Environmental Security and Sustainable Land Use - with special reference to Central Asia

Climate change, non-sustainable land management and the insufficient participation of the local population leads to land degradation problems in parts of the Altai Region, which includes the territory of China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the Russian Federation. This territory is characterized by mountain and steppe landscapes, high biological diversity and a high dependency on natural resources. An environmentally sustainable use of natural resources remains a fundamental foundation for sustainable economic and social development. The achievement of ecologically sound land management practices, especially in vulnerable regions, was identified as a particular important goal for the economic significance of agricultural production and a predominantly rural population. So far, in some parts of the region, land use has been unsustainable over the long term.

This book presents important aspects of environmental security and sustainable land use in general and in particular for Central Asia, i.e.: the environmental consequences of climate change; sustainable land use and regional development; sustainable development in mountain and steppe regions; beyond borders: Transboundary Biosphere Reserve "Altai" as an approach for regional development; landscape planning as an integrative tool for sustainable development; challenges and threats for environmental stability in Central Asia.

A final recommendation in the area of sustainable development and land use as well as the proceeding efforts towards the establishment of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve "Altai" and the implementation of landscape planning were set in the book as some of the main results of the meeting.