Notes from the Global Conference on Sustainable Development / Evian 2012

By Yula Pannadopoulos

The last week of September was marked by the Global Conference on Sustainable Development, organized by PlanetWorkshops in Evian, France, and under the high patronage of the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, and under the patronage of the Representation in France of the European Commission.

In a time when globalization has become a reality for all and civil society progressively gains influence, it is necessary to implement a constructive approach in order to achieve efficient and shared solutions. "Cooperation", "Stakeholders collaboration", "Collective intelligence"are now the core subjects of a required action. How can we structure this ideal of dialogue between all actors of society without denying the advantage of competition?

The international multilateral system now seems inadequate regarding the needed answers to current challenges.
The evolution of economic models is a real opportunity for extraordinary cooperation. However, the crisis we are experiencing have awaken protectionist reflexes. Climate and biodiversity are two examples of common goods for which construction has been sacrificed to the competition logic. How can we conciliate logic of competition and need for collaboration?

On a financial, technological and social point of view, solutions already exist to co-construct the urgently needed changes. They imply deep modications in our attitudes and represent real revolutions. 

If access to energy is a major issue, the question of energy management is equally important. A better management of energy production and consumption allows re-thinking our places of life and our territories. Thus, how can energy management be an asset to building sustainable territories?

Every year, millions of people choose to settle in cities or suburbs of big urban areas. Wishing to access employment and basic service and to improve the quality of life, the world's population is attracted by urban life. However, some of these urban spaces can no longer meet the basic needs of these populations. But is a desirable urban ecosystem really possible?

The consumer is today a central actor of transformation of our economic. models. Internet and social networks have become extraordinary tools for sharing information and for citizen's commitment. How can these tools become real instruments of a responsible consumption?

Facing the excesses of our production and consumption models, it is imperative to develop new business models. The low carbon economy, which aims at reducing carbon dioxide emissions, seems to be one of these new models. How could collaborative economy allow us to achieve a low carbon economy?

Town and country planning is a major component of the human environment. Spatial planning and occupation policies must favor a healthy environment, conductive to populations' well-being. How to re-think the organization of territories to improve human health?

These are just some of the issues, topics and questions raised and discussed during the conference, and the best way to experience the atmosphere of a conference dialogue is to see the videos: http://www.planetworkshops.org/en/184/planetworkshops-tv/


Photo credits: http://eesc.europa.eu

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Liveable Cities

 
By Tjasa Oresnik

My friends and I have been, over the years, involved in many projects focusing on sustainability, protection of the environment, water and carbon footprint, preservation of forests, recycling. We still are a part of some of those projects, and we enjoy learning, collaborating, and participating. We also wanted to create a project of our own - a community project - where literally anyone can join and be a part of it, without (many) rules.

Just before this year's summer break at the University, we got together with Nektarina Non Profit's team, and they invited us to join their project idea Liveable Cities, and me and my friends were thrilled with the idea 

Liveable Cities is a 12 month volunteer project sharing (at least) 365 blog posts from people all over the world, giving us their vision of a (more) liveable city. The project's objective is to explore, research and share practices, ideas and developments in the urban areas across the world, focusing on sustainability, quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation, water and air quality, pollution, waste management, low carbon transport, recycling, energy efficiency, renewable energies, co-operatives, environment and green areas, ecosystems and biodiversity.

"Great. But what does it actually mean.", I can hear you ask. We actually want to give a platform for anyone and everyone to express their thoughts, visions, concerns, ideas, projects and practices about how they see the city of the future - a sustainable, environmentally conscious city. What we want to create is a platform for a dialogue, a place for people to engage into a conversation, a forum, if you will, enabling everyone to express themselves in any format, really - writing, photography, video, design, multimedia, art. We would like you - all of you - to join us and help us create a set of ideas, stories and images for a better, healthier and more sustainable quality of life in our urban habitats.

Send us your thoughts, ideas, blogs, photographs, anything and everything regarding urban habitats, green city life, urban sustainability or any related topic, really (or just subscribe to our fab weekly newsletter!).

Our email is liveable.cities@nektarinanonprofit.com

Let's create better, more liveable cities together! :)




Photo credits Nektarina Non Profit / Taken at Lugano, Switzerland

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Blame it on Rio (or maybe not)

By Yula Pannadopoulos

Yet another conference ended, and one more time we are left with few answers, if any.  I will not go into details, and whine about what should have been done, or what could have been achieved. I am sure you all followed to the post Rio+20 press, and heard just about every negative thing about lack of will, failure to commit and so on and so forth. I will focus on the positive.

More than ever before  the UN showed that it realizes the need to adapt, to change, and to re-invent itself from an organization with a rather outdated, slow and certainly (at least for the outsiders) frustrating ways of communication to a modern, fast(er) and more open minded entity. Don't get me wrong. I don't think UN does not have an open mind in general terms - of course it does. What I meant was mostly about communication with the outside world, that, without a doubt, needs to be more 'updated' and more relaxed. (where 'updated' equals social networks, visuals and creativeness).

This year, at this conference, more than ever before, we saw (on social networks) a true, honest effort to connect, to share, to inform, and to support a dialogue. There was an amazing number of ways to engage, communicate one's thoughts, opinions, and ideas on the future one wants. Twitter and Facebook timelines were positively overwhelmed with great information, visuals, videos, and, most importantly, with messages and comments from all of us. People, and youth in particular, finally became a factor in the equation.

And maybe Rio+20 was a failure - from many perspectives it certainly was. But a wider, more open, more transparent dialogue has been opened, and it is almost impossible to reverse that fact - and that's a great thing. That's pretty awesome.

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Artwork by Junior Lopes via toonpool.com

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India

As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the snow-covered Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards to the tropical rain forests and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. The capital city is New Delhi, while neighbouring countries are Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

 

India has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 64 years of its Independence. It has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now one of the top industrialized countries in the world.

