Provides a revealing global overview of air pollution and its startling impact through graphical and visual representation of data.

The concept of 'sustainable development' was first introduced at the time of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, where over 170 heads of state signed a plan of action for the 21st century - Agenda 21. Agenda 21 sets out a proposal for sustainable development that combines several goals: preservation of the environment, social equity and economic efficiency, aiming to ensure the well-being of the world's people without compromising the future of generations to come. This Atlas proposed an unprecedented 'reading' of the global situation, supported by socio-economic, geopolitical and environmental data. Topics including access to education, the gulf between living standards in the North and the South, women's civil rights, climate change and international solidarity are presented along with a series of fully updated 30 information sheets and 40 full-colour maps. 'World Atlas of Sustainable Development' is a unique and valuable tool for individuals and organizations interested in development, whether they work in businesses, administration, local authorities, associations or education, as it is designed to be concise, accessible and objective.

Launched to mark World Environment Day 2005, and produced by the UNEP in collaboration with organisations such as the US Geological Survey and NASA, this publication uses text, illustrations, satellite images and ground photographs to depict and analyse humanity's impact on our environment. Issues discussed include: population growth and urbanisation, natural resources consumption, land use intensification, biodiversity and habitat loss; environmental impacts and trends including global warming, air and water pollution, and the impacts on oceans and coastal zones, forests and tundra; changes that result from geo-hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis, climate hazards such as floods and droughts, and industrial hazards such as nuclear accidents and oil spills; and suggestions for mitigating the effects of global environmental change.

*** Highly commended in the Public Health Category of the British Medical Association Book Competition 2005*** Every child has the right to live in a healthy supportive environment - an environment that encourages growth and development and protects from disease. Many of the world s children however are exposed to hazards in the very places that should be safest - the home school and community. Considering that their growing bodies are particularly sensitive to environmental threats the final burden of childhood disease is substantial. Every year more than three million children die due to unhealthy environments. This atlas articulates where and why more than three million children die every year due to unhealthy environments. It tackles issues as diverse as the devastating and largely unknown impact of indoor air pollution the unfashionable tragedy of sanitation and complex emerging issues like climate change. Full-color maps and graphics clearly demonstrate the threats that children face everywhere and underscore the impact of poverty on children s health. While this crisis cannot be ignored and demands urgent action success stories such as the Montreal Protocol show a way forward for the world to make sure that our children will inherit a safer planet and a brighter future.

The World Atlas of Desertification summarises the state of scientific knowledge on the drylands of the globe. Representing in graphic form the current stage of our understanding of desertification, as well as its extent and possible solutions, it contains an extraordinary amount of information of value to students and experts alike. The Atlas clearly shows that desertification is one of the world's most pressing environmental problems, and that it is a truly global issue. Since the publication of the first edition in 1992, over 100 countries have ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This 2nd edition reflects major advances in our understanding of desertification over the past few years and has been thoroughly revised and expanded to almost twice its original size. Because combating desertification involves all aspects of environmental issues, this edition covers a broader range of topics, including concerns surrounding poverty, biodiversity, climate change and the availability of water. Social and economic conditions also have a major impact on the progress and control of desertification and this edition contains the latest information on population movements which result from, and lead to desertification. Desertification directly affects the livelihoods of more than one billion people who are directly dependent on the land for their survival. Using the latest updated digitised maps of desertification and fully referenced throughout, this Atlas is essential reading for everyone concerned with the drylands and their people.