Biodiversity – a measure of the wealth of species, ecosystems and ecological processes that make up our living planet –received public prominence as a result of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The loss of biodiversity, say the authors, is the greatest environmental problem the world faces but the issue has not been given the attention it deserves. With the emergence of the Global Environmental Facility in 1990 came the chance to fund biodiversity conservation on a unprecedented scale and in 1992 the GEF was adopted as the interim funding mechanism for the Convention on Biological Diversity signed at the Earth Summit. Three years after its foundation, the authors of this paper suggest that the GEF has to be reformed radically if it is to become an effective force in conservation. Their conclusions are based on Conservation International's experience with the GEF over the last 3 years in more than 10 countries.

Pteropus livingstonii is one of the world's most endangered fruit bats, with a small population limited to two of the Comoro Islands (western Indian Ocean), Surveys carried out in 1992 and 1993 suggest that the population numbers around 150 individuals. Loss of habitat through deforestation is the major threat to this species. Old World Fruit Bats: An Action Plan for their Conservation recommends captive-breeding of this species as one of 20 priority projects. The FFPS helped fund both the preparation of the Action Plan and the field projects described in this paper.

The Madagascar radiated tortoise, already beset by habitat destruction and human exploitation, suffered another blow when many individuals died as a result of a road improvement scheme in the heart of their range. When the authors of this paper reported the problem the Malagasy government authorities acted swiftly to modify the road to prevent tortoises being trapped there in the future.

About 3000 elephants live in the Laikipia/Sambnru region of northern Kenya – the largest remaining population outside the country's formal protected areas. The elephants occasionally kill or injure people, damage the crops of small-scale farmers, drive cattle away from water sources and cause a range of other problems for the human population. As a result, a number of elephants have been shot for control purposes in recent years and others have died as a result of poisoning, snares or spearing. The author examines the conflict between elephants and humans in areas of differing land use and makes suggestions for resolving at least some of the problems.

The authors carried out the first field survey for otters in Lithuania, which demonstrated that the species is still widespread. With otters now rare or absent in much of western Europe, conservation strategies for the animal and its habitats in remaining eastern European strongholds must be developed.

The marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus is one of the largest mammals in South America. It is classified as vulnerable by IUCN (1990) and is listed on Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Very little field-work has been done to ascertain its status and current distribution and the survey described here is the first attempt to census the marsh deer numbers in the Iberd Natural Reserve, the Argentine stronghold of the species. The survey found only 1100 individuals with a smaller percentage of yearlings than would be expected in a healthy population. Hunting, competition with domestic stock for grazing and transmission of diseases from cattle may be combining to limit population growth and further research is needed to form the basis of a mangement plan for the species.

One of India's five major populations of elephants lives in north-west India, where 90 per cent of the total 750 elephants occur in Rajaji and Corbett National Parks and adjacent reserve forests. This 3000-sq-km habitat is also home to many other endangered species. While the 520-sq-km core area of Corbett National Park is free from human impact, the rest of the range is subject to increasing pressures, both from the pastoral Gujjar community within the forests and villagers outside. The elephant habitat has been fragmented by hydrological development work and human-elephant conflict is increasing. The authors recommend measures that need to be implemented to ensure that the elephants and other wildlife of the area are conserved.