 

India is one of the oldest civilizations with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. The country has metamorphosised into one of the most sought after destinations for travel, much due to the presence of several renowned world heritage sites, and an inherent spiritualistic force, which pulls enthusiastic travellers towards it from all over the world. The country is a pictorial of landscapes, opulent historical sites and royal cities, golden beaches, lofty mountain ranges along the Ghats, lush greenery, tropical rain forests, colourful people, rich cultures and festivities.

 

Environmental challenges in India

 

According to data collection and environment assessment studies of World Bank experts, between 1995 through 2010, India has made one of the fastest progresses in the world, in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental quality. Still, India has a long way to go to reach environmental quality similar to those enjoyed in developed economies. Pollution remains its major challenge and opportunity. Environmental issues are one of the primary causes of disease, health issues and long term livelihood impact for India, while its population growth adds pressure to environmental issues and its resources.

• The major sources of pollution in India include the rampant burning of fuel wood and biomass such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy, lack of organized garbage and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment operations, lack of flood control and monsoon water drainage system, diversion of consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices near major rivers, government mandated protection of highly polluting old public transport, and continued operation by Indian government of government owned, high emission plants built between 1950 to 1980.
• Perhaps the largest of the environmental issues is inadequate or lack of access to vital fresh water resources. Years of exploitation and extraction of groundwater in India has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop. The rivers are on the front line of pollution. Millions of people depend on them for their livelihoods but they are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage, chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste. Only 67% of rural Indians have access to water in their homes (as opposed to 95% in 2005). Increasing competition for water among various sectors, including agriculture, industry, domestic, drinking, energy generation and others, is causing this precious natural resource to dry up. Increasing pollution is also leading to the destruction of the habitat of wildlife that lives in waterways.
• India's 7516 km of coastline have also come under attack from this environmental sabotage and overfishing remains a huge problem due to lack of legislation enforcement. Raw sewage from an awful lot of people is pumped endlessly into the ocean along with other industrial waste and chemicals. Hundreds of miles of coral and other sea life are slowly being destroyed due to offshore drilling.
• Air pollution is most severe in urban centres, but even in rural areas, the burning of wood, charcoal, and dung for fuel, coupled with dust from wind erosion during the dry season, poses a significant problem. Without a doubt the main contributor of air pollution in India is the transport system. In the big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, millions of old and very dirty diesel engines churn out millions of tonnes sulphur on a regular basis.
• India is witnessing a rising demand for forest-based products. This is causing deforestation and encroachment into forest protected areas, which leads to a severe loss of natural resources. The loss of natural habitats creates situations in which lions, leopards, and monkeys, amongst other animals, create major problems for humans in their daily interactions. As animals ruin property and take lives, humans are tempted to start killing important parts of the environment. Furthermore, invasive species are the second biggest threat to biodiversity after deforestation.
• As of the mid-1990s, 60% of the land where crops could be grown had been damaged by grazing, deforestation, misuse of agricultural chemicals, and salinization. Nearly 30% of India's gross agricultural output is lost every year due to soil degradation, poor land management and counterproductive irrigation. India is also one of the three largest importers of palm oil in the world. Of these imports, 95% come from Indonesia and Malaysia, where conversion of natural forests for cultivating oil palm is a major threat to biodiversity and livelihoods in the tropics.
• Each year, hundreds of millions of plants and animals are caught or harvested from the wild and then sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist curios, and medicine. While a great deal of this trade is legal and is not harming wild populations, a worryingly large proportion is illegal — and threatens the survival of many endangered species, with overexploitation being the second-largest direct threat to many species after habitat loss.
• As of 2001, 4.4% of India's total land area was protected. In addition to 75 species of mammals, 73 types of birds are endangered, as are 785 plant species. Endangered species in India include the lion-tailed macaque, five species of langur, the Indus dolphin, wolf, Asiatic wild dog, Malabar large-spotted civet, clouded leopard, Asiatic lion, Indian tiger, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, Asian elephant, dugong, wild Asian ass, great Indian rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros, pygmy hog, swamp deer, Himalayan musk deer, Kashmir stag or hangul, Asiatic buffalo, gaur, wild yak, white-winged wood duck, four species of pheasant, the crimson tragopan, Siberian white crane, great Indian bustard, river terrapin, marsh and estuarine crocodiles, gavial, and Indian python. Although wardens are authorized to shoot poachers on game reserves, poaching continues, with the Indian rhinoceros (whose horn is renowned for its supposed aphrodisiac qualities) an especially valuable prize.
• As a result of climate change India is likely to suffer a wide array of impacts, ranging from insecure energy and food supplies and reduced availability of fresh water to extreme weather events, such as cyclones, flooding, heatwaves, and droughts. The worst-hit will be the poor in both rural and urban areas, who are more vulnerable and whose ability to recover from disasters is lower. Public health, human development goals and the country’s rich biodiversity will all be hit.” Climate disturbances such as high floods and droughts frequencies during the annual monsoon season and the fast melting of the Himalayan glaciers will likely to create water crisis for India in next 20 to 50 years.

 

 

Citizens’ community involvement

 

The conclusions presented below were taken from the CIVICUS Civil Society Index Report for Orissa, one of the Indian states, due to lack of better data at national level, but they can be extrapolated to the whole country.

 

The structure of civil society in Orissa is weak due to a lack of collective community action for any common social concern, more charitable giving for religious and spiritual purposes than social purposes, voluntarism for personal reasons rather than for common social cause, and a lack of representation of all social groups in both membership and leadership. In addition, the inadequate financial and technological resources of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Orissa are daunting factors that make the structure of the civil society weak.

 

Nearly 79% of the people in Orissa are involved in charitable giving, which is found to have a deeper linkage to religious and spiritual purposes here than to social purposes. They also donate both cash and in kind to the people affected by natural disasters. Many people help their fellow community members and distressed people in their neighbourhood during times of emergency.

