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Whither Sustainable
Development?
Our generation will probably be among the last that will have the opportunity to make the fundamental choices about the future of our people and our planet. And, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), which took place in Johannesburg in 2002, was one of those key decision-making moments, according to Mohammad Vali Moosa – the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, South Africa. In fact, a plethora of statesmen and dozens of leading experts from around the globe have joined in a ‘post-WSSD’ analysis of the prospects for sustainable development. All this contribution is provided in the invaluable book – Survival for a small planet, This vital document focuses
on the entire major policy fronts including security, finance, urban
governance, radical partnerships, migration, health, access to
resources and the role of markets. The distinguished group of
authors examines the contributions that governments, business and
civil society can each make to improve our prospects and they set
out the agenda for those This book provides an authoritative and extensive picture of the policy challenges that confront us, presenting the analysis and ideas of key sustainable development thinkers. In addition, many of the papers produced by the civil society organizations for the Johannesburg Summit have been collected and made available here on CD-ROM. Thanks to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), this anthology is as comprehensive as possible in recording the various inspiring civil society contributions to WSSD. Agenda 21 and the Rio Principles are as valid today as when they were negotiated in 1992. The Rio Summit changed the way we operate at global, regional, national and local levels by placing the concept of sustainable development firmly on the agenda. The Johannesburg Summit provided a renewed commitment to the implementation of the Rio agreements and set a series of targets towards which all the nations of the world need to strive. As the title of the book suggests, the future of our planet is at stake. Despite leaps forward in technological development and economic growth, the last decade has seen an extra ten million people each year joining the ranks of the very poor. For some one billion people - In Africa, Asia, Latin America and also in those expanding pockets of poverty in Northern countries – sustainable development remains a distant dream. The gap between the rich and poor, wherever they are, grows ever wider. The Millennium Declar-ation has set targets for the eradication of poverty and other key development goals. The World Summit elaborated mechanisms and strategies for achieving these targets – particularly through partner-ships involving different constituencies, skills and resources. In the foreword of the book, Dr. Mohammed Valli Moosa sums up that: "What we need from global leaders and stakeholders in the years following WSSD is a genuine commitment to the implementation of agreed policies and programmes that can overcome the obstacle of non-delivery since Rio. The potential is there for us to realize the vision of an equitable and prosperous and equitable society in balance with the resources and ecosystems of our planet. I believe that this book can help us to make real progress towards that goal. This book is a must for all those who believe that if we do not act now for the teeming millions subsisting below the poverty line, there may be no tommorrow for this small planet called Earth. More on the II nd International basin Conference, India…O ur readers may already be aware that Development Alternatives, as the South-Asian network node of the international building advisory service and information network (basin), is hosting the II International basin Conference, India on the 16th, 17th and 18th March, 2004.The Conference is turning out to be a constellation of visionaries, thinkers, practitioners and researchers pursuing sustainable habitat and livelihoods for the poor. 120 participants from 20 countries have already confirmed their participation at the conference. These include architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, development consultants, panchayat (local Government) representatives, social workers, building material specialists, scientists and finance professionals. The key note addresses of the three days will be delivered by Dr Arcot Ramachandran, former Under Secretary General, United Nations, Mr Jockin Arputham, President, National Slum Dwellers Federation; and Dr Ashok Khosla, President Development Alternatives respectively. The valedictory address will be delivered by Mr Miloon Kothari, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing. We are working to make the conference a useful as well as enjoyable experience for the participants. As a part of the Conference, we are also organizing a panel discussion on ‘Information and Communication Technology for Development’ on 16th March. The dinner on 17th March will be preceded by a presentation by Mr. Rajive Sethi and performance from Sarthi – Nehru Kala Kunj, an artist group which will present the struggle for livelihoods and habitat by the poor. The Conference is being supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation, the Ministry of Rural Development, HUDCO, UNDP and CARE. The evening panel discussion on ICT for development is sponsored by Bharati - Airtel and the cultural evening by JK Cements. The conference has been designed as an interactive workshop to facilitate clarity on approaches for large scale impact of sustainable habitat and livelihood interventions undertaken by various agencies. The "Knowledge Exchange" forum on day 2 and 3 have been especially designed to enable delegates from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences to feed into working sessions on "strategic imperatives and practical solutions" for sustainable habitat and livelihoods. The learning and sharing process of the three days will culminate with the articulation of actionable strategies through scenario planning exercises leading to recommendations for future action. qReviewed by Rajiv Gupta |
working to achieve a sustainable world.