World Environment 'Day-to-Day' Action?

Dr. Boidurjo Rick Mukhopadhyay

International Award-Winning Development and Management Economist. He can be reached at boidurjo@gmail.com

Prof Bibhas K Mukhopadhyay

Professor of Management, and author of the book 'India's Economy: Under a Tinsel still Tough'. He can be reached at m.bibhas@gmail.com

As Sir Peter Hall once put it, "We're just passing one of the great milestones in human history. It is fundamental, in the sense that the Industrial Revolution in Britain was fundamental. For the first time in history, a majority of the world's six billion people are living in cities. Between 2000 and 2025, the world's urban population will double". The urban population is expected to increase by 1.5 billion over the next 20 years, while the number of megacities will double. Much of this growth will happen in developing countries! But what about protecting the environment for all – rural, peri-urban, semi-urban, metropolitan as well as megalopolitan regions? The world environment needs more conscious attention, and surely more than a day (5th June) filled with reminders and more promises.

A stream of collective and conscious efforts calls for a faster execution paying real tribute to the mantra of mitigation and adaptation. Especially, water scarcity already poses a great threat before economic growth, human rights and national security. As per recent UN estimates around 1.2 billion people - around 20 per cent of world population - were living in areas where the limits of sustainable water use had already been reached or breached. United Nations Environment Programme clearly states that two-third of the planet will live in water-stressed conditions by 2025; if the ongoing water consumption patterns continue. It is high time that necessary steps backed by increasing awareness as regards the water management issues are taken. Global awareness must be followed by actions – legislation, funding, and governance as well as empowerment. Undoubtedly, as of now, water conservation and management continue to be the massive global concerns.

It is essential for survival – more important than anything else – the most crucial factor considered from the point of view of environment protection, poverty alleviation and promotes development in as much as now globally more than two-and-a-half billion people live in the most abysmal standards of hygiene and sanitation. Wastage of water and absence of regular clean water supply not only to the burgeoning metropolis but to huge rural regions also simultaneously coexists.

Globally, immediate adequate attention is to be paid so that the things do not go from bad to worse. The mighty Colorado River, North America, seldom meets the sea. One third of the US and one fifth of Spain still suffer from water stress. Central Africa's Lake Chad, supporting the very life of around 30 million plus people has already shrunk one-tenth of its former size, the negative contributory factors being climate change, drought, and mismanagement / over use, among others.

It is of course good to note that a number of countries are proactively addressing the matter. The time calls for a scaled-up ambition not just in mitigation but also in adaptation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building. Developing countries already presented their ambitious nationally appropriate mitigation actions at the international level and agreed to a regime of transparency of actions. India promised that it would cut its emissions by 25 per cent by 2020. It is now for the developed countries to reciprocate the gesture and efforts of developing countries.

China, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has pledged to cut carbon-dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product by from 40-45 per cent in 2020 relative to 2005 levels. Recently, high air pollution levels, combined with PM 2.5 pollutant, had peaked to new levels in Chinese tier-1 cities and that had heaped pressure on authorities to adopt green policies, including requiring the country's biggest refineries to speed up the process for improving gasoline quality.

In the Philippines, the fragmented nature of the water sector has been hindering development - fragmentation continues to dampen effective management of water resources. The need is there to address institutional fragmentation, lack of reliable data and scientific decision support systems and inadequate provision of water-related infrastructure to achieve national and local targets in the water sector.

Responding to the need the Neda and the Department of Public Works and Highways spearheaded a study on a Philippine Water Resources Sector Development Plan to address the fragmentation and the lack of leadership in the sector - the study provides a comprehensive framework on integration of all development plans in the water sector.

In South Africa, Brazil and China, a clear urban policy has reflected to be a key tool to orient action, address inequality and at the same time energize the development process itself. Mention may be made of UN-Habitat that has supported several urban policy development processes [even in Burundi, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Mongolia].

The suggestion for a global environment facility to provide additional funds to developing countries, including preparing national communications and biennial update reports, is also worthy of consideration, among others. But where is the road map to ratchet up the provision of such finance by the developed countries? The United States and other developed western countries must give others time to develop before imposing climate change and emission norms on them – have to honour their financial commitment to build a $100 billion green fund!

Then, why not to go all out for tapping the renewable energy sources backed by risk management? Most African countries face acute 'energy poverty' with lack of access, especially in rural areas; low purchasing power; low energy efficiency and over-dependence on traditional biomass for meeting basic energy needs.

A recent report evaluates the role of infrastructure in promoting economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa. Rightly, it argues that strong urban economic development is essential for the provision of adequate housing, infrastructure, education, health, safety, and basic services. According to the report, Africa is the world's largest consumer of biomass energy [biomass accounts for two-thirds of total African final energy consumption, with 65 per cent provided by firewood]. Interestingly, the report noted that the development of renewable energy options could be financed in part by more effective use of the 'cap and trade' mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The report also notes that only South Africa, Mauritius and the five North African countries have taken advantage of the CDM-facilitated international carbon trade opportunities, while most Sub-Saharan African countries lack the expertise to do so. The report indicates that capacity building is needed to enable these countries to prepare CDM-eligible projects and to negotiate carbon emissions credit.

In India potentialities galore and as such has the tremendous ability to set an example before the world on environment-related issues. An appropriate regional growth strategy sets a vision for how the region can manage growth sustainably for the next decades, aiming at improving liveability, protecting the environment and getting the right infrastructure in place. The requirement is to identify priority areas for implementation; refine the classification of centres, business areas and corridors; complete plan changes; develop and trial new approaches to encourage quality residential and business intensification and large-scale urban transformation; coordinate infrastructure planning and investment; improve communication, monitoring and information sharing among others. The aim is to help our region secure a better quality of life, and at the same time create a sustainable future socially, culturally, economically and environmentally.

For a 21st century company it has been all about the nexus of water, food and climate change. The challenge could be mitigated if collaborative approaches are taken up backed by political will, market mechanisms and innovative technology. Market forces could work well under a cap-and-trade approach similar to those applied to carbon dioxide. Favouring market forces to play a role in the management of scarce water - defining the value of water – positively aids to take a big leap forward.

It is crystal clear that unless there is a blueprint for action there would not be the desired level of seriousness in achieving the goals set before the globe! Environmental reforms are musts so as to make the world a better place to live in for future generations. Global cooperation is a must and as such all nations must contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment and not look for alibis to duck responsibility. Time is fast running out!

A lot depends, thus, on the policies to be followed in the days to come. Successful national urban-rural development policies has the ability to yield multiple results: the identification of urban development priorities towards socially and economically equitable and environmentally friendly urban and national development; future development of the national urban system and its spatial configuration concretized through National and spatial Plans for regional development; coordination and guidance of actions by national functionaries vis-à-vis lower levels of government in all sectors; and, of course, increased and well coordinated private and public investments in urban development, which, in turn, lead to consequent improvement of cities' productivity, inclusiveness, environmental conditions and people's participation in the development process.