 

Community survey findings suggest that nearly 57% of people in Orissa are associated with at least one CSO. As far as the extent of participation in the CSOs is concerned, religious organisations (22.13%) have the highest community participation followed by cooperatives (16.94%) and neighbourhood/village committees (15%). Education groups (9.32%), cultural groups (7.97%), NGOs/civic groups/human rights organisations (6.18%), women’s groups and youth groups (5.47%) also have a fair level of people’s participation.

 

Voluntary action is an inherent characteristic found in the social tradition of Orissa. It is observed in both organised and unorganised forms in rural and urban Orissa. Generally, voluntary action for any social cause has more of a rural than urban face in India. More than 90% of the respondents remarked that they had volunteered for some cause. Collective community action in Orissa, like voluntarism, is deeply rooted in its culture of sharing ideas, skills, time, energy and resources for a common cause or concern However, over the years Orissa has experienced a decline in the volunteering culture.

 

The past few decades have witnessed continued efforts by civil society actors concerning issues of sustainable development. Activism with respect to environmental protection or protests against setting up of mineral-based industries is on the rise. Issues of protection of natural resources like lakes, mountains and minerals have been a priority for civil society. This vigilant stance of civil society has caused the state government to bring about commendable changes in its Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy, as well as to take cautious steps regarding setting up of mineral-based industries. The Media review reveals that 50% of the reports mention environmental awareness campaigns and plantation activities by various CSOs. In addition, movements aimed at the protection of the environment are very persuasive and effective, because in many of the cases, environment protection is closely associated to people’s livelihood and welfare.

 

 

Government environmental policies

 

According to OECD there are about 39 environmental taxes in India, among which 32 are motor vehicle taxes (in different states and sometimes under different names), 3 are road taxes, 2 are electricity taxes, 1 regards the prevention and control of pollution (water cess) and 1 regards fossil fuels (raw coal, raw peat and raw lignite - the clean energy cess). Moreover, there is also a national voluntary scheme called Green Initiative in the Corporate Governance.

 

The National Environment Policy is one of the most important legislative acts and has as principal objectives: the Conservation of Critical Environmental Resources; Intra-generational Equity: Livelihood Security for the Poor; Inter-generational Equity; Integration of Environmental Concerns in Economic and Social Development; Efficiency in Environmental Resource Use; Environmental Governance; and Enhancement of Resources for Environmental Conservation.

 

The present legislative framework is broadly contained in the umbrella of the Environment Protection Act (1986); the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1974); the Water Cess Act (1977); and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1981). The law in respect of management of forests and biodiversity is contained in the Indian Forest Act (1927); the Forest (Conservation) Act (1980); the Wild Life (Protection) Act (1972); and the Biodiversity Act (2002). There are several other enactments, which complement the provisions of these basic enactments.

 

In addition, some of the sustainable development policies in India are:

• Accelerated Programme on Energy Recovery from Urban Wastes
• Auto Fuel Policy
• Coal Transport Policy
• Energy Conservation Act
• Energy Policy
• Hydrocarbon Vision 2025
• National Campaign on Energy Conservation 2007
• National Electricity Policy
• Policy Statement for Abatement of Pollution
• Programme on Biomass Energy and Co-generation
• Programme on “Small Wind Energy and Hybrid Systems”
• The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
• The Environment (Protection) Act
• The Forest (Conservation) Act
• The Motor Vehicle Act
• The National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act

 

 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

 

Corporate Social Responsibility is a grey area among the business organisations operating in Orissa. There are not enough CSR initiatives by the business community and there is limited civil society initiative to bring in required changes in the corporate strategies.

 

Civil society’s opinion of CSR in Orissa is not very positive. People perceive this kind of activity as either insignificant (46.01%), moderate (12.27%) or limited (38.65%). Only 3.07% of the survey respondents feel that the CSR status was significant. However, the opinions of the industries contradict the above findings. A survey conducted among 12 large private manufacturing companies indicates that in most of the cases, industries view themselves as socially responsible.

 

The survey shows that CSOs receive only 1% of their funds from corporate sources. This indicates a low level of corporate philanthropy practiced in Orissa. In the survey on ‘Status of CSR in Industries in Orissa’ 8.5% of the respondent industries opine that helping the community through charitable donations, educational and cultural contribution is not on their agenda. Similarly, one-third of the firms clearly state that the issue of direct support for third party social and sustainable development related initiatives is not applicable to their organisations.

 

The firms, however, do invest in some form of peripheral development activities either through charities promoted by their organisations or directly through the organisation under a peripheral development expenditure head or some other heads of expenditure created for the purpose.

 

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Sources:

 

http://india.gov.in

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_India

http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/india/india_environmental_problems/

http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2009/06/07/indias_environm/

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/India-ENVIRONMENT.html

http://www.all-about-india.com/Environmental-issues-in-India.html

https://www.civicus.org/media/CSI_Orissa_Country_Report.pdf

http://www2.oecd.org/ecoinst/queries/index.htm

http://www.envfor.nic.in/nep/nep2006e.pdf

http://projects.wri.org/sd-pams-database/india

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Pakistan

Pakistan lies in Asia, strategically placed at the crossroads of Middle East, South and Central Asia. The country borders Iran, India, Afghanistan, China and the Arabian Sea. The capital city is Islamabad.

The landscape of Pakistan ranges from lofty mountains in the north, the Karakoram, the Hindukush and the Himalayas, through dissected plateaus to the rich alluvial plains of the Punjab, where the Indus River flows south to the Arabian Sea. Then it follows the desolate barrenness of Balochistan and the hot dry deserts of Sindh blending into miles and miles of golden beaches of Mekran coast. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1000 m to over 8000 meter, the valleys of Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu recall Shangri-La. The cultural patterns in this region are as interesting as its topography.

