2002 has been designated the International Year of Ecotourism by the United Nations. The concept of ecotourism relates to tourism activities which observe and appreciate nature, which contribute to its conservation, and seek to minimise any negative impact on the natural and socio-cultural environment. The main objective of this publication is to disseminate good practices regarding the planning and management of ecotourism activities. It contains 55 case studies from 39 countries which demonstrate a wide range of successful initiatives. Each considers the stakeholders involved, objectives and strategies, funding, sustainability and monitoring aspects, problems encountered and solutions found in each project.

This document is adopted from The Latin America and Caribbean Regional Preparatory Conference for the Wordl Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in October 2001. It seeks to present an overview of the progress made towards sustainable development since the Earth summit and an assessment of the challenges and opportunities that should be taken into account with a view to the adoption of future measures.

National information needs on forests have grown considerably in recent years, evolving from forest area and growing stock information to key aspects of sustainable forest management, such as the role of forests in the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of other ecosystem services. More recently, information on changes in carbon stocks, socio-economic aspects including the contribution to livelihoods and poverty reduction, governance and broader land use issues has become critical for national planning.