Environment and Sustainable Development - United Nations ...

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
“The research programmes of the institutions of the
University shall include, among other subjects ...
economic and social change and development; the
environment and the proper use of resources;[ and] basic
scientific research and the application of the results of
science and technology in the interests of development
...”
– [UNU Charter Article I.3]
UNU’s Environment and Sustainable Development (ESD)
Programme focuses on the interactions between human
activities and the natural environment, and their
implications for the sustainable management of natural
resources. The basic issues of human survival,
development and welfare are at the core of the themes
covered within the realm of the ESD Programme. These
issues are addressed within the three broad themes of (a)
development, (b) science, technology and society, and (c)
environment, and the interactions among them. This
encompasses such concerns as globalization, technological
change (information, software and biotechnology) and
urbanization, and their implications for people and
societies. Environmental governance, natural resources
management, sustainable energy use and production, and
monitoring tools for designing and implementing effective
policies are also of critical interest.
To achieve its objectives, UNU’s ESD Programme
adopts a multidisciplinary approach combining both
natural and social sciences. In implementing its activities,
the ESD Programme makes special efforts to include
perspectives from both North and South as well as from
the countries with economies in transition. Networking and
capacity building, particularly in the developing countries,
are given high priority.
A number of ESD project activities in 2002 were
targeted towards contributing to the Johannesburg World
Summit on Sustainable Development and the International
Year of Mountains 2002, and to preparations for the 3rd
World Water Forum, which will be held in Japan in March
2003. This section discusses these activities as well as
several new initiatives and projects that were initiated
during the year.
DEVELOPMENT
Helping to alleviate the suffering of the some 1.2 billion
people worldwide who are living in extreme poverty
remains a top priority of UNU. But while there is general
agreement on some of the foundations for successful
development strategies, controversy still surrounds many
issues. The University concentrates its work in the
thematic area of development on issues of:
• globalization and development – investigating the driving
forces and the social, economic and political impacts of,
and policy responses to, globalization, including
searching for alternatives to the present drive towards
“ungoverned globalization”;
• growth and employment – identifying policies and
approaches through which developing countries can
achieve more rapid and broad-based growth;
• poverty, inequality and basic needs – devising strategies
to deal with the unfinished agenda of eradicating
“structural poverty” and dealing with the “new poverty”;
and
• urbanization – assessing the implications of the rapid rise
in urban populations, particularly in developing countries.
This section of the report focuses on UNU’s contributions
to the WSSD, sustainable development governance,
sustainable mountain and forest development, research
capacity building in the South, spatial disparities in
development and innovative sources of development
finance.
Contributions to the World Summit
on Sustainable Development
One of the major events of the year was the World Summit
on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South
Africa, from 26 August to 4 September. UNU/IAS acted as
a focal point and main organizer for UNU activities
leading up to and during the WSSD. In this role, the
UNU/IAS co-organized two events: a public forum in
Tokyo in July on “The Road to the Johannesburg Summit
2002 and Beyond: The Roles of Japan and the United
Nations University” and a WSSD side-event in
Johannesburg on “Realizing the New Social Contract:
Science & Technology Education for Sustainable
Development.” In addition, UNU/IAS produced seven
reports, incorporating inputs from the UNU Centre and
other RTCs. Three of these reports were presented to the
WSSD in Johannesburg.
In late June, UNU/INWEH co-hosted an international
conference in Hamilton, Canada, to evaluate capacity
development needs for the management of freshwater and
marine coastal ecosystems. Four background case studies
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