The people with typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo and buzkashi provide the traveler an unforgettable experience. Modern Pakistanis are a blend of their Harappan, Indo-Aryan, Indo-Iranian, Saka, Parthian, Kushan, White Hun, Afghan, Arab, Turkic, and Mughal heritage. Waves of invaders and migrants settled down in Pakistan throughout the centuries, influencing the locals and being absorbed among them. Thus the region encompassed by modern-day Pakistan is home to the oldest Asian civilization (and one of the oldest in the world after Mesopotamia and Egypt), the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

Environmental challenges in Pakistan

A number of serious environmental problems are inherent in the country, which are of great ecological concern in terms of its sustainable economic future. The major constraint to overcoming these problems, in-fact perhaps the main contributor to their intensity is the population growth, which is very high in contrast to the natural limited resources that are available to the people. Around 140 million people live in this country, making it the seventh most populous country in the world. Also included in the constraints is the unsustainable use and management of these resources.

• Considering Pakistan's environmental scenario, it becomes increasingly obvious that water issues are the most pressing. Human health, agriculture, rangelands, forests, water bodies, and aquatic life, in fact the whole ecosystem is affected by problems associated with water. Not only is there a scarcity of drinking water but pollution of water bodies by effluents from industries, agricultural runoff and the sewerage system have compounded the problem. A large part of the population does not have access to potable water.

• Almost all chemical waste is dumped untreated into the river system from where it is taken out to sea. A large number of industries discharge deadly and toxic waste into storm-drains, open nullahs or in the Lyari and Malir rivers. Solid waste also finds its way into the water system. All of these toxic materials are responsible for the many waterborne diseases that plague the country and account for 60% of infant deaths.

• Sewage water is re-channelled to irrigate crops, which contaminates them with pathogens. As a result 50% of the crops are contaminated. Groundwater may also be contaminated by untreated sewage. Indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilisers ensure that agricultural run-off from fields also contributes to water pollution. Extensive use of agricultural chemicals has already started affecting aquifers. In Pakistan, pesticide residues have been found in water, soil and even food commodities. The situation is worse here because many of these are either sold under generic names or are fake and adulterated.

• The coastal pollution is mainly confined to the Karachi Harbour, which encloses an area of 62 km2. A variety of effluents from domestic sources and waste from visiting ships contribute to the depressing state of the harbour. It is estimated that 90,000 tonnes of oil products from vessels and port terminals are dumped into the harbour every year. In addition, there is also the threat of oil pollution from other countries especially the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. A wide-diversity of garbage including wood and plastic are also found all over the harbour.

• There are limited indigenous sources of energy, fossil fuel reserves are low and there is no great potential in the biomass energy. Energy use is excessively inefficient. This waste of energy is combined with the need to import fossil fuels and as a consequence there is a very low productive per capita use of energy.

• The use of raw materials is also inefficient and many reusable resources are discarded as waste. Only 3% of the industrial plants meet international waste treatment standards. There are serious effluent problems and lack of sanitation affecting the natural resources and posing unmitigated health risks.

• Although different figures suggest that the per capita use of timber is the lowest in the world, the declining rate of woody biomass is the second highest in the world. The main causes of deforestation are: use of fuel wood, logging for timber, unrestricted livestock grazing and clearing for agriculture.

• The arid and semi-arid rangelands in Pakistan show signs of being strained by desertification. The threat of overgrazing, over-harvesting and overstocking of the natural vegetation is aggravating the situation. Deforestation, over cultivation, excessive cutting of fuelwood and incorrect irrigation practices all have a share in this problem.

• Soil erosion is taking place at an alarming rate and is mainly due to deforestation in the north. Overall, 28% of soil is being lost to water. Wind erosion has a relatively lower impact than water erosion. However, the combination of the two is more devastating. This reduces the productivity of the land by 1.5-7.5% per year.

• Water-logging and salinity usually occur together and are a result of intensive and continuous use of surface irrigation. Some experts consider them more important than soil erosion because they occur in the most productive areas of the Indus Basin.

• In 2001, 13 mammal species were endangered, as were 25 bird species and 5 plant species. Endangered species include the Indus dolphin, Baluchistan bear, tiger, Pakistan sand cat, snow leopard, Indian wild ass, green sea turtle, olive ridley turtle, gavial, Central Asian cobra, Kabul markhor, chir pheasant, western tragopan, great Indian bustard, and Siberian white crane.

• The impacts of climate change are already being felt in Pakistan, as there has been an increase in the incidence, frequency, and intensity of extreme climatic events: more intense and heavier rainfall in coastal areas, more intense cyclones, more intense flooding in flood-prone areas along the Indus, and more pronounced droughts in the arid areas of Khuzdar. Other current impacts of climate change include increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, a shift in the cropping period, and hotter summers and warmer winters.

Citizens’ community involvement

The review of a number of databases and surveys indicates that there are around 10,000 to 12,000 active and registered NGOs in Pakistan, the bulk of them (59%) in Punjab province, followed by Sindh. If non-registered organisations are added to those registered (active) under the six laws, the number, according to reliable government sources, could be anywhere around 60,000.

In terms of thematic focus, education (including basic, primary, adult and informal) represents 56% of the total, while health and women’s development account for 39% each. Other areas of focus include early childhood development (15.2%), sports promotion and recreation (12.3%) and community development (12%). Intermediary NGOs and support organisations are also most actively engaged in education (69%); and women’s issues (56%).

Volunteerism has traditionally been a deep-rooted impulse, encouraged primarily by the religious obligation of helping the poor and the needy. During the colonial period, prominent philanthropists established educational and healthcare charities that were open to all regardless of caste, creed or colour. They left behind a legacy that was to guide and inspire many a future philanthropist and volunteer. Charity organisations that were set up in Pakistan after partition drew on the historical tradition of providing relief to the needy. While such charity organisations have rendered invaluable services to the poorest of the poor, they have remained dominated by their founding fathers. They are characterised by informal structures and a lack of internal democracy and accountability.

