An ecosystem is a community of interacting organisms and the physical environment they live in. We know ecosystems as the forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, coral reefs, rivers, estuaries, and other living environments that surround us. They also include the farms, pastures, and rangelands -- collectively known as agroecosystems -- that feed us. They are the earth’s living engines of production, providing the goods and services -- air, food, fiber, water, aesthetics, and spiritual values -- that make life possible for rich and poor alike.

In World Resources 2000-2001: People and Ecosystems -- The Fraying Web of Life, we explored the threats to global ecosystems and stressed the need to adopt an "ecosystem approach" to environmental management.

Governance is the exercise of authority -- the decisions, regulations, and enforcement that determine how we will act and who will benefit. It encompasses the laws, institutions (such as government agencies or village councils), and decision-making processes that embody this authority. Democratic governance implies the participation of those who are governed in the decision-making process either directly, through representatives, or both.

In World Resources 2002-2004: Decisions for the Earth -- Balance, Voice, and Power, we showed how the conditions and quality of governance influence our environmental decisions, and stressed that good governance that ensures adequate representation, access to information, and public participation is crucial to the sustainable and equitable management of ecosystems.

In World Resources 2005, we argue that prudent ecosystem management, enabled by pro-poor governance, can reduce poverty. Without attention to poverty, the goal of sustainable development recedes beyond reach.