environmental protection

It is difficult at first glance to see the connection between a German environment agency and the Antarctic - after all, Germany has no territorial claims in the eternal ice. However, Germany is a Party to the Antarctic Treaty and thus assumes responsibility for the Antarctic. The German Environment Agency (UBA) helps to meet these responsibilities.

The Environmental Library is a resource for the UBA’s research, as well as for many external users. It has grown to become the largest environmental library in the German-speaking world.

Global environmental problems cannot be solved by national environmental regulations alone. Action at international level is required to effectively protect the environment. For this reason the fields governed by international law also include international environmental law, which is intended to protect the global environment.

Germany’s farming sector uses the largest amount of land, but is at the same a lynchpin of our economy – one that provides a reliable food supply and produces sustainable raw materials. The farming sector also plays a key role when it comes to preservation and development of the man-made environment. But increasingly intensive farming brings with it a host of eco-unfriendly effects.

To maintain their livelihood, many people in developing countries depend on access to natural resources such as soil, water or forests. If due to overuse, environmental degradation or climatic changes, access to essential resources is no longer ensured, violent clashes may erupt.