Development-oriented NGOs address the problems faced by the millions of citizens that had been bypassed by economic development. While the impact of citizens’ initiatives for development and poverty reduction might be debated, they have consistently addressed the needs of marginalised communities in the cities as well as the rural areas. Many of them have opposed the diversion of scarce state resources towards conventional and nuclear defence regimes at the expense of human development. The fact that such CSOs are still few in number and their impact is limited, could be some possible reasons for civil society informants being divided in their opinion about the role of CSOs in promoting sustainable development.

Government environmental policies

In Pakistan there are excise taxes in place for 17 categories of oil and fuel products. However, there are no other “green” taxes.

There have been no overarching policies focused on sustainable development and conservation. The state has focused on achieving self sufficiency in food production, meeting energy demands, and containing the high rate of population growth, not on curtailing pollution or other environmental hazards.

Environmental Policy and Regulatory Framework in Pakistan:

• National Conservation Strategy: Conservation of natural resources, Sustainable development, Improved efficiency in the use and management of resources
• National Environmental Action Plan – four core programs: Clean Air, Clean Water, Solid Waste Management, Ecosystems Management
• National Environmental Policy: This policy covers all sectors and a wide range of means for promoting conservation and environmental protection in water, air and waste management, forestry, and transport. The policy aims to promote protection of the environment, the honoring of international obligations, sustainable management of resources, and economic growth.
• Environmental Protection Act (PEPA): The most significant environmental legislation in Pakistan, it requires industrial facilities to restrict their air emissions and effluents to the limits specified in the National Environmental Quality Standards and establishes the penalties for noncompliance. It also outlines the institutional framework for environmental protection in Pakistan.
• Forestry Sector Master Plan: Reforestation and promotion of forest plantations.
• National Clean Air Act: Aims to control vehicular emissions, pollution from industry and indoor air pollution in rural areas.
• National Climate Change Policy and Action Plan
• National Energy Conservation Policy: The policy enumerates broad guidelines to enhance end-use efficiency in various energy consuming sectors of economy. Initiatives include formulating legislation, developing codes and standards, create public awareness, and capacity building.
• National Environmental Quality Standards: This legislation regulates the air emissions and effluents of industry and other big polluters.
• National Forest Policy: This policy covers the renewable natural resources of Pakistan i.e. Forests, Watersheds, Rangelands, Wildlife, Biodiversity and their habitats.
• Renewable Energy Development Sector Investment Program: The program is the first of its kind in Pakistan. The program will expand the country’s power supply, especially in rural areas.
• Renewable Energy Initiatives: The main objectives are to make polices, give incentives and develop tax structures to create an enabling environment for RE; engage in a broad awareness campaign for the use of RE and to attract the private sector; remote area electrification through RE; initiate R&D projects in wind, solar, biomass, biogas, micro hydro, fuel cell technologies and other RE fields.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

In terms of financial support, the role of the corporate sector merits attention. A National Survey on Corporate Giving revealed that the corporate sector is heavily involved in social development activities in Pakistan. 93% of the companies surveyed undertook some kind of philanthropic activity. By contrast, a majority of civil society knowledge bearers disagreed with the proposition that businesses were actively engaged in philanthropic programmes in Pakistan.

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Sources and further reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Pakistan

http://www.koolfree.com/Education/Essays/Essays%20-%20Environmental%20Issues%20of%20pakistan.html

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Pakistan-ENVIRONMENT.html

http://www.climatecalendar.ca/country/pakistan

https://www.civicus.org/new/media/pakistan.pdf

http://aysps.gsu.edu/isp/files/ispwp0808.pdf

http://projects.wri.org/sd-pams-database/pakistan/national-environmental-policy

http://greenenv.blog.com/files/2009/07/environmentalpolicyregulatoryandinstitutionalframework.pdf http://www.tourism.gov.pk/explore_pakistan.html

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Nepal

Nepal lies in the south of Asia and it is bounded on the north by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China and on the east, south and west by several Indian states. The capital city is Kathmandu.

Nepal is a land of extreme contrasts in climate and geography. It has a unique topography ranging from lowlands with sub-tropical jungles to arctic conditions in the Himalayan highlands. Within a mere 150 kilometers the land rises from near sea level in the south to over 8000 meters in the north. This, together with the monsoon rainfall along the south facing slopes, has resulted in compacting virtually all climate zones found on planet Earth. As a result, Nepal has been endowed with a great diversity of life-zones providing a home for a large variety of plants, birds and animals.

To many visitors, the Himalayan Kingdom conjures up the images of snow-capped mountains and rolling green hills. Indeed, out of ten world’s tallest mountains, eight stand in Nepal, making Nepal a mountaineer’s dream. But Nepal has much more to offer than just the high breathtaking Himalayas. A small country, Nepal is diverse geographically as well as ethnically with more than 61 ethnic groups and 70 spoken languages. The visitor will find rich cultures and vibrant traditions, exquisite temples and monuments as well as fast flowing rivers and tropical jungles teeming with wildlife, making your trip an unforgettable experience. It is the only Hindu Kingdom in the world. However, all the people from different races and religions live in harmony and there is an ideal blending of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Environmental challenges in Nepal

• Air and water pollution are significant environmental problems in Nepal. Roughly one-third of the nation's city inhabitants and two-thirds of all rural dwellers do not have pure water and the use of contaminated drinking water creates a health hazard. Untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, and sedimentation and discharge of industrial effluents are prominent sources of pollution.
 
• The burning of wood for fuel is a significant source of indoor air pollution and respiratory problems. Vehicular and industrial emissions increasingly have contributed to air pollution in urban areas.
 
• Deforestation affects a great proportion of the population and has the worst consequences for economic growth and individuals’ livelihoods. Forest loss has contributed to floods, soil erosion, and stagnant agricultural output. Estimates suggest that from 1966 to 2000 forest cover declined from 45 to 29% of the total land area. Often cited causes of deforestation include population growth, high fuel wood consumption, infrastructure projects, and conversion of forests into grazing- and cropland. According to government estimates, 1.5 million tons of soil nutrients are lost annually.
 
