A group of technical staff of FAO and the World Bank concerned with agricultural education, research and extension - and their integration into rural development systems - worked together towards the development of a Strategic Vision and Guiding Principles for AKIS/RD. The AKIS/RD vision document, presented in this article, is intended as a vehicle for sharing ideas and principles

A number of critical development challenges ahead are disussed. To address environment and sustainability issues, information and decision support tools are essential. Translating the vision of the Digital Earth into actions and the implementation of the Integrated Global Observing Strategy(IGOS) provide an important international framework for scientific and technical cooperation in addressing information needs for sustainable development in the new millennium.

The global climate maps presented here are based on data for mean monthly values of temperature, precipitation and cloudiness prepared in 1991 by R. Leemans and W. Cramer and published by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). The IIASA data correspond to an imaginary "net" covering the Earth's surface with a mesh size of 0.5 degrees. This is equivalent to about 60 km - an area of about 3,600 sq. km - at the equator.