SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS

GLOBAL AGENDA 21: Social, Cultural, Science & Technology

Natural Science 5 | TFA | Dr. Glenn L. Sia Su
Cruz, Lao, Mallapre, Rogacion, Salangsang

SOCIAL ASPECTS
COMBATING POVERTY Root causes: hunger, illiteracy, inadequate medical and child care, lack of employment and population pressures Struggle against poverty is the shared responsibility of all countries Anti-poverty programs o Earn a living in a sustainable way o Self-sufficient Economic development o jobs Sustainable development plans: conservation and protection of resources o Increasing the production of goods without ensuring the sustainability of the resources on which production is based = decline of productivity = poverty More responsibility and resources to local groups and to women o Promote sustainable livelihoods Increase the productivity of local people: o Participate in the protection and sustainable management of natural resources Access to land and natural resources Enough money o Share in the benefits of natural resources o More education and training Family planning o Women and men need the o Same right to decide freely o And responsibly on the number and spacing of their children Access to information, education and appropriate means Governments should provide health programmes and facilities o Women-centred, women-managed, safe and effective reproductive health care and affordable, accessible services Financial assistance o Maintain basic services to the poor and needy

CHANGING CONSUMPTION PATTERNS Unsustainable pattern of consumption and production ! deterioration of global environment Excessive demands and unsustainable lifestyles of the rich people ! poor people are unable to meet food, health-care, shelter and educational needs Examine the demand for natural resources then seek ways to minimize depletion e.g. Wealth and prosperity= higher standards of living

Less dependent on the Earths finite resources More in harmony with the Earths carrying capacity Achieving sustainable development o Efficiency in production and changes in consumption patterns o Reorientation (industrial societies) Developed countries take the lead in promoting sustainable consumption patterns Developing countries establish sustainable consumption patterns as they build their economies; provision of basic needs for the poor, while avoiding unsustainable patterns Countries: o Find ways of making economies grow and prosper while reducing the use of energy and materials and the production of waste o Identify balanced patterns of consumption worldwide, which the Earth can support in the long term. Government: o Promote efficient production and reduce wasteful consumption. o Develop policies that encourage a shift to sustainable patterns of production and consumption. o Encourage the transfer to environmentally sound technologies to developing countries. o Review their purchasing policies Industries: o Reducing the amount of materials and energy = reduces environmental stress and increases economic productivity and competitiveness o Environmental labelling (health and environmental impact) Society: o Recycling, reducing wasteful packaging and encouraging the introduction of more environmentally sound products Market Signals o Environmental charges and taxes and deposit and refund systems o Make clear the environmental costs of the consumption of energy, materials and natural resources and the generation of wastes Sustainable Consumption o Education o Public awareness programmes o Positive advertising of products and services that encourage sustainability

POPULATION AND SUSTAINABILITY The worlds growing population and production along with unsustainable consumption patterns increase the stress on the essential resources. Development strategies should deal with the population growth, health of the ecosystem, technology and access to resources. Primary goals include: alleviation of poverty, secure livelihoods, good health and quality of life and the improvement in the status of women. Countries need to know their national population carrying capacity, which is said to be the ability of the resource base to support and provide for the needs of humans without becoming depleted. Major migrations as a result of climate change and the cumulative environmental change may destroy peoples local livelihoods and may lead to environmental disruption. In addition, critical resources such as water and land, and environmental factors, such as ecosystem health and biodiversity should also be given special attention. Sustainable development programs include reproductive health programs and programs that involve women empowerment. Population programs should include the ecosystem health, technology and human settlements, and the socio-economic structures and access to resources. It should also be supported by political, indigenous, religious and traditional authorities, the private sector and the scientific community.

PROTECTING AND PROMOTING HUMAN HEALTH Human health depends on a healthy environment. Good health depends on social, economic and spiritual development, and a healthy environment, including safe food and water. Broad-based campaign against ill health should be executed.

People need health education, immunization, essential drugs and health care that is adapted to local needs and has trained local people who can maintain and repair medical equipment. The country should have a health action plan that includes a national public health system.

SUSTAINABLE HUMAN SETTLEMENTS Most developing countries lack clean water and sanitation that causes widespread ill health. Sustainable urban life: Homeless poor and unemployed get access to land, credit and low-cost building materials Security of tenure and legal protection against unfair eviction full payment of services such as clean water, sanitation and waste collection Construction programs should emphasize using local materials, develop energy efficient designs, materials that do not harm health and the environment and labor intensive technologies that employ more people. National action programs should promote energy-saving and renewable energy technologies (solar, hydro, wind and biomass). Transportation strategies should include public transport, bicycle, and footpath. Improvement of rural living conditions and the development of medium-sized cities that create employment and housing are suggested to reduce migration in big cities. Settlements should be built in locations and using designs and materials that reduce the risk of damage from natural disasters.

