Preparing National Regulations for Water Resources Management

Preparing National Regulations for Water Resources Management
Author: Stefano Burchi
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2003
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9789251050293

As the pressure on finite resources of freshwater resources increases, government-administered legislation is taking a more dominant role in water resources management and protection. This manual is intended to bridge the gap between the policy and principles of the resultant primary legislation and implementation through secondary legislation. It covers a variety of legislative approaches cvoering all aspects of water resource management from water rights & permits, pollution prevention & control; conservation; flood control; irrigation; drainage and charging. It is an update of of the earlier FAO Legislative Study No. 52 (1994). Like its predecessor, it provides conceptual material for use in the preparation of national regulations for the management, development, use and protection of freshwater resources.

Legislation on Water Users' Organizations

Legislation on Water Users' Organizations
Author: Stephen Hodgson
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2003
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251050279

A robust regulatory framework for the corporate governance of water users' organizations is a fundamental ingredient of irrigation management transfer policies. The present publication offers a comparative analysis of the contemporary legislation of a wide variety of countries, providing the needed regulatory framework for water users' organizations to function and grow.

Development of an Analytical Tool to Assess National Biosecurity Legislation

Development of an Analytical Tool to Assess National Biosecurity Legislation
Author: Daniele Manzella
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2007
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251058718

Biosecurity aims to facilitate the implementation of international obligations related to international trade and the protection of human, animal and plant life and health as well as the environment. It looks at the coordination of sectoral regulatory authorities in order to manage biological risks for food and agriculture in an efficient and holistic manner. Upgraded legislation is needed to align national laws to international standards and to enhance institutional coordination. Countries require comprehensive and consistent national legal frameworks for Biosecurity in order to implement effective controls, increase cost effectiveness and improve consistency across sectors. Reviewing and assessing what legislation is in place is the first step toward implementing a Biosecurity approach. It is not an easy exercise as the normative and functional components of Biosecurity are often found in a plethora of laws and regulations. Based on the six pilot country studies, this text develops an analytical methodology to review and assess national legal frameworks for Biosecurity.

Land and Water--the Rights Interface

Land and Water--the Rights Interface
Author: Stephen Hodgson
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2004
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251052143

This paper seeks to answer a number of basic questions. First of all just what are land tenure rights and water rights? Second, how do the respective regimes compare? Third what linkages, if any, are there between land tenure rights and water rights and, if there are none, does this matter, either in general or as regards specific aspects of the interface? A key objective of the paper is to examine which aspects of the rights interface merit further research. In comparing the two regimes a final subsidiary objective of this paper is to try and identify which areas, if any, in one sector can shed light on areas for future research in the other.

Designing National Pesticide Legislation

Designing National Pesticide Legislation
Author: Jessica Vapnek
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2007
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251058770

International and national legal frameworks governing the trade and use of pesticides have undergone significant changes over the last twenty years. The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides, the Rotterdam Convention, the Stockholm Convention, the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol are only some of the binding and non-binding international instruments applicable to part or all of the life cycle of a pesticide. Specific guidelines for implementation are often available from the secretariat of the applicable international instrument, but comprehensive guidance is generally lacking. Governments need a clear picture of their international obligations as well as guidance on the accepted international consensus on the proper management of pesticides. Upgraded national legislation is needed to align national frameworks with international norms. This text aims to provide governments wishing to design, reform or update their national legislation with up-to-date advice on all aspects of pesticide management. Although the recommendations for national legislative change are designed to be useful to all countries, the text highlights the particular problems faced by developing countries and countries in transition, offering practical solutions to common problems. Also published in Spanish.

Mountains and the Law

Mountains and the Law
Author: Annie Villeneuve
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 108
Release: 2002
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9789251048306

Most countries have not yet adopted mountain-specific laws, preferring to protect mountains through existing sectoral legislation. However, countries such as France, Georgia, Italy, Russian Federation (North Ossetia-Alania), Switzerland and Ukraine, have enacted legal instruments dealing specifically with mountains, and other countries are developing similar legislation. This publication broadly describes the main elements of international and national mountain-specific legal texts, and also includes national case studies.

The Legal Framework for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources

The Legal Framework for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 172
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251054437

Based on information gathered mainly through national surveys, the study provides an overview of the main legal instruments governing the management of animal genetic resources at the national level. Relevant international and regional regulatory frameworks are also examined. As the policy debate on the management of animal genetic resources evolves in various fora, and as FAO develops the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources, the discussion on legal issues will take centre stage. The study aims to contribute to such discussion through a general assessment of the status of national regulatory frameworks and general recommendations for national legislation development

Groundwater in International Law

Groundwater in International Law
Author: Stefano Burchi
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 588
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251052310

Groundwater represents about 97 per cent of the fresh water resources available on earth (excluding the water locked in the polar ice), and is of key social, economic, environmental and strategic importance. Aquifers (including numerous transboundary ones) are coming under growing pressure from over-abstraction and pollution, which seriously threaten their sustainability. This publication brings together a range of binding and non-binding international law instruments dealing with groundwater, an emerging body of rules that indicate a trend towards more comprehensive international regulation in this important field.

Perspectives and Guidelines on Food Legislation

Perspectives and Guidelines on Food Legislation
Author: Jessica Vapnek
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251054314

The increasing globalization of food trade and the harmonization of food standards and food safety rules have led to significant changes in the international and national regulatory frameworks for food. There is an increasing recognition of the need to integrate and improve coordination of regulatory activities among national and international bodies for better protection of human, animal and plant life and health without creating unnecessary barriers to trade. In addition, catastrophic outbreaks of food-borne disease have sparked increasing attention to the regulatory frameworks for food safety and food trade in the global arena. These developments have given rise to new legislative needs. National regulatory frameworks have to be adjusted to meet international and regional obligations, while the distribution of responsibilities for the food sector requires rigorous review. The present text draws on FAO's experience in providing technical assistance to governments developing new food laws and regulations, setting out and examining the many elements of the national system which should be taken into account in a comprehensive review of national regulatory frameworks for food. Towards that end, the text offers concrete recommendations for the preparation of a basic national food law, including three variants of a new model food law.

Legal and Institutional Aspects of Urban and Peri-urban Forestry and Greening

Legal and Institutional Aspects of Urban and Peri-urban Forestry and Greening
Author: Lidija Knuth
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251054321

Overall, urban and peri-urban forestry and greening (UPFG) receives little interest on political agendas despite its importance to society in terms of the social, economic, aesthetic and environmental benefits. This is even more problematic in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This publication explores the legal and institutional issues related to UPFG on a global level, using case studies to illustrate the varied nature of its application and concluding that further efforts are required to improve existing legal frameworks