This book highlights how the human security aspect has been affected by the global pandemic, based on the specific case study, field data, and evidence. COVID-19 has exemplified that the pandemic is global, but its responses are local. The responses depend on national governance and policy framework, use of technology and innovation, and people’s perceptions and behavior, among many others. There are many differences in how the pandemic has affected the rich and the poor, urban and rural sectors, development and fiscal sectors, and developed and developing nations and communities.Echoing human security principles, the 2030 Agenda emphasized a “world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want... free of fear and violence... with equitable and universal access to quality education, health care, and social protection....to safe drinking water and sanitation... where food is sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious... where habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable...and where there is universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.” These basic human security [PA1] principles and development agenda are highly affected by the global pandemic worldwide, irrespective of its development and economic status. Thus, the book highlights the nexus between human security and development issues. It has two major pillars, one is the development and the other is technology issues. These two inter-dependent topics are discussed in the perspective of the global pandemic, making this the most important feature of this book.While the world is still in the middle of a pandemic, and possibly other natural and biological hazards may affect peoples’ lives and livelihoods in the future, this book provides some key learning, which can be used to cope with future uncertainties, including climate risks. Thus, the book is timely and relevant to wider readers.

As the search for Earth-like exoplanets gathers pace, in order to understand them, we need comprehensive theories for how planetary atmospheres form and evolve. Written by two well-known planetary scientists, this text explains the physical and chemical principles of atmospheric evolution and planetary atmospheres, in the context of how atmospheric composition and climate determine a planet's habitability. The authors survey our current understanding of the atmospheric evolution and climate on Earth, on other rocky planets within our Solar System, and on planets far beyond. Incorporating a rigorous mathematical treatment, they cover the concepts and equations governing a range of topics, including atmospheric chemistry, thermodynamics, radiative transfer, and atmospheric dynamics, and provide an integrated view of planetary atmospheres and their evolution. This interdisciplinary text is an invaluable one-stop resource for graduate-level students and researchers working across the fields of atmospheric science, geochemistry, planetary science, astrobiology, and astronomy.

This outlook study focuses on the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), comprising 14 countries in the Pacific region – Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu (Melanesia); the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Palau (Micronesia); and the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu (Polynesia). It examines the future prospects for forests and trees in the Pacific, providing insights into potential pathways of change and options for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study was prepared by FAO in response to a request from the Pacific Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry and incorporates information from country outlook papers, thematic studies, and various published and unpublished sources.

Transforming Multilateral Diplomacy provides the inside view of the negotiations that produced the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Not only did this process mark a sea change in how the UN conducts multilateral diplomacy, it changed the way the UN does its business. This book tells the story of the people, issues, negotiations, and paradigm shifts that unfolded through the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs and the subsequent negotiations on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, from the unique point of view of Ambassador Macharia Kamau, and other key participants from governments, the UN Secretariat, and civil society.

Rice production, area, and yield; Imports and exports; Food aida; Consumption and stocks; Domestic prices; World prices and tariff and nontariff measures; Land use, irrigation, and farm size; Population, labor force, and wages; Modern rice varieties; Fertilizer use and prices; Rice costs and returns.