Designing Improved NRM Interventions in Agriculture for Poverty Reduction and Environmental Sustainability in Developing Countries

摘要

Agricultural production worldwide depends largely on natural resources such as land, water, pasture, fish, forests, and biodiversity. More than 55 percent of nonfor-est land and 80 percent of freshwater is used for agricultural production (World Bank2004). Ecosystems such as cultivated lands, rangelands, forests, genetic resources, and oceans provide multiple uses and direct and indirect services that help to meet the growing demand for food, freshwater, fiber, and energy. The use of natural resources has contributed significantly to economic growth and human well-being in many parts of the world. Properly managed natural resources provide an essential foundation for reducing poverty and promoting sustainable economic growth. Yet there are seriousconcerns about the capacity of the base of natural resources to sustain current and future levels of agricultural growth in ways that improve the well-being and health of poor people. The objective of natural resource management (NRM) in agriculture is to enable efficient and sustainable use of ecosystem services that provide food and other direct and indirect benefits for human well-being.