The concept of a green economy has lately gained currency as the world has been searching for solution to multiple global changes, especially in the midst of the global economic crisis in 2008. The UN Joint Crisis Initiative 4 on the Green Economy, led by UNEP, is currently investigating this concept and a Green Economy Report, covering all sectors’ contributions to the green economy is being prepared. The United Nations General Assembly has selected the “green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty alleviation” as one of the main themes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to be held in Rio, Brazil in 2012.

This month, we invite you to participate in the e-consultation on Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources. Following a lengthy regional consultation process, additional input is being requested prior to the drafting of the Zero Draft Guidelines. FAO Headquarters marked World Water Day 2011, examining the urgent need for safe water supplies for the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. Finally, we proudly announce the Chinese-language version of a disaster preparedness project web site, outlining the findings of a two-year project that took place in China’s Juye County. The site is now fully available in English and Chinese.

Communities in the upper parts of watersheds in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador are particularly vulnerable to weather extremes and increasingly unpredictable weather behavior. This vulnerability plays out with a devastating effect on agricultural production and natural resources in the most affected region. A regional project focused on assisting Andean countries in reducing disaster risks in the agricultural sector. This project web site documents good practices on natural resources management and institutional strengthening in these affected regions. It also serves as a repository for policy briefs, aimed at helping decision makers to undertake sustainable participatory and productive development.