Goal 7 specifies the international commitment to ensuring environmental sustainability, by targeting the reversing of loss of environmental resources, halving the proportion of people without sanitation and sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015, and achieving significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. Progress towards this goal is measured by factors such as the proportion of land area covered by forests, extent of protected areas for maintaining biological diversity, energy efficiency (in terms of GDP per unit of energy use), per capita carbon dioxide emissions, and also the proportion of the population with access to improved drinking water, sanitation, and secure tenure.
25-06-2009India’s Meteorological Department has revised its forecast saying that the country is expected to receive below normal monsoon this year. However, scientists and Planning Commission have allayed the fears of adverse impact on agriculture and economy.
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Image: Rain in Kerala/ Photo credit: Travel.webshots.com
24-06-2009The World Bank has launched an initiative in 13 countries, including India, to save tigers from extinction. The bank will provide more than US$ 1 million over the next year towards training hundreds of forest rangers and other habitat managers in biodiversity management.
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Image: Feeling not so safe in Sariska Tiger Reserve, India/ Photo credit: Daylife
26-06-2009Heather Allen of the International Association of Public Transport wants to make public transportation sustainable in a market driven world. In an interview with Down to Earth, she talks of the bus business and pedestrians’ rights in developing countries, and why public transport should figure in climate debates.
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18-06-2009As part of its energy efficiency initiative, the Asian Development Bank has decided to double its clean energy investments in Asia to US$ 2 billion, starting from 2013. Wind, biomass and hydropower in countries like China, India, Bhutan and others are likely to get a boost from this hike.
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Indian sanitation project wins UN award 24-06-2009For its pioneering work in the field of community-managed water resources, Gujarat’s Water and Sanitation Management Organisation has won the prestigious UN Public Services Award. The internationally acclaimed awards recognise creative institutional efforts that promote people’s participation in policy and decision-making.
Bringing risk reduction on the development agenda 18-06-2009At the ongoing biennial session on disaster risk reduction, UN representatives have recommended governments to increase investments in sound and sustainable disaster risk reduction measures. Millions of people have lost their lives and property in the past few years due to weather, climate or water-related calamities.
26-06-2009Thousands of people residing in Bangladesh’s Cox bazaar and Shirajganj districts will soon receive early warning alerts of an impending natural disaster. A new user-friendly initiative will prevent loss of life and damage to property due to flooding, tropical storms and cyclones.
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Image: Severe floods in Bangladesh/ Photo credit: Google
24-06-2009UNEP’s Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009 documents significant surge in sustainable energy investments worldwide. Despite the worst ever financial crisis, the report notes increased use of renewables and advocates an eco-friendly approach to meet challenges like energy security and resource efficiency.
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Image: Wind energy attracted the highest new investment/ Photo credit: Google
