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The United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
The United Nations Conference on |
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20 June 2012 – More than 100 Heads of State and government today gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the start of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which seeks to shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection. “We are now in sight of a historic agreement,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his address to Rio+20’s opening session this morning. “Let us not waste this opportunity. The world is watching to see if words will translate into action, as we know they must.” After intensive and protracted informal negotiations on how to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development, 191 countries reached agreement yesterday on the Conference’s outcome document. The text will now be put forward for adoption by Heads of State at the conclusion of Rio+20 on Friday. “I am pleased that negotiations have reached a successful conclusion and I commend the Presidency of Brazil for facilitating this resolution,” said Secretary of General Ban Ki Moon. More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – are attending Rio+20 from 20-22 June. The event follows on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection. “We have been given a second chance,” Mr. Ban said, adding that since the Earth Summit twenty years ago progress has been too slow, and much more needs to be done. “Rio+20 is not an end but a beginning. It is time for all of us to think globally and locally.” Rio+20’s outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want,” calls for a wide range of actions. These include: beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production. It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points. “We think the text contains a lot of action, and if this action is implemented, and if follow-up measures are taken, it will indeed make a tremendous difference in generating positive global change,” Rio+20’s Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, said after the conclusion of the outcome document negotiations on Tuesday. In addition to the outcome document, there have been nearly 500 voluntary commitments on sustainable development activities by civil society groups, businesses, governments and universities. The UN’s Global Compact initiative, which concluded its Corporate Sustainability Forum yesterday, announced more than 200 commitments to sustainable development by businesses. Speaking at Rio+20’s ceremonial opening, on Wednesday afternoon, Secretary-General Ban thanked Brazil for hosting the Conference, and expanded on the opportunity it presented to the world. “We recognize that the old model for economic development and social advancement is broken,” he said. “Rio+20 has given us a unique chance to set it right, to create a new model, to set a new course that truly balances the imperatives of robust growth and economic development with the social and environmental dimensions of sustainable prosperity and human well-being.” “But, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. We need to act with vision and commitment, commitment and vision in the largest sense,” the UN chief added. “Let us not forget the scarcest resource of all: Time. We are running out of time. We no longer have the luxury to defer difficult decisions. We have a common responsibility to act in common cause, to set aside narrow national interests in the name of the global public good and the betterment of all.” In his remarks to the same ceremonial opening – at which Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, and the Rio+20 Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, also spoke at – the President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, said Rio+20 is the “opportunity of a generation.” “It is our chance to transform ideas and aspirations into bold actions and everyday realities. It is the moment to take steps to shape the future for generations to come – the future we want,” Mr. Al-Nasser said. ---------------------------- The World Water Council projects that while the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth - coupled with industrialization and urbanization - will result in an increasing demand for water and will have serious consequences on the environment. Meanwhile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shares the what Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shares the future he wants and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon answered three questions from social media fans from Liberia, Mexico and the United States on the Future We Want. At US$11.3 billion a year, the dollar costs of achieving the the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) drinking water and sanitation target are affordable; the human costs of failing to do so are not. The International Decade for Action Water for Life provides the incentive for coordinated efforts to prevent the daily disaster of unnecessary deaths. As we enter the International Decade for Action Water for Life 2005–2015, this report makes clear that achieving the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation will bring a payback worth many times the investment involved. It will also bring health, dignity and transformed lives to many millions of the world’s poorest people. The humanitarian case for action is blindingly apparent. The economic case is just as strong. You can see more detailed report which was written by the world water council about the Water for life: Making it happen. World Commission on Water for the 21st century talks about that " More than one-half of the world’s major rivers are being seriously depleted and polluted, degrading and poisoning the surrounding ecosystems, thus threatening the health and livelihood of people who depend upon them for irrigation, drinking and industrial water. " The following Video provided by U.S. EPA in partnership with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and American Water Works Association (AWWA) in the Work for Water campaign. Water industry professionals talk about the variety of career opportunities available, job stability, and the sense of giving back to the community by providing an invaluable service. See http://www.workforwater.org. Seattle City Light is 90 % hydroelectric. This explains how this clean, renewable energy is produced and how this utility keeps its citizens' equipment up to date. This animation shows one molecule of water completing the hydrologic cycle. Heat from the sun causes the molecule to evaporate from the ocean's surface. Once it evaporates, it is transported high in the atmosphere and condenses to form clouds. Clouds can move great distances and eventually the water molecule will fall as rain or snow. Ultimately, the water molecule arrives back where it started...at the ocean.
