World Resources 1996-97

The seventh biennial issue of the most authoritative survey of the global environment brings together in a highly readable format the latest ideas on a broad spectrum of urban environmental issues and suggests strategies for addressing them. The authors pool the vast resources of the World Resources Institute, the United Nations Development and Environment Programmes, and the World Bank to analyze the impact of urban development on human health and welfare, on the environment, and on economic performance.

The report looks at the sprawling cities of the developing world such as Manila, where 76% of the population inhabits unauthorized housing; at the disintegrating metropolitan landscape in the northeastern U.S., spotlighting Philadelphia, where over 20% of the population subsists below the poverty level; and at the rapidly industrializing cities in Eastern Europe such as Katowice in Poland, where child mortality is 1.5 times the national average. In addition, the 1996-97 edition presents the most recent data and compares conditions and trends in developed (Northern) and developing (Southern) cities, exploring similarities and differences in the nature of environmental problems and their possible solutions.

True to its reputation as the definitive reference on the world environment, the new Report includes up-to-date tables and analysis on numerous topics, including basic economic indicators, forests and rangelands, atmosphere and climate, biodiversity, and water resources. Key data on more than 150 countries are included. This indispensible resource arms decision-makers with valuable information for the development of policies that effectively manage the global environment and natural resources.