ENSURING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: TOWARDS A MORE WHOLISTIC APPROACH
Name: Mr. Rahul Donde
Country: India
ENSURING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: TOWARDS A MORE WHOLISTIC APPROACH
In the year 2000, over 300 members of the United Nations ushered in the new millennium with the adoption of a landmark resolution in the history of the world- The Millennium Declaration. The Declaration marked a strong commitment to the right to development, to peace and security, to gender equality, to the eradication of the many dimensions of poverty and to sustainable human development. Enshrined in the Declaration, were what have become known as the eight Millennium Development Goals, including eighteen time- bound targets. Achieving the MDGs will require the ingenuity, solidarity, and creativity of millions of people though voluntary action, from the grassroots to the policy level.
Our natural environment is the unequivocal basis of human survival. It is the foundation for all economic and, more importantly, human development. The Member States of the United Nations recognized the importance of a sustainable environment and espoused the same as the seventh Millennium Development Goal viz. “Ensure Environmental Sustainability”. Goal 7 calls for upholding the principles of sustainable development and systematically integrating them into country policies and programmes. It also mandates reversing and replenishing the loss of environmental resources.
The environment is central to the all the Millennium Development Goals. Without a sustainable environment, life itself would be endangered and the question of development of life would not arise. Even though States have been making concerted efforts to reach the targets for Goal 7 by 2015, without capitalizing on all resources in society, including the involvement and commitment of all stakeholders, achieving these targets does not seem feasible.
Role of the Youth: Present Global Scenario
“Young leaders represent our hope for the future, and have the greatest potential to push for [the] realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) [by] 2015, established by the United Nations.”
--Prime Minister of Thailand His Excellency Thaksin Shinawatra
Youth today comprise more than 1.2 billion of the world’s capital. They have tremendous potential and dynamism, which if tapped efficiently will provide the necessary impetus essential for achieving the MDGs. Practically speaking as well, mere adoption of resolutions and framing of policies concerning sustainable development will be rather ineffective without the active involvement of the very youth that they are meant to serve. Both these factors necessitate the creation of a platform at national as well as international levels where youth can come forth to express their views and experiences to policy makers and other stakeholders.
It is therefore heartening to note that youth worldwide have realized the importance of effective contribution in development issues and are taking concrete steps to facilitate the creation of a network of concerned stakeholders and policy-makers at local and international levels. Statistics show that youth volunteerism has expanded significantly over the past few years with an increasing number of youth actively involved in the decision-making process.
The global youth movement, on the whole, however is characterized by fragmentation, resulting in isolated actions that do not reach their full potential, often due to a lack of resources, access to knowledge and information, and institutional barriers. In a worldwide, on-line consultation with more than 350 youth about the MDGs in June 2004, most of the respondents said that they knew little or nothing about the MDGs. Without the guidance, understanding, support, and recognition of government leaders, and other decision-makers, young leaders are often unequipped to fully participate in the decisions that are affecting their lives.
Role of Youth: Achievements
“We dream of living in an environment that brings us joy, not anxiety.
We dream of having clean, fresh drinking water and not turning our rivers into sewers.
Above all, we dream of living - not existing.
Teach us, involve us, and use us.”
--Young Presentation to UNEP Governing Council Meeting 2000
Although the actual utilization of youth remains much to be desired, world communities are slowly being sensitized to the value of youth and are making concrete efforts to strengthen and mobilize young people as partners in policy formulation. Some initiatives which have achieved sterling results by successfully harnessing the full potential of youth are highlighted below. These initiatives have not only set the benchmark for other youth programmes, but have also provided the necessary framework which should be adopted to facilitate greater cooperation and involvement of youth.
I. Youth Caucus at the Commission of Sustainable Development:
The CSD is a case in point in the involvement of youth in the decision-making process. Youth caucus delegates share the floor with government delegates and are also empowered to make interventions and share experiences and priorities of youth working at the grass-root level. Youth at CSD also meet directly with their governments to ask how their countries’ sustainable development commitments are being fulfilled and lobby for increased ways and methods for youth to nationally implement policies of sustainable development.
II. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Youth Advisory Council
The Council works closely with UNEP on environmental issues, UNEP decision-making processes, and UNEP programme development. The council members support UNEP in enhancing environmental awareness and act as ambassadors for the environmental conscience of young people worldwide. The UNEP TUNZA Advisory Council aims to increase youth participation in UNEP through developing environmental policy, advising UNEP on ways to involve youth in UNEP’s areas of concentration, and advising UNEP on the development of regional initiatives and the UNEP Children and Youth Program
III. United Nations Volunteer Small Grants Scheme
The UNV MDG Small Grants facility aims at providing a window for the direct participation of volunteer-based NGOs, local communities, and other volunteer-involving organizations in activities that further the achievement of Millennium Development Goals. The MDG Small Grants facility is rooted in the belief that global environmental problems can only be addressed adequately if local people are involved and that with small amounts of funding, local youth communities can undertake activities that will make a significant difference in their lives and their environment.
IV. MDG Youth Campaign
The MDG Youth Campaign was launched by the United Nations Vietnam Country Team in 2003. The initiative has drawn the attention and support of thousands of Vietnam’s youth in helping to achieve the Goals. Thanks to the campaign’s series of initiatives, to the receptive interest, and the opening support from the youth union, government agencies and bilateral donors, youth in Vietnam are now more aware of the MDGs and the country’s current development challenges. Many youth, thus, are effectively contributing to the achievement of the MDGs.
In forums where youth enthusiasm and dynamism have been channeled effectively, exemplary results have been achieved. Countries like Vietnam which have effectively sensitized their youth to the MDGs and related development issues are in the best position to achieve the MDG targets by 2015
India: A case in point
India is striving to achieve the MDGs by adopting policies and conceptualizing frameworks that integrate the diverse resources of the country into cohesive and workable units capable of being directed towards achievement of the MDG’s. The table below clearly depicts that the Tenth Five Year Plan of India has set some key targets on the basis of the established MDG targets.
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Tenth Plan Targets:
Target 9: Reverse loss of environmental resources Increase in forest cover from 20.6% in 2001 to 25% by 2007 and 33% by 2012
Target 10: Halve proportion people without safe drinking water by 2015
Cleaning of major polluted rivers by 2007 and other notified stretches by 2012. All villages to have sustained access to potable water by 2007
Target 11: Improve lives of 100 million slum dwellers
These efforts will however prove futile to combat strategic challenges posed by global climate change, burgeoning pollution and diminishing water resources unless concerted steps are taken to secure and enhance active co-operation among various socio-economic groups and to facilitate greater involvement by the youth of the country.
Role of Youth: India
"No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline."
--Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations
Although India may not have yet “severed its lifeline”, it has nonetheless failed to facilitate and implement effective involvement of youth in the decision making process. No initiatives taken to strengthen and mobilize young people as partners in policy formulation have actually received the support of the government. A vast portion of the youth remains blissfully ignorant of the Millennium Development Goals and their import.
Suggested plans of action:
In a country as socio-economically diverse as India, it is futile to standardize measures to secure and enhance greater co-operation and involvement of the youth towards achievement of the MDGs. However, some valuable lessons may be learned from the successful international initiatives provided earlier. Some measures which must be adopted at the earliest include:
• Sensitizing young people in their schools, organizations, and local communities in order to raise awareness about MDGs
• Adopting a progressive National Youth Policy which obliges decision workers to work with young people and developing international benchmarks such as a Global Youth Development Index to assist in this process.
• Funding regional and international youth networks in order to facilitate global cooperation
• Developing partnerships for joint environmental initiatives aimed at building capacity in young people between Governments, inter-governmental agencies and youth
• Showcasing youth-led efforts which have successfully addressed social and environmental needs on a local level and providing incentives for replication of such efforts in similar communities.
These are a mere inkling of the large-scale measures that need to be adopted and stringently adhered to if India is to retain its hopes of meeting the MDG targets by 2015. Primarily, therefore, the need of the hour is to disseminate information to Governments and other Heads of State about the import of youth and compel them to involve youth at various levels in development activities.
The world belongs to the youth and the sooner governments and other policy makers realize this all-pervading fact, the quicker will the ultimate goal of overall development of each and every human being be realized.
Name: Mr. Rahul Donde
Word Count: 1692 words
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