• Land degradation is attributed to population growth, improper use of agro-chemicals, and overly intensive use of landholdings that are too small to provide most households with sufficient food. Government policies have attempted to address these numerous and related problems, but policies often are hampered by lack of funding, insufficient understanding of Nepal’s mountain ecosystems, bureaucratic inefficiency, and sometimes contentious relations between the central government and local communities.
 
• In 2001, 28 of Nepal's mammal species and 27 of its bird species were endangered, as were 7 plant species. Species classified as endangered in Nepal include the snow leopard, tiger, Asian elephant, pygmy hog, great Indian rhinoceros, Assam rabbit, swamp deer, wild yak, chir pheasant, and gavial.
 
• UNEP has warned that more than 40 Himalayan glacial lakes are dangerously close to bursting because of the ice melt caused by global warming. Rapidly melting glaciers means more seasonal variation in river flow, which will in turn result in more floods and draughts in the country. This will also result in more Glacier Lake Outburst Floods, which can be disastrous to communities and infrastructure along the rivers. Other impacts of climate change can be reduced agriculture production, loss of biodiversity, increased desertification and changes in social structure.
 

 

 

Citizens’ community involvement

 

Donating for a common purpose has long been popular in Nepalese society. Urban people donate more than rural people because the income of the rural areas is comparatively low. In a population survey, 68% of respondents were involved in charitable activities on a regular basis. There is no previous concrete study regarding the percentage of people involved with CSOs in Nepal. However, for the last few years, in conjunction with the downsizing of the state, people in all spheres of life have been attracted towards such CSOs.

 

There is a high degree of willingness to join CSOs. Overall, 55% of respondents are members of at least one CSO. In rural communities, the majority of the people are associated with CSOs such as the community forestry groups. The population survey reflects that overall, 22% of CSO members belong to more than one civil society organization.

 

Most people in the rural areas participate in community level volunteer activities. Engaging in community work is less common among urban Nepali people. Volunteerism in Nepal is mainly divided into mutual aid and self-help, philanthropy, service to others, participation in self-governance and campaign advocacy. The population survey showed that volunteer services are provided in sectors such as training, labour, social, economic and intellectual cooperation, economic and physical help to those experiencing social difficulties, help for poor people, providing awareness programmes, offering financial support through savings programmes, or running adult literacy classes. People spend an average of 15 hours per month in various forms of volunteering.

 

Some of the laws such as the Environmental Impact Assessment Law (1996) have made public participation a mandatory step. Similarly, the Local Self Governance Act (1999) places emphasis on public participation for community level activities.

 

Because of its rich biological and cultural diversity, Nepal until recently was referred to a “Shangri-la”. A consequence of this has been a significant tourism industry as one of the main areas of economic development. In the last few years there has also been impressive growth in community forestry. CSOs and conservation groups have prioritised environmental awareness and conservation activities. They are involved in educating high school students throughout the country about a wide range of environmental issues, and advocacy groups have begun to increase awareness through public meetings about urban pollution issues arising from emissions from vehicles and industries like brick kilns.

 

Examples of civil society public campaigns, actions or programmes dedicated to protecting the environment relate to awareness of the need for environmental protection; forest conservation and reward system; tree plantation and environmental pollution control, and forest preservation and community forest users group. The media review also reflects a similar trend with a fairly high coverage of articles on environmental concerns, including CSOs actions to promote environmental sustainability.

 

 

Government environmental policies

 

Nepal Environmental Policy and Action Plan (NEPAP) analyses the country's environmental issues in multi-sectoral framework and sets forth a strategy for maintaining the country's natural environment, the health and safety of its population and its cultural heritage as economic development occurs. NEPAP was prepared in response to growing awareness about importance of maintaining a balance between economic development and environmental conservation.

 

The cases of prevention and control of pollution have been strongly reflected in the Environment Protection Act and Environment Protection Regulations of the country, which came into effect in 1997. The Environmental Protection Act (EPA) as a framework legislation covers the essential aspects related to environmental protection: the requirement for IEEs and EIAs; inspections; the provision of authority to establish protected areas; testing facilities; the establishment of a fund; the establishment of the necessary administrative mechanism; the establishment of EPC; penalties for violations of the Act; and the authority to enforce guidelines and standards.

 

The Nepal Government/National Planning Commission and IUCN developed and endorsed the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) for sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of the environment. The NCS for Nepal was prepared jointly as an inter-sectoral umbrella policy at the national level for addressing environmental issues during the development process. Other environment-related laws are: Forest Act (1993), National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (1973), Aquatic Animal Protection Act (1961) and First Amendment (1998), Water Resources Act and Water Resources Rules (1993), Electricity Act (1993), etc.

 

In 2010 the Nepali Prime Minister announced that a new environment protection policy will be formulated so as to protect the country’s fragile ecology, but there is no indication on whether this commitment has been fulfilled yet or not.

 

 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

 

There are few corporations in Nepal which espouse the concept of social responsibility. A study on the status of corporate social responsibility in Nepal conducted in 2003 revealed that “the business cannot create wealth and thrive in an island of poverty.” The study, which examined 100 companies, presented an unclear image of CSR, and highlighted diverse perceptions of CSR among key players, such as corporations, CSOs and government, and also the importance of CSR within the industrial sector.

 

The role of industries in CSR is increasing and many more companies are becoming keen to fulfill their social roles and responsibilities. The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has established a separate unit to promote CSR activities in the country. The respondents to a regional stakeholder consultation assessed that corporate social responsibility in Nepal is mainly limited (44%) and even moderate (18%). Another 14% found it insignificant, while only 9% judged it to be significant.

 

The few corporate organisations that contribute financial support to civil society in Nepal have established hospitals, supported schools and colleges, or launched environmental improvement programmes as charity activities. Corporate philanthropy is allied with their commercial interests. While 15% of financial resources of CSOs come from the government, 79% of respondents stated that more than 10% of their funding came from corporate sources.

