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Who is Rio+20 letting down ?

From the ashes of the Second World War humanity gathered to build international institutions aiming to build peace and prosperity for all. But with the repeated failures of the UN to act in the recent times (in Syria, for example) there is a growing level of popular disappointment in the international system. Will Rio+20 add to this growing list of disappointments? While we sure hope otherwise; the stark reality of the written word on the draft text seems to signal towards the affirmative.

Many member states are opposing prescriptive language that commits governments to actually do what they claim to support in principle and act as duty bearers, including the provision of finance, technology and other means of implementation to support sustainable development effort in developing countries (the biggest demand made by member states of the G77 bloc).  What does failure at Rio+20 mean? Besides the polar bears and the glaciers, who else will a potential failure in Rio let down?

1)      The Future Generations

We grew up hearing that we are the future; but actions of world leaders of today signal otherwise. As the Brazilian Government took over summit proceeding with the conclusion of Prep Com sessions, the language related to a proposal for an ombudsperson or a United Nations High Commissioner for Future Generations has been deleted. The High Commissioner would be the official charged with acting as the UN’s principal advocate for the interests and needs of future generations. The irony of blocking this proposal in the draft outcome which will be referred to as “the future we want” makes one laugh. As of now, the proposal has been placed back on the table by the EU. While, the certain countries are highly supportive of the suggestion, many more including the bloc of G77 countries are blocking it.

1)      Political Moderates

While working in blocs might be a more pragmatic approach to negotiation: increasing the bargaining power of individual states which would otherwise be able to make a lesser impact; it, at least to a certain extent; condenses policies of more moderate states at the expense of states with stronger policies. More often than not, states that are otherwise more moderate are forced to take rather extreme stances due to agreements made within different blocs. Sitting In at the Prep Com discussions, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps if Sri Lanka stood independently at such global fora, perhaps we would have expressed more moderate sentiments than the rounded stance of the G77 especially with regard to progressive and timely proposals such as the Ombudsman for the Youth.

2)       Moderate Catholics

It was flabbergasting how, the Holy See which is not a member state of the United Nations, possessing only observer status attempted to block all reference to sexual and reproductive rights in the current negotiation text. With no Citizenry of its own, the Holy See does not derive legitimacy from a mandate of the people. Even the Vatican City, where it is based, has a grand total of 832 citizens. After much maneuvering, the G77 proposed a previously agreed text from the UN Economic and Social Council acknowledging reproductive and sexual health, and the Holy See was isolated.

3)       The UNEP

In the run up to Rio+20 various member states and civil society groups were advocating the beefing up of the United Nations Environmental Programme. Currently, UNEP lacks political clout and the financial backing it needs because only a quarter of the member states are on its governing council and it has relies on voluntary donations. Under the draft text, it would have universal membership and be guaranteed a stable, regular budget. However, the reforms appear to stop short of upgrading the programme to the same level as more powerful UN bodies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO).

4)       Renewable Sources of Energy

Fossil fuel Subsidies was the first of the list of recommendations of the Rio+20 Dialogues. Anti-fossil subsidies campaigns have overwhelmed Rio and cities around the world. Their campaigns in Rio ranged from #endfossilfuelsubsidies Twitter storms to flash mobs at the Rio Centro. But still, the the current draft text, there is no action on fossil fuels subsidies, no time frame for eliminating them, and only a very vague mention of the ‘inefficiency’ of such subsidies.  There are no targets whatsoever to achieve the use of more renewable energy sources.

5)      The Green Economy

The Greenpeace assessment of the current text says ‘the Green Economy text is meaningless. The Agenda 21 agreement of 20 years ago was more meaningful text than what is being proposed. What we have is nothing short of an invitation to Green-wash, with countries such as Korea promoting nuclear power as the green economy.’ Concepts such as Green Jobs have been totally excluded in the current draft text, largely due to pressure by the G77.

6)      The Press

It’s often those very countries that advocate liberal freedoms such as the freedom of Expression, and the Right to Information that call for private meetings within these UN talks. Perhaps the UN as the organization advocating these fundamental values should strive harder to facilitate public access to all UN discussions, after all, they are only discussing “the future we want”.

7)      Small Islands States

Imagine if one day you wake up, and your country is just a memory. Everything and everyone you love has disappeared under the sea. Sea level rise is one of the most tangible and readily acknowledged consequences of climate change. By 2100, conservative estimates place global average sea level rise at approximately 1m (3 feet), with a more significant rise of 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) possible. During an interview with state media prior to Rio+20, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Environment, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said: “Sea level rise directly threatens island states such as Sri Lanka…We have not identified what areas would go under water if the sea level rises by another two meters. We have to find out its impact on our coastal areas and be prepared to face this challenge.”

