The International Institute for Environment and Development is pleased to announce the publication of a new report. This publication can be downloaded along with over 4,000 other resources, from our website www.iied.org/pubs.

Investment contracts and sustainable development: How to make contracts for fairer and more sustainable natural resource investments
Increased natural resource investment in lower- and middle-income countries may create opportunities to improve living standards, but it also creates risks such as environmental damage and loss of key livelihood assets. Investment contracts define the terms of an investment project and the extent to which it advances – or undermines – sustainable development. Government capacity to negotiate and manage contracts and civil society capacity to scrutinise government dealings can make a real difference to getting a better deal from natural resource investment. Drawing on test trainings in Ghana and Central Asia and targeting host governments and civil society, this training guide demonstrates how to structure such contracts in ways that maximise the investment’s contribution to sustainable development.

To Download: http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=17507IIED

Social assessment of conservation initiatives: A review of rapid methodologies
Despite widely voiced concerns about some of the negative implications of protected areas, and growing pressures to ensure that they fulfil social as well as ecological objectives, no standard methods exist to assess social impacts.

Some 30 tools and methods for assessing social impacts in protected areas and elsewhere are reviewed in this publication, with a view to understanding how different researchers have tackled the various challenges associated with impact assessment. This experience is used to inform a framework for a standardised process that can guide the design of locally appropriate assessment methodologies. Such a standard process would facilitate robust, objective comparisons between sites as well as assisting in the task of addressing genuine concerns and enhancing potential benefits.

To Download: http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=14859IIED