The report highlights significant environmental events and achievements during the year, raises awareness of emerging issues from scientific research and presents indicators of progress towards environmental sustainability. The selection of environmental issues and developments highlighted in the GEO Year Book are derived from a comprehensive tracking process between UNEP and partners. Clearly organized with accessible non-technical language, the full-colour report includes extensive graphics, images and fact boxes, serving as an important guide for policy-makers and a stimulus to future action in the years ahead. The GEO Year Book 2003 includes an introduction by Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director, UNEP and four major sections described in the outline of contents: An Overview of major global and regional environmental issues and developments that shaped policy decisions and actions during the course of the year A Feature Focus on Freshwater and its critical role in realizing various internationally-agreed development goals and targets, including those contained in the UN Millennium Declaration and in the Plan of Implementation agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development Emerging Challenges – New Findings presenting scientific progress made in 2003 that may assist society in recognizing and better understanding emerging environmental issues and help decision makers in designing adequate responses. GEO Indicators highlighting some of the key global and regional environmental issues and trends that have been identified in GEO reports. The selected set ofindicators provides a consistent and harmonized oversight of major environmental changes on an annual basis.