Two weeks later: Rio+20 has let us down: negotiators have failed to deliver the demands of the people. The only reference to vulnerable small island states in the current agreed text reads: “We note that sea level rise and coastal erosion are serious threats for many coastal regions and islands particularly in developing countries and, in this regard, we call on the international community to enhance its efforts to address these challenges.”Tax payers around the world invested billions of dollars on the Rio+20 process, not for world leaders to ‘note’ those self-evident truths that we are all very well aware of.

On the positives, the sections on the Oceans and Employment are comparatively stronger.  However, even these sections need much more emphasis and elaboration.

Will anything change in the handful of days ahead?

All eyes are on Rio.

On the Road to Rio+20

The World is thirsty because we are hungry: World Water Day 2012

Managing Waste, the Sri Lankan Perspective

Biogas

With the seven billionth Earthling seeing the light of day on the 31^st of October last year the world now has waste created by 7 billion people to dispose of.  Can humanity handle the unprecedented rise in the sum of waste created? Improper solid waste management mechanisms mean that 7 billion people are exposed to the threat of climate change. Is the world on course to meet its waste targets? These are questions are faced by countries the world over. Sri Lanka, the tiny teardrop shaped island in South Asia, too is faced with such questions. Being a tiny island in South Asia, Sri Lanka falls into the UNFCCC and IPCC’s category of ‘vulnerable’ small island nations under serious threat from various climate change impacts. Sri Lanka’s Energy Policy seeks to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels- which are 100% imported- by promoting renewable energy.

Managing urban waste

HelpO: an NGO committed to conducting Grass root level social welfare programs with the assistance of UNDP Sri Lanka, under the auspices of the Galle Municipal Council, constructed a bio gas plant to dump market waste of the city. Following this project, which was a roaring success, a mechanism was developed whereby, in the grassroots, the villagers themselves got-together and made a small financial contribution for the maintenance of a biogas tank. UNDP simply made the initial investment and allowed the beneficiaries to invest in the maintenance of the plant. Of course Biogas helped minimize the effects of climate change, but for the hapless villagers it saved their land and waterways from harmful waste; provided an excellent organic fertilizer and best of all, produced a cost efficient and profitable fuel. UNDP initiated projects are underway in various parts of the island, addressing solid waste management concerns while also generating an extra income through the bi-products of waste management such as bio fuel and compost manure. Simple composting systems were an effective, low-tech solution to reduce large quantities of waste and generate manure for agriculture. With approximately 60% - 70% of waste being bio-degradable, composting has now become an important component of an integrated waste management process.

According to Dr. Ananda Mallawathanthri, who is UNDP’s Assistant Resident Representative cum Team Leader: Environment, Energy and Disaster Management, the UNDP supported the biogasification of waste at two different levels: i.e. at the community level, and the institutional level. In community the

level, one bio gas plant was constructed for five to eight neighboring houses, while in the institutional level, biogas plants were constructed in hotels, hospitals, military bases, schools and even prisons. Financial and technical support for some of these community level projects was channeled in directly to NGOs and CBOs by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program.

Solid Waste: a tool for reconciliation

For over three decades, the Northern and North Eastern areas of the island were ravaged by a barbaric war. Following its conclusion, Dr. Mallawathanthri elaborated how, solid waste management became a tool for the promotion of national harmony and reconciliation. Recently, the United Nations Development Program – Disaster Risk Management team partnered with the Transition Recovery Program to organize an exposure visit for a group of environment officers, public health officers, local government council secretaries and field engineers from former war torn areas, to southern Sri Lanka where they could observe successful projects and meet their implementers.  Solid waste management created a platform for reconciliation and North-South interpersonal dialogue. 

With the exponential industrial growth predicted for the newly liberated Northern and Eastern provinces and with many post-conflict initiatives to fast track development, already underway, the UNDP field office in Jaffna awarded a grant to the Nallur local government council to implement a compost system to manage the doubling amounts of solid waste collected. The UNDP and the Central Environmental Authority are also formulating a system to provide further support and help make the Northern Province waste free.

Financial support of the UNDP was also utilized for the implementation of a waste management project to convert banana waste into value added products such as handicraft, paper and fabrics, as a cottage industry among the rural community. Banana, a popular tree that grows freely in tropical climates is valued only for the soft nutritious fruit concealed in its slippery peel. It is widely grown in Sri Lanka as a garden tree and commercially in plantations. Banana waste is now used to create handicrafts and other products such as wall hangings, table mats, handbags, key tags, and even fabrics.  Again, solid waste which was once a menace has metamorphosed to a profit generating cottage industry.

In .

Dr. Mallawathanthri concluded by adding that UNDP Sri Lanka will continue to draw inspirations from countries in the region, and from around the world and replicate success strategies in one country, in another. He added that UNDP welcomes experimentation and that it is ready to make an initial investment to construct a model based on a new idea to convince governments and authorities the world over that the idea is worth the investment of their funds.