 

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Sources and further reading:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Nepal

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Nepal-ENVIRONMENT.html

http://www.indexmundi.com/nepal/environment_current_issues.html

http://www.climatecalendar.ca/country/nepal

https://www.civicus.org/media/CSI_Nepal_Country_Report.pdf

http://www.forestrynepal.org/publications/32

http://www.un.org/esa/gite/iandm/giripaper.pdf

http://chimalaya.org/2010/06/09/nepal-to-introduce-new-environment-policy/

http://www.ku.edu.np/kuset/vol5_no2/17_Ramesh_EIA%20Article%20Revised%20Final.pdf

http://www.unescap.org/drpad/vc/orientation/legal/legal_1_nepal1.htm

www.visitnepal.com

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh is located in South Asia and it is bordered by India, Burma and the Bay of Bengal. The capital (and largest city) is Dhaka.

If you ever wanted to experience the living reality of the idiom 'when it rains, it pours', Bangladesh is the place to be. During the yearly south Asian monsoon, almost all the water collected by the Himalayas in Nepal, north/northeast India and Bhutan transits through Bangladesh on its journey to the Bay of Bengal, depositing life-giving minerals to the soil all along the Ganges Delta, the largest river delta in the world.

While most of the country lies at or just above sea level, the flat landscape gives way to low undulating hills in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the hilly regions of Sylhet, some of which climb to 1,000 m above sea level. Visits to this area offer an experience of the true diversity that Bangladesh possesses, both geographically and culturally. In terms of forest cover, Bangladesh's natural places are sadly few and far between. While the world's largest mangrove forest at Sundarban remains protected, many of Bangladesh's other national parks have not fared so well. Thankfully, with increasing stability and economic development, conservation programmes are finally starting to get off the ground.

Finally, the region's last major significant geographical feature is a massive 120 krn-long strip of beach lining tile internal eastern coastline of Bangladesh, said to be the longest natural beach in the world. Starting at Cox's Bazaar, the white sand stretches all the way down to the Teknaf Peninsula, poking up again briefly at the coral reef island of St Martin's.

Environmental challenges in Bangladesh

 

Bangladesh is one of the most thickly populated countries of the world having 768 persons per km2. Natural calamities like floods, locally originated tornadoes and cyclones are regular features affecting the population and habitats in the rural areas.

• Overpopulation has severely strained Bangladesh's limited natural resources. Nearly all arable land is already cultivated and forestland has been greatly reduced by agricultural expansion, leading to soil degradation and erosion. High growth of population puts pressure on the plants and trees in the rural areas particularly to meet their requirement of fuel substitute for cooking, in brick fields and other small industries. Increasing need of wood for the population for transports, roads, bridges and homesteads add to the degradation of environment. Furthermore, many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land.
 
• Water supply is also a major problem because of population size, lack of purification procedures, and the spread of untreated contaminants into the usable water supply by flood waters. To ease these problems, the government has established drainage, irrigation, and flood protection systems, and has drilled thousands of tube wells to supply safe drinking water in villages. As of 2001, safe water was available to 100% of the population. However, waterborne diseases are prevalent in surface water and water is polluted, especially in fishing areas, from the use of commercial pesticides. There have been also cases when ground water was contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic.
 
• The recent growth of garment industries with its backward linkage sectors composite textile mills and leather processing units use substantial quantities of highly toxic wastes, dyes and chemicals. Some of these industries are situated close to the river having access for the disposal of their toxic wastes. Some government owned large industries are creating more pollution problem by their gaseous emission and untreated effluent discharge to the adjoining rivers threatening the aquatic animals and human lives as rural people and animals drink this water for their livelihood.
 
• It is estimated that about one-fifth of the total burden of disease in Bangladesh may be associated with environmental factors. Indoor air pollution has been identified as a serious health hazard.
 
• In mega city Dhaka most of the poor lack access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities, and many live in squalid conditions next to extremely polluted water bodies. The triple threat of contamination of the air, land and water has put the capital under stress.
 
• The inland capture fisheries, a valuable resource for the poor, have come under threat due to encroachment and degradation of natural assets and rapid urbanization. 95% of Bangladesh’s natural forests and 50% of its freshwater wetlands are lost or degraded. Bangladesh now has among the smallest areas of protected and intact forest in the world, consisting of 1.4% of its landmass. Many terrestrial wildlife species have been lost during the last 100 years. In addition, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2000 classified 40% of Bangladesh’s freshwater fish species as threatened with national extinction.
 
• Only 0.7% of the country's total land area is protected. In 2001, 18 species of mammals, 30 species of birds and 18 plant species were considered endangered, including the Asian elephant, pygmy hog, Sumatran rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, estuarine crocodile, gavial, and river terrapin.
 
• Bangladesh is likely to be among the countries that are worst affected by climate change. The probable impacts of global climate change, particularly sea-level rise and the associated impact on ecosystems and economic loss, adds to the already daunting array of environmental issues. Expected climate change impacts include: increasingly frequent and severe tropical cyclones; melting of the Himalayan glaciers; and warmer and more humid weather. By 2050, 70 million people could be affected annually by floods; 8 million by drought; up to 8% of the low-lying lands may become permanently inundated. In addition to direct inundation of a large population, the sea level rise will certainly result in increased frequency and severity of flooding along the major estuarine rivers. Saltwater intrusion problems will also be exacerbated in coastal aquifers.
 

 

 

Citizens’ community involvement

 

In spite of a clientelistic, kinship-based social setting, there is a vibrancy of social organizations most of which may be considered as civil society organizations from a broad definition. These organizations are mainly local based and welfare oriented. Government policies and laws also provide necessary legal framework for NGOs and other social welfare groups to register and function easily. Bangladesh ranks among the top Asian countries in terms of intensity of NGO activities.

