Environment and development
Md. Ariful Islam, Dept. of EEE, Lt. Selim Hall; RUET
In the past, development was considered as purely an economic phenomenon, where the economic progress was an essential component of development, while environmental issues were seen as those that tried to restrict it. On the contrary, environmentalists are of the opinion that the sustainable development could not be achieved until the environmental issues are included in the growth models. ESCAP has undertaken several activities that would enable it to face the challenges raised in Agenda21(Rio, Brazil, 34June,1992) more effectively. It has, for example , taken the initiative to coordinate regional and sub-regional activities through an Interagency Committee on Environment and Development (ICED) in Asia and Pacific. ESCAP has also undertaken work on institutional capacity building on environment and development. A major achievement in this regard is the establishment of a Regional Network of Environment and Economic Policy Research Institute. Over the years, UNEP has been working as a major depository in publishing and disseminating works on global and regional environmental issues with its four specialised units: Global Environmental Monitoring System(GEMS), Global Resource Information Database(GRID), International Register Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) and INFORTERRA.Economic development and sound environmental management are complementary aspects of the same agenda. Economic problems cause /aggravate environmental degradation which obstructs economic development and structured reform. International initiatives have played a vital and decisive role in developing environmental awareness and in making the issue an integrated part of development in global perspective. But while there is strong agreement at the conceptual level on the need to integrate policies for development and environment, a large gap between theory and practice still remains . Given the current levels of environmental degradation and economic confusion , this is not an easy task. The planning and implementation of development initiatives will have to change significantly, the global economy will have to be fundamentally restructured and the international co-operation will have to take a quantum leap forward .
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