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The World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) refers to a summit that occurred in Johannesburg in the last week of August and first week of September 2002.

It was held under the auspices of the United Nations and was a follow up to similar summits that had taken place in Stockholm, Sweden, 1972 and in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992, where the name Earth Summit was first coined.

WSSD looked to follow up on where Rio had left off, and also sought to examine any forgotten lessons from Stockholm. The world had changed considerably since the Rio de Janeiro summit, and against this backdrop, five areas formed the basis of the summit: 1) Water and sanitation 2) Energy 3) Human health 4) Agricultural productivity 5) Biodiversity and ecosystem management.

The summit was held in a much less optimistic atmosphere than the previous two summits, due to the geo-political situation at the time as well as the obvious lack of political willpower on the part of the developed world to keep to the agreements of the Rio de Janeiro.

Sustainability was the catch phrase of the WSSD, and even as it drew to a close, the organizers looked to come up with ways of binding the participants into agreements that would actually be effective, particularly considering the ineffective nature of the resulting declarations from both Stockholm (The Stockholm Plan of Action) and Rio de Janeiro (Agenda 21). This led to the rather unique nature and structure of the Johannesburg Declaration.

The structure of the agreements within the declaration were referred to as ‘Type 2’ agreements and involved arrangements or Memorandums of Understanding between states and non-state players or Non-Governmental Organizations, as well as between states themselves and also, between NGOs. This was not only a response to the rather ineffectual agreements of the previous summits that states had largely ignored, but also a direct recognition of the greater role that non-state players like NGOs had in the world.

Some of the goals of the plan of Implementation ensconced in the Johannesburg Declaration include the establishment of a poverty eradication fund; reaffirmation of the UN Millennium Summit goal to cut in half the proportion of the world’s population living on less than a dollar a day as well as the number of people who lack clean drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015, and halving the number of people suffering from hunger.

WSSD has been criticized for being less ambitious and weaker than its predecessors, but it’s proponents argue that it was by far a summit with more realistic goals.

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The Ramsar Convention was approved in Ramsar, Iran in 1971. The treaty involving members from all regions of the world took force in 1975. It is the only principle that addresses a specific ecosystem, wetlands. The Convention was formally adopted as The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

Wetlands are at risk because of the manner in which water has been used. People have failed to recognize the benefits of wetlands: water supply, food, flood protection, fiber, water purification and cultural values. Climate change has a large impact on a plethora of wetlands. The building of dams causes the course and ecology of rivers to adversely change. The biodiversity of lakes is endangered by man’s pollution, development, and increased tourist activities. Bogs are jeopardized by industry and conversion to agriculture.

At the heart of Ramsar is the “wise use” model, which is to maintain the ecological character of the wetlands. This is accomplished, for the long term benefit of mankind, by preservation and maintainable use of wetlands and their resources. The treaty also addresses not just isolated wetlands, but the protection of complete river-basins.

3.5 million acres of wetlands were earmarked as Wetlands of Important by August 2006. In addition, many countries have developed National Wetland Policies. Ramsar continues its original work which included the importance of waterfowls to the wetland environments. The birds have strong public appeal and are an enormous ecological gauge for the planets future livelihood. Convention activities are also honed on the future; disaster easement, climate change, development of long-term fisheries, increased economic inducements and support of native cultures.

Water is critical to mankind. Without healthy wetlands, including sustainable biodiversity, the entire world will fall ill. This was recognized in 1971 when countries around the world agreed to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Since that time the Ramsar Convention has worked tirelessly to maintain and improve the waterways of our planet.

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On November 28, 2011 the United Nation’s Climate Change Convention will take place in Durban, South Africa. This convention will bring together the very best minds in the climate change industry as well as representatives from world governments. This year there are many key climate change bills that could shape many environmental protocols in many countries around the world.

One of the key points of the 2011 United Nation’s Climate Change Convention, also known as COP 17, is the total implementation of the Kyoto Protocol that was agreed upon at the 1997 UNCCCF in Kyoto, Japan. This now famous protocol called for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 37 different countries from 2008-2012. This year

‘s Convention will review the numbers and projected emission status of the 37 countries to see if the protocol implementations are being met. As of now, the United States is the only one of the 37 targeted countries to not have implemented the Kyoto Protocol.

Another key point of this year’s convention is the discussion of the Bali Action Plan. This plan was agreed upon at COP 13 in Bali, Indonesia. The Bali Action Plan is broken into five parts to help with implementation. These five categories are: shared vision, mitigation, adaptation, technology and financing. All five categories were to be implemented at COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark and would bring the world governments to a shared upon set of goals to help curb environmental hazards.

The other main point of discussion at this year’s COP is the review of the Cancun Agreements from COP 16. The Cancun Agreements set a goal for governments for the calendar year 2011. This year’s COP will need to review and discuss the compiled data and decide if another Agreement needs to be implemented for 2012. Some of the highlights of the Cancun Agreements are: The establishment of a Green Climate Fund, Forest Management Reference Levels as well as the Cancun Adaption Framework which established different goals and projected outcomes for third-world and developing countries.

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The Biodiversity Convention (1992) is the first law of its kind, to recognize that the conservation of biological diversity should be a common concern for all of humanity and is a fundamental component of the development process. The Convention was designed to remind legislatures and corporations that natural resources are finite and projects a philosophy of sustainable use. The Convention covers all ecosystems, species and genetic resources as well as pairing together conservation efforts with economic ideals while using ensuring the responsible use of biological resources. The more recent Convention on Biological Diversity of 2010 would place restrictions and bans on some forms of geoengineering.

