World resources : a guide to the global environment,1998-1999

This volume introduces a new section, entitled Global En vironmental Trends, which highlights critical trends in a graphic and easy-to-read format. The section features some 30 stories in five broad areas: Population and Human Well Being, Feeding the World, Production and Consumption, the Global Commons, and Resources at Risk. Together, this col lection provides both an overview of progress to date on sus tainable development and an in-depth look at certain espe cially critical issues, such as the extent of threats to the world's forests. Coverage is not exhaustive; topics will change with each volume to call attention to emerging issues. Also, within this section, we introduce a new chapter that highlights key trends in each of the world's geographic regions. Entitled Re gions at a Glance, this chapter aims to better serve the needs for regional policy analysis. The chapter also features eight global maps highlighting key environment and development indicators the world over. (We are interested in your opinion of these changes and the report overall. Please take a few min utes to complete the reader survey at the back of this volume.)

Part III, Data Tables, continues and expands the tradition of providing relevant data on most countries of the world. Com plementary data are available in the Human Development Re port, published annually by UNDP, and the World Bank's an nual World Development Indicators, and a new report by UNEP, Global Environmental Outlook. To make an expanded set of data accessible to policymakers, scholars, and nongov ernmental organizations, WRI also publishes on diskette the World Resources Database-expanded to include additional countries, variables, and where possible, 20-year time series.

The audience for the World Resources series has steadily ex panded, with English, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Japa nese, and Chinese editions now in print, as well as an Indian edition published in English but printed in New Delhi. A Teacher's Guide to World Resources is also available to make the series more useful to teachers and students.As always, the effort to put together this report was enor mous. The book itself would not be possible without the col laboration of many institutions and individuals who freely shared both data and ideas. (See Acknowledgments.) The book was edited and assembled by the World Resources staff, who drew heavily upon the expertise within the four partner organizations: WRI, UNEP, UNDP, and the World Bank. The Editorial Advisory Board, chaired by M.S. Swaminathan, pro vided active advice and support at all stages of the project. We wish to thank the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its support of the preparation of the report and the distribu tion of the report in developing countries.