 

CSOs developed at the community level are mostly concerned with the local problems of the area. In developing countries poverty is one of the biggest problems; naturally most organizations are concerned on welfare and economic empowerment. Financial assurance from donors, lead to more civil society organization and better nongovernmental services which is ultimately thought to bring better citizenry and more participation in political decision making. Such participation related goals often remain unrealized. In case of Bangladesh too, large number of civil society organizations active at local and meso levels is mostly concerned with social welfare and poverty alleviation. Majority of CSOs are engaged in service related functions than advocacy and other participation related matters. In spite of its vibrant nature, civil society is mobilized at a very low rate towards political and democracy related matters.

 

Group based credit activities and large size of social welfare organizations; clubs etc. in Bangladesh indicates the rich abundance of social capital generated through horizontal membership. Moreover, there are numerous registered and unregistered regional groups and clubs. At all social levels and classes among different sections of the civil society the tendency to form a group or small organization is very common in Bangladesh. CSOs working at the national level and NGOs receiving foreign-assistance may be well equipped with handsome budgets and skilled employees; but it is the small local groups, not receiving foreign assistance that are rich in spirited volunteers.

 

From the point of view of international acknowledgment of the performance of NGOs and statistics of large number of different social organizations as well as comparison with other countries, emerges a rather vibrant image of the civil society in Bangladesh. Conversely, performance of the civil society from the aspects of politics and democracy is rather insignificant. CSOs concentrate their policy interest mainly on a set of overlapping policies like poverty alleviation (72%), social welfare (59%), rural development (59%), health care (25%), and education (47%) that is mostly related to their service providing projects. But other important policies that also relate to development but require advocacies and more negotiation with the authorities, attract the CSOs relatively on a low scale: environment (8%), human rights (19%), law and order (6%), labor policy (6%), consumer protection (5%) etc.

 

 

Government environmental policies

 

Experience in Bangladesh shows regulatory instruments are not functioning as expected, because of lack of effective enforcement, for many different reasons. But economic instruments - fiscal or financial - are more effective. State Minister for Environment and Forests has said the government seriously plans to revise the existing taxation laws to levy more taxes on those who will add excessive carbon to the air, and pollute environment.

 

The Government of Bangladesh formulated an Environment Policy in 1992, whose objectives are to maintain ecological balance and overall development through protection and improvement of the environment; protect the country against natural disasters; identify and regulate activities which pollute and degrade the environment; ensure environmentally sound development in all sectors; ensure sustainable, long term and environmentally sound use of all national resources; and actively remain associated with all international environmental initiatives to the maximum possible extent.

 

The Government of Bangladesh has also adopted a number of supplementary policies where environment and development issues have been addressed. Important policy documents in this respect are the Forest Policy (1994), the Fisheries Policy (1998), the Water Policy (1998), the New Agriculture Extension Policy (1995), The Energy Policy (1995). Besides these sectoral policies, the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) and especially the National Environment Management Action Plan, 1995 (NEMAP) have been formulated to provide action plans to respond to environmental issues and promote sustainable development. The second Poverty Reduction Strategy has recognized environmental degradation as one of the most crucial factors that causes and perpetuates poverty in Bangladesh. The PRSP also asserted the need for a comprehensive strategic approach to address environmental challenges and issues. Although some of these policies are not judicially enforceable according to the Constitution of Bangladesh, they are still potentially important in guiding and influencing the activities of the concerned Ministries and other governmental agencies.

 

However, the majority of environmental laws in Bangladesh were passed under substantially different population and development conditions. For example, the Factories Act of 1965 and some other health protection laws were designed before industrial pollution and hazardous substances became serious concerns. The Environment Policy of 1992 of Bangladesh has recognized the need for a better and comprehensive approach to address environmental issues.

 

Very few of the elements of the Environment Policy, however, are yet to be translated into laws. The only legislation which specifically deals with environment issues is the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (ECA) 1995. The Act was passed for conservation and improvement of environmental standards and for controlling and mitigating environmental pollution. It however, provides very few substantive obligations relating to environmental management of industries. Industries and projects would require environmental clearance from the Department of the Environment, and any person affected or likely to be affected by such activities can apply to the Director General seeking remedy of environmental pollution or degradation. The major limitations of the Act are its silences on the standards, parameters, emission levels and management elements based on which the environmental clearance should have been applied and obtained.

 

The Environmental Conservation Rules, 1997, were promulgated in furtherance of the objectives of the ECA, 1995. Regarding management of toxic and hazardous substances, the Rules have broadly defined guidelines for disposal of waste from different categories of industries. But unlike the Environmental Protection Rules of India, they have not specified the permissible extent of emissions or the obligations of corrective actions.

 

 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

 

The highest cooperation between civil society organizations is with the local government, as most of the CSOs are active at the local level and they have high interaction with local governments, which are in charge of the administrative affairs of these small groups and cooperatives. However, the next in line when it comes to cooperation are Welfare Organizations, NGOs, Agricultural Organization and Consumer Organization, all of them social actors. Another noteworthy feature is that the market actors have hardly any cooperation with the CSOs which reflects the low contribution from private enterprises to civil society groups.

 

Corporate giving is not yet a common practice in Bangladesh, though they may consider it as an implicit responsibility. In a research study it has been claimed that big business houses give more to political organizations than to social organizations and small houses give more to community organizations as ‘protection’ money.

 

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Sources and further reading:

 

http://www.unescap.org/tid/publication/chap4_2127_bang.pdf

http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGLADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21258223~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295760,00.html

http://www.usaid.gov/bd/programs/environ.html

http://www.climatecalendar.ca/country/bangladesh

http://www.indexmundi.com/bangladesh/environment_current_issues.html

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Bangladesh-ENVIRONMENT.html

www.tulips.tsukuba.ac.jp/limedio/dlam/B27/B2782934/1.pdf

http://www.monash.edu.au/research/sustainability-institute/asia-projects/paper_salahuddin_aminuzzaman.pdf

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=159117

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=145076

http://www.visitbangladesh.gov.bd/en/home/bangladesh-country-profile.html

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