and biodiversity - Examines case studies as a basis for policy makers and environmental practitioners to recognize the potential of West Sumatra's natural resources for ecological, social and economic development, food security, poverty alleviation, and natural resource sustainability