Sri Lanka: Disaster Management and Recovery: : Predicting the unpredictable and escaping the wrath of nature

                                 
















































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                ‘When a disaster strikes a country, it’s the poor that is predominantly affected: at least in most cases.’ says Dr. Ananda Mallawathanthri, who is UNDP’s Assistant Resident Representative in Sri Lanka. “This is partly because the poor reside in areas which are more vulnerable and prone to disasters, such as the coastal belt” he added. In Sri Lanka, poverty and disasters form a vicious cycle. Following the killer waves of the 2004 Tsunami, a roadmap was designed towards a safer Sri Lanka: articulating the vision highlighted in President Mahinda Rajapaksha's action plan, the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’.

  

                                 UNDP- Sri Lanka supported the architecting of the institutional structures necessary to bring this vision to the light of day. The UNDP supported the establishment of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) as a focal point for disaster management in Sri Lanka. The DMC is an around the clock emergency operations center, acting in liaison with ministries, authorities and agencies, private sector agencies, NGOs and the military. It also facilitates the issuing of warnings, and conducts evacuations.

                              

Prepare, Mitigate, Manage     

   UNDP also provided training at National, district and community levels so as to streamline warning and evacuation systems in the event of a disaster occurring. The training curriculum included first aid to victims, rescue strategies, managing the elderly and the differently-abled and identifying safe evacuation pathways.

                                

A disaster could occur in a split second making you lose not only your hard-earned investments and property but also your friends, family and loved ones. In the blink of an eye, everything and everyone could be taken away from you. Sri Lanka: though not frequently affected by the wrath of nature, is no stranger to natural disasters.   The tsunami which hit the island on Boxing Day in 2004 swept around 30,000 people away, and displaced at least one and a half million persons, taught Sri Lanka a lesson: it brought about a collective conscience among the government, civil society organizations and international agencies of the need for a comprehensive disaster risk management mechanism

The Disaster Management Centre of the Ministry of Disaster Management, with technical and financial support from the Disaster Risk Management program of the UNDP and the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok also initiated the formation of a database on past disaster incidents from 1974. The Disaster Information Management System is a tool that helps to analyze disaster trends and their impacts in a systematic manner. With increased understanding of the disaster trends and their impacts, better prevention, mitigation and preparedness measures can be planned to reduce the impact of disasters on the communities. These databases could be accessed on 'http://www.desinventar.lk'. In order to facilitate this, UNDP also funded a detailed mapping exercise that covers over eight districts. 

Risk and Disaster Management

The process of developing hazard vulnerability and risk profiles was led by Sri Lankan stakeholder agencies. For example, the Coast Conservation Department developed a coastal risk profile in collaboration with the University of Peradeniya while the Department of Meteorology developed a cyclone profile in consultation with several experts.

The United Nations continues to support the Government to meet the urgent needs caused by various natural disasters. For example, it assisted the government in securing shelter, food and drinking water for one million people affected by the second wave of floods last year. According to Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Colombo, the World Food Program has distributed food for six days in support of around 192,000 persons in flood affected areas. Meanwhile, UNICEF has dispatched around 4,600 tarpaulins; the International Organization for Migration has supplied 9,000 plastic sheets and tarpaulins while the United Nations Refugee Agency has provided 400 tents, in aid of the victims of the second wave of floods.

Strategic Environmental Assessment

In another initiative the UNDP began to develop integrated strategic environmental assessments (ISEA) starting with the conflict affected Northern Province, where the process involves a large number of agencies related to land use, conservation, infrastructural development, service delivery and urban planning. The ISEA–North is aimed at better understanding the natural resource base in the Northern Province following the conflict and to provide strategic information support to facilitate rapid development. A key outcome of the process is that assessments are carried out early to identify potentially adverse effects on the environment.

                                 Over 25 agencies worked together in this venture and the ISEA-North process capitalized on the technical strengths of Government agencies. UNDP provided technical, coordination and financial assistance in new data generation including mapping of water resources, mineral resources, archeological resources and boundaries of forests and wild life to facilitate the process. In addition, UNDP also partnered with the UNEP Post Conflict and Disaster Management Branch to obtain specific technical assistance for ISEA-North.

                                

Queue for disaster relief

At the Global Meeting of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, the Government of Sri Lanka expressed interest in enhancing national search and rescue capacity. In July 2011, representatives from the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific visited Sri Lanka, accompanied by an expert in search and rescue, in preparation for the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination, or UNDAC’s disaster response preparedness mission. The terms of reference for the mission were developed in consultation with the Government, the donors and the humanitarian community met by the group during their visit.

                                 In August 2011, the Government of Sri Lanka conveyed its agreement to the proposed terms of reference and formally requested the Emergency Relief Coordinator and the United Nations Under-
Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs for the deployment of an UNDAC mission through the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Sri Lanka.  The UNDAC mission was soon deployed to Sri Lanka.

The need to prepare is real. Disasters hit the most unexpected of regions at the most unexpected of times.  Implementing disaster management plans may not completely guarantee the safety of all people and their possessions. However, it reduces the risk posed by a disaster.

A Disease called Aging: World Health Day 2012