Some of the issues addressed by the Convention and recent applications:

• The measurement and incentives provided for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
  A 2011 study explores the sustainability of pikeperch, taking into account the survival rates between wild and stocked fish. Study found that stocked fish did not increase or improve yields and recommends an increase in minimum size limit in order to improve both the ecological and evolutionary sustainability of fisheries.

  Reference: Vainikka, Anssi, & Hyvärinen, Pekka. 2011. Ecologically and evolutionarily sustainable fishing of the pikeperch Sander lucioperca: Lake Oulujärvi as an example. Fisheries Research 113(1):8-20.[doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071]

• Restricted access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
  Andre Crump, President and founder of the “DNA Copyright Institute” seeks to assist both celebrities and average citizens obtain legal rights over their DNA profiles. For a small fee, a person can own the DNA “copyrights” top their own genetic code. Previous laws concerning gene patents have only been awarded to isolated sequences with known functions and synthetic. A provision of these patents stipulates that the patents cannot be used on naturally occurring genes in both humans or other organisms.
• Impact assessment.Global warming has been a hot-button topic for many years. In 2011, a group of researchers explored the long term effects of global warming on receding glaciers by monitoring the growth and development of the newly formed streams with older streams. This study examined the theoretical similarities in macroinvertebrate community and the biological trait compositions of both streams in similar stages of development. This study found that the most abundant taxa was similar and that the functional diversity of the two streams was nearly identical. The similarities in communities raise concerns across the watershed regarding the conservation of biodiversity in freshwater habitats.
  

  Reference: Milner, Alexander M., Anne L. Robertson, Lee E. Brown, Svein Harald Sønderland, Michael McDermott, and Amanda J. Veal. 2011. Evolution of a stream ecosystem in recently deglaciated terrain. Ecology 92:1924–1935. [doi:10.1890/10-2007.1]

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On a global scale, there is deepening confirmation that the climate is changing, and that word-wide climate change is a factor that is contributing to an increase in volatile and extreme weather patterns the world over. If the planet earth should experience a rise in temperature of just a few degrees over a period of a few years, the water supplies serving inhabited coastal areas on this earth could become at least partly unusable.

This occurs when salt water backs up into the rivers and aquifers of coastal areas when the sea level starts to rise. No civilization can endure for very long when the water supply serving a population is seriously compromised, and when the supply of water to that region is insufficient to support even the natural vegetation and grasslands keeping the surface soil in place, then life in this region yields as it becomes a desert.

The earth’s most significant deserts were formed naturally over a long period of time. Across this time these deserts have increased and decreased in size independent of human intervention. Vast areas of dry sand, remnants of ancient oceans have become stabilized by the establishment of vegetation and trees.

When water is plentiful these grassy plains prevent the margins of the deserts from stretching their boundaries further, when water is scarce, the desert expands. Desertification is the process of degradation of arable land into dry, infertile land. Desertification is caused by a number of conditions and influences including human activity such as over farming and climate change.

Many of the world’s expanding deserts are a result of poor land use practices. Any increase in temperature brought about by climate change could extend the regions of the earth not yet regarded as at risk. The rate of desertification can also accelerate because of the combined effects of wind generated soil erosion, salinization of aquifers, and wild fires that wipe out natural vegetation, and break down the soil quality.

All of this could result in a condition where desertification would likely become irreversible.

Desertification is a major contributor to the world’s environmental and human rights problems including hunger and malnutrition. As a response to this the United Nations has established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification which is the very first internationally legally binding effort to address the issue of drought and desertification. The Convention seeks to mitigate the effects of drought and desertification with a specific emphasis placed on the African continent.

The U.N. Convention on desertification is predicated on the “principles of participation, partnership and decentralization”, and has as an objective the mitigation of “the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.” At present, there are 194 individual nations that are a party to the Convention. In 2006 the United Nations declared that year as the “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”.

Drought As A Serious Economic Problem

If properly maintained, dry land can contribute to the economic well-being of the earth’s population by serving as a base for cultivation of agriculture and habitation of livestock. Many of our currently fertile lands remain vulnerable to drought, and the people vulnerable to hunger and famine. All are Conditions resulting from unsustainable human activity.

Some important facts to consider:

Of the world’s 5 billion hectares of agriculturally viable dry lands, more than 60% is degraded and subject to desertification. In Africa, over 70% of the dry lands currently in use for growing crops is already degraded and at risk; on the continent of North America, that figure is greater than 70%. Desertification is something that we all need to think about and respect. Our long-term food security depends upon it.

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Every society is composed of a multi factorial system that contributes to the overall status of the society per se. Among the varied systems that make up the general society, three most vital aspects are the economic, social and environmental factors. These three aspects must be adequately maintained at a level that can suffice the demands of every member of the society and these three must be equally monitored as well. However, each aspect plays a certain specific role in establishing an effective and interesting community.

Although the economic, social and environmental aspects portray different roles in the society, it is vital that these factors function in unison and make significant and positive influences, not just to the members of the society but also beyond the societal confines. Thus, the main goal of every community is to function as one while carrying the individual impact each aspect can impose. And the only way to achieve this ultimate goal is to undergo the process of integration.

Integration is the process of bringing together different components of the subsystems and makes it possible for these subsystems to function together without neglecting their individuality. The concept is applied when trying to integrate the economy, society and the environment.

In reality, these three work in a paradigm where one affects and influences the other. When the economic aspect of a society experiences a significant change, the environment and the society is expected to be affected by such change. Same as when the environment or the society exhibit changes. So basically, this is an ongoing cycle that provides various effects and different levels of impact on one another.

More so, it is a fact that members of every society have different perspectives when the concept of integrating the economy, the society and the environment is brought into interest. But regardless of such fact, most of the countries today have high hopes of achieving such integration successfully.