The communities and organizations can mitigate the critical impacts of wather which could measure First, simple daily gestures can reduce the crisis of threatening water resources. All actors from the water sector should get involved: farmers, industrials, but also individuals including communities. A responsible water-saving behaviour, a reduction in pollutants in agriculture can slow down the disappearance of water resources and the changes in ecosystems. Collective measures should also be enforced. Spaces arrangements and water resources use should be taken in hand. Regulating natural river flows, carrying out soft changes and adapting water consumption to its availability may have much more sustainable and efficient effects than increasing the pressure on the resource, leading to short-term solutions. A effective cooperation should exist among actors, to ensure a consistent and environment-friendly water management. It is good to know How to Make a Survival Water Filter when you do not have any water system equipt. You can learn about why you should be concerned about toxins in the water that you You can see more detail of information about the The Right to Safe Water and Sanitation - Version française (.pdf 3,5Mo) Pipelines and aqueducts have been a familiar part of the landscape in the western United States for more than a century. Many of these projects involve surface reservoirs and transbasin diversions. The American West is noteworthy in the history of water development, because the West was where the world first learned how to build dams on large river systems. In addition, the West still contains some of the most ambitious water engineering projects on the globe. The following table can explain as one of the great example how the Existing Major Pipeline Project in the West and tells the future water shortage metrics for 10 years running average.
NRDC document shows that CO2 can harming the water, over the last decade, scientists have discovered that this excess CO2 is actually changing the chemistry of the sea and proving harmful for many forms of marine life. This process is known as ocean acidification. A more acidic ocean could wipe out species, disrupt the food web and impact fishing, tourism and any other human endeavor that relies on the sea. Combating acidification requires reducing CO2 emissions and improving the health of the oceans. Creating marine protected areas (essentially national parks for the sea) and stopping destructive fishing practices would increase the resiliency of marine ecosystems and help them withstand acidification. Evidence suggests that coral reefs in protected ocean reserves are less affected by global threats such as global warming and ocean acidification, demonstrating the power of ecosystem protection. Ultimately, though, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed into the oceans may be the only way to halt acidification. The same strategies needed to fight global warming on land can also help in the seas. Lisa Suatoni, an NRDC ocean scientis, speaks urgencys to care about the world’s carbon crisis, which would make changes in how we fuel our world. Land Rover is fully committed to improving its sustainability profile, and the CO2 Offset Programme is one of a number of approaches that it is taking to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with its operations and products. CO2 offsets enable companies and individuals to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions from their activities. It does this by undertaking activities which reduce CO2 by an amount equivalent to that emitted by their activities. Even chilren care to keep clean water and conserve water: Poster contest hosted by Lakehaven Utility District :
However, speaking of water crisis, The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation today announced a $3.5 million (USD) commitment to the United States Water Partnership (USWP) to advance sustainable water access in African countries facing the greatest clean water challenges. Bea Perez, the Company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, made the announcement at the Rio+20 Conference in Brazil where participants are working to shape policy on global poverty reduction, social equity advancement and environmental protection. The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, and it is No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Related Link: Rio+20 sustainable Future Here are the 25 ways to conserve water (Click to view) in the home and yard which Water conservation has become an essential practice in all regions, even in areas where water seems abundant.
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