The UNEP Year Book 2009 (formerly the GEO Year Book) presents selected new scientific findings and events of 2008 that are likely to shape important environmental issues and trends in the coming year of 2009.

The groundbreaking " Silver Bullet or Fools Gold " (2002) reviewed the state of markets for environmental services worldwide and their likely impacts on the poor. Here we present a follow up review on payments for watershed services initiatives in developing countries.

Local governments are increasingly realizing the importance and benefits of addressing gender equality and equity in their decision making, policies, programmes and services. Many are rising to the challenge.

The UNEP Year Book 2008 (formerly the GEO Year Book) is the fifth annual report on the changing environment produced by the United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with many world environmental experts. The UNEP Year Book 2008 highlights the increasing complexity and interconnections of climate change, ecosystem integrity, human well-being, and economic development.

The UNEP Year Book 2008 (formerly the GEO Year Book) is the fifth annual report on the changing environment produced by the United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with many world environmental experts. The UNEP Year Book 2008 highlights the increasing complexity and interconnections of climate change, ecosystem integrity, human well-being, and economic development

This study looks at two issues: ecological services valuation - assessing the economic value of the direct and indirect ecosystem services provided by two sanctuaries in Cambodia, and the potential costs/benefits of allowing continuing land conversion and illegal logging; and protected area financing - assessing the costs of maintaining management activities and recommendations for generating funds.

Environmental conflicts over sustainability, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), biodiversity, biotechnology and risk, chemicals and public health, are not necessarily legalistic problems but land use problems. Edward Christie shows how solutions for these conflicts can be found via consensual agreement using an approach that integrates law, science and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and reframes the role of law and science.

One billion tires reach the end of their useful lives every year. Recovery of end-of-life tires reduces
waste and provides a fuel and material resource that can replace other scarce natural resources.

Only recently have world leaders paid attention to the crisis of slums. In 2000, one of the Millennium Development Goals called for ''improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers''. But the goal is far too modest. Already, since 2000, the population of slum dwellers has increased by the same figure. And it is estimated that 180,000 people are added to the urban population everyday.

The GEO Year Book 2007 is essential, informative, and authoritative reading for anyone with a role or an interest in our changing environment. The 2007 edition covers fisheries to forestry and climate to freshwater management underlining risks and opportunities of globalization. Also available in French, Spanish, Russian & Arabic