ˇˇˇˇCARTAGENA, Colombia, February 14 (Xinhuanet,by
Wang Jingzhong ) -- As environment ministers and delegations from more than 120
countries are gathering in the seaside city of Colombia, they are facing the
huge task of finding new initiatives to curb worsening global environment to
contribute the upcoming World Summit for Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, South Africa.
ˇˇˇˇThe ministers and delegates, who are attending the ongoing Third Global
Ministerial Environment Forum, agreed that some progress has been made in
tackling environmental issues, but attempts to reverse global environment
degradation have not, in general, been effective since the 1992 Earth Summit on
environmentand development held in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro.
ˇˇˇˇThey blamed poverty, a lack of political will, poor international
environment governance and continued wasteful patterns of production and
consumption, among other factors, for the worsening environment.
ˇˇˇˇParticipants to the conference warned that if the current trendcannot be
reversed, sustainable development that is balanced between people's economic and
social needs and the ability of the earth's resources and ecosystems to meet
present and future needs shall never be achieved.
ˇˇˇˇLatest statistics from the Worldwatch Institute indicated that the global
temperature record points to the 1990 as the warmest decade since measurements
began in the nineteen century.
ˇˇˇˇDuring this period, global emission of the heat-trapping greenhouse gas
carbon dioxide, which most scientists believe causes global warming, climbed
more than 9 percent, the leading environment think-tank said, adding that U.S.
emission alone rose some 18 percent between 1990 and 2000.
ˇˇˇˇThis statistics coincides with a recent UN report, saying that global
consumption of fossil fuels increased by 10 percent from 1992 to 1999. Per
capita use remains highest in developed countries or ten times the consumption
in developing regions.
ˇˇˇˇScientists said that the rise in global temperature have led tomore
frequent natural disasters, such as droughts, floods and risein sea levels.
ˇˇˇˇLast year, natural disasters cost the world's re-insuring sector 11.5
billion U.S. dollars, much higher than the 7.5 billiondollars in the previous
year, according to a report from leading German re-insurers Munich Re.
ˇˇˇˇAnd what is worth to mention, the year 2001 was also the secondhottest year
regarding average temperature in the past 142 years, figures from the World
Meteorological Organization indicate.
ˇˇˇˇMunich Re has predicted that an increase in natural disasters as a result
of global warming could cost the world over 300 billion U.S. dollars annually by
the year 2050. To make things worse, the forests, which can, to some degree,
absorb carbon dioxide, has witnessed sharp decline in the past decade.
ˇˇˇˇThe UN report said that the rate of global deforestation duringthe 1990s
was estimated at 14.6 million hectares per year, a net loss of 4 percent of the
world's forest in the last decade.
ˇˇˇˇDeforestation has caused serious soil degradation, which affects about
two-thirds of the world's agricultural lands and hasalso threatened thousands of
species of wildlife that use forests as habitat.
ˇˇˇˇThe situation of fresh water is no better, said the UN report, as it is
becoming scarcer in many countries. And by 2005, as much as two thirds of the
world's population could live in countries with moderate or severe water stress.
ˇˇˇˇThe fisheries on which billions of people rely for protein and incomes have
also under increasingly threat. About a quarter of the world's fisheries have
been over-fished and half are fully utilized, said the UN report, adding that
marine catches from the Atlantic Ocean and in some parts of the Pacific Ocean
reached their maximum potential years ago.
ˇˇˇˇMeanwhile, about 27 percent of the world's coral reefs have been lost due
to both direct human impacts and the effects of climate change, and the report
estimated that another 32 percent of reefs may be functionally destroyed within
the next 30 years ifno corrective action is taken.
ˇˇˇˇEnvironment degradation has also posed a grave threat to people's health.
UN statistics indicated that up to one-fifth of diseases worldwide are
associated with environment factors.
ˇˇˇˇUnclean water and poor sanitation kill over 12 million people each year,
while air pollution kills nearly 3 million, about 90 percent of whom in
developing countries.
ˇˇˇˇAt the meeting, most delegates agreed that the curbing of environment
degradation and the achieving of sustainable development cannot be done in
isolation, but only in close connection with social and economic development.
ˇˇˇˇ"Reduction of poverty is a pre-condition for sustainable development," said
Norwegian Environment Minister Borge Brende.
ˇˇˇˇ"Negative economic growth and poverty is closely linked to ill health and
environmental degradation. The vicious circle between ill health and poverty and
environment should be broken," the minister stressed.
ˇˇˇˇUN figures showed that half of the world's 6 billion people areliving on
less than two U.S. dollars a day, with 1.2 billion of those living on fewer than
one dollars a day.
ˇˇˇˇKlaus Topper, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) told journalists here that if the issueof poverty can not be solved,
environment will suffer further in the future as the world's population is
increasing by over 70 million per year.
ˇˇˇˇ"We must ensure that the environment will become instrumental in solving
the problem of poverty in the world," he noted.
ˇˇˇˇDavid Anderson, president of the UNEP Governing Council and also Canada's
environment minister, pointed to the fact that sincethe September 11 terrorist
attacks in the U.S, security concerns seemed to have outpaced the issue of
sustainable development.
ˇˇˇˇHe told the meeting that "there can be no lasting peace when poverty,
hunger, diseases and pollution cast their shadows on billions each day".
ˇˇˇˇ"We need good governments that takes action on environmental issues,
economic issues, social issues and health issues and give its people peace and
lasting improvement to quality of life," he noted. Enditem
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