CULTURAL ASPECTS
Culture: Fourth Dimension of Sustainable Development THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Developed during the second half of 1980s Include the economic growth, social inclusion and environmental balance Brundtland Report (1987)-enshrined these to be the pattern to be used in strategies for development Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit of 1992- consolidated these as the paradigm of sustainable development o Inclusion of the Fourth Pillar The three dimensions/pillars are not enough to reflect the complexity of the current society Culture ultimately shapes what we mean by development and determines how people act in the world o Culture and Sustainable Development Relation between the two is addressed through dual means: " Development of the cultural sector itself (i.e. heritage, creativity, cultural industries, crafts, cultural tourism) " Ensuring that culture has its rightful place in all public policies, particularly those related to education, the economy, science, communication, environment, social cohesion and international cooperation

POLICY STATEMENT Culture as the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development By Executive Bureau of United Cities and Local Governments (Chicago, April 2010) Built on UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001) and Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) Envisaged to develop: " (a) lobbying and advocacy before the international community " (b) exchange of practices, experiences and mutual learning " (c) capacity building projects

AGENDA 21 FOR CULTURE: CONTENT o o o o o o o Cultural diversity is the main heritage of humanity. Cultural diversity is one of the essential elements in the transformation of urban and social reality. Clear political analogies exist between cultural and ecological questions, as both culture and the environment are common assets of all humanity. Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights. Cultural freedom of individuals and communities is an essential condition for democracy. Coexistence in cities is a joint responsibility of citizens, civil society and local governments The main principles of good governance include transparency of information and public participation in the conception of cultural policies, decision-making processes and the assessment of programs and projects Cultural policies must strike a balance between public and private interest, public functions and the institutionalization of culture. Proper economic assessment of the creation and distribution of cultural goods amateur or professional, craft or industrial, individual or collective becomes, in the contemporary world, a decisive factor in emancipation, a guarantee of diversity and, therefore, an attainment of the democratic right of peoples to affirm their identities in the relations between cultures. Access to the cultural and symbolic universe at all stages of life, from childhood to old age, is a fundamental element in the shaping of sensitivity, expressiveness and coexistence and the construction of citizenship The appropriation of information and its transformation into knowledge by the citizens is a cultural act. Therefore access without discrimination to expressive, technological and communication resources and the constitution of horizontal networks strengthens and nourishes the collective heritage of a knowledge-based society While we have a duty to promote the continuity of indigenous local cultures, old traditions meet new creativity every day in cities around the world, contributing to the preservation of identity and diversity. Intercultural dialogue is one of humankind's greatest challenges and creativity is identified as an inexhaustible resource nourishing society and economy.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Agenda 21 Chapter 31: Scientific and Technological Community MAIN OBJECTIVES Focuses on how to make the scientific and technological community contribute better in sustainable development Agenda 21 wants to extend and deepen the cooperative relationship between the public and the scientific and technological community.

METHODS ON HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION Basis for action Increased interaction between the policy makers and the scientific and technological community will enable policy makers to use results of scientific research in assisting in the creation of new policies. Objectives To extend and open up the decision-making process and broaden the range of developmental and environmental issues To improve the exchange of knowledge and concerns between the scientific and technological community and the general public Activities Review how scientific and technological activities could be more responsive to sustainable development needs Promote regional cooperative mechanisms to address regional needs for sustainable development Improve and expand scientific and technical inputs through appropriate mechanisms

Strengthen science and technology advice to international institutions to ensure the inclusion of science and technology know-how in sustainable development policies and strategies Improve and strengthen programmes for disseminating research results of universities and research institutions Improve links between the official and independent research sectors and industry so that research may become an important element of industrial strategy Promote and strengthen the role of women as full partners in the science and technology disciplines Develop and implement information technologies to enhance the dissemination of information for sustainable development

PROMOTING CODES OF PRACTICE AND GUIDELINES RELATED TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Basis for action Agenda 21 believes that scientists and technologists have their own set of responsibilities An increase in ethical awareness will help scientists and technologists in placing priorities in life-support systems, which will also be valued by present and future societies Therefore, a strengthening of the codes of practice and guidelines for the scientific and technological community would increase environmental awareness and contribute to sustainable development Objective To develop, improve and promote international acceptance of codes of practice and guidelines relating to science and technology in which the integrity of life-support systems is comprehensively accounted for and where the important role of science and technology in reconciling the needs of environment and development is accepted. Activities Strengthening national and international cooperation, including the non-governmental sector, to develop codes of practice and guidelines regarding environmentally sound and sustainable development, taking into account the Rio Declaration and existing codes of practice and guidelines Strengthening and establishing national advisory groups on environmental and developmental ethics, in order to develop a common value framework between the scientific and technological community and society as a whole, and promote continuous dialogue Extending education and training in developmental and environmental ethical issues to integrate such objectives into education curricula and research priorities Reviewing and amending relevant national and international environment and development legal instruments to ensure appropriate codes of practice and guidelines are incorporated into such regulatory machinery.

Source: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf