My Top Ten list for Rio+10

Never mind what the cynics say, Johannesburg can, should, make a difference
MOHAN DHARIA THE INDIAN EXPRESS Saturday, August 31, 2002

The international conferences held at Stockholm and Rio de Janerio have attracted the world’s attention to the issues of fast degrading forests, wildlife, nature, life supporting systems and ever increasing pollution. Population explosion, poverty, half-baked industrialisation, unplanned urbanisation and indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources are the main culprits. Leaders of various countries who met at Rio proposed an agenda to meet this challenge. And subsequent conferences held over the past ten years have tried to pursue this agenfa.

But the results have been discouraging. Most of the developed rich countries that create most of the poisonous gases and consume most of the natural resources are primarily responsible for the threat to our ecosystems. Poor countries unwilling to control their population are also responsible. The Johnnesburg Earth Summit has a wide ranging agenda aimed at improving people’s lives, conserving natural resources and balancing the needs and responsibilities of the developed and developing world. From the agonising experience of the past, many developing countries like India are circumspect about the outcome of Johannesburg Summit.

The disenchantment comes from the stonewalling by the US-led group on the issues dear to the heart of developing countries. The negative approach of the US and other countries has utterly failed in building fund raising capacities, transfer of technology to developing world and in fulfilling the basic programme commonly agreed in the historical Rio de Janerio Summit of 1992.
It’s expected that the Johannesburg summit will prescribe basic guidelines and a timebound plan of action for sustainable development. Here are ten of my suggestions:

1. Natural resources like land, water, air, forests and species belong to society. No individual or organisation should have a right to utilise these resources according to his or her desire. Society or the people should lay certain conditions over the use of the natural resources in resepective areas.
2. The luxury and pleasure oriented lifestyle must change. Instead, people should adopt the principle of ‘Moderate Living and High Thinking’. Renowned saints and seers all over the world have advocated the philosophy of ‘Simple Living and High Thinking for the past hundreds of years. Mahatma Gandhiji warned the world, long ago that ‘‘nature has enough potential to meet the geniune human need but it would never be possible to meet the ever growing greed.’’
3. It would be advisable to encourage decentralised production in order to preserve nature and ensure social justice. A decentralised economy and Decentralised authority are not only consistant with people’s democracy, but they’re equally ecofriendly and necessary for sustainable development.
4. The craze for unplanned urbanisation and race for mega cities should be immediately halted. Mega cities have created unhealthy filthy slums and pollution all over the world. No new city above a population above one million should be encouraged, and all cities with a one million plus population should be asked to commence decongestion by creating new growth centres.
This action will considerably help in bringing down the demand for water, wider roads, flyoers and markets, avoiding further pollution.
5. The backbone of rural life has been virtually broken by fast industrialisation, commercialisation and urbanisation. A better course would be to emphasise the process of decentralisation. It’s equally important to stop the influx of people migrating to cities in search of employment and other civic amenities.
6. All countries and cities creating abnormal levels of air, water and noise pollution should be asked to bring down their levels within permissible limits. Both rich and poor countries will have to play a positive role in this regard.
7. A concrete programme should be undertaken in all poor and developing countries to bring down the growth rate of population. Eradication of illiteracy, education and the health care of pregnant and lactating mothers alongwith newly born babies will have to be clubbed together to successfully implement the family planning programmes. Unless all countries agree to ensure employment or earning opportunities to every citizen, it would never be possible to improve the quality of life of the people.
8. Social and economic disparities have widened the valley between the rich and the poor. Though huge investments are necessary to create infrastructure for industrial and agricultural growth, the development of unused and underutilised natural resources like land, water and cattle wealth posseses tremendous potential to generate jobs and render social justice.
9. People the world over have been watching such international summits and conferences for years. They are rightly feel that most of the developed countries are only interested in exploiting developing countries as their markets. Rich nations should realise that enhancing the income level of millions of people in developing countries may be a sensible approach.
10. People the world over want positive action, particularly from rich countries. Mere expression of resolve is not adequate—what’s needed is urgent action, a complete change in attitude. Before people lose all faith, the Johannesburg summit should provide the required lead for sustainable development and a new world order.

The writer, who heads the environmental organisation Vanarai, is a former MP, former Environment minister and former head of the Planning Commission. He is also a part of of the Indian delegation at the Johannesburg summit.