Search

Since proclaiming its independence, the Republic of Indonesia has a large gold-mining industry (PT Indonesia has always been a country of great agrarian The people of Indonesia to the gate of independence. [Extracted from the article]

In recent years, European regional policy has seen a surprising popularity of macro-regional strategies. We focus on the example of the Alpine strategy EUSALP and discuss which potential comes along with its underlying regionalization logics. We argue, firstly, that the still young regionalization process of the EUSALP neither follows the understanding of a homogenous nor that of a functional space in the classical understanding. Instead, the EUSALP addresses pre- and inner-alpine areas that are politically interlinked. This pattern we label as ‘interrelational spaces’. Secondly, we discuss if the interrelations cover the concept of ‘common challenges’ that the official political documents put in the forefront. We reflect to what extent the macro-regional strategy can respond to these challenges from a spatial perspective. In doing so, we refer to two Alpine case studies - transport policy (Brenner) and eco-system services (Po River catchment area). We conclude that the large perimeter and the governance setting bear the potential to address key challenges of the Alpine region. However, the weak instrumental toolbox leaves us sceptical if the EUSALP is capable to make a real difference in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how indigenous narratives suggests eco-activism and sustainable futures. Topics discussed include science fiction urges us to focus on eco-activism and sustainable futures in order to prevent environmental catastrophe; history of science fiction and its treatment of racialized and Indigenous characters; and George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road," which depicts how lust for fossil fuel energy precipitates the end of the world.

Minqin oasis in the lower reaches of the Shiyang River is a main natural barrier for the Wuwei Basin. Due to the combined influence of human activities and natural factors in the past half a century, water quality in the lower reaches of the Shiyang River decreased and ecological environment deteriorated, which influenced sustainable development of this area and surrounding area seriously. This paper analyzed current situation and reasons of the deteriorated ecological environment in the lower reaches of the Shiyang River, and proposed that water environment regulation was the primary task in the eco-environment control of Minqin area, specifically, (a) By using existing policies, accelerating the construction of water-saving agriculture in the middle reaches of the Shiyang River, water quantity in the lower reaches would be guanranted, water shortage for agricultural production and ecological use in Minqin oasis would be relieved; (b) Unreasonable human activities such as overexploitation of underground water should be controlled strictly; (c) Water conservancy project should be developed vigorously to ensure rate of flow. It was expected that the above schemes would contribute to the benign circulation of ecological environment in Minqin oasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article ascertains the underlying causes of the persistence of unsustainable settlement patterns and trends in post-apartheid South Africa. Despite positive development planning policy intentions in the post-apartheid South Africa, glaring deprivation and spatial inequality has persisted. The article is grounded in a chronological analysis of demographic, functional and regional economic dynamics at the different epochs of South Africa's history as well as the settlement policy and planning intentions. Its main finding is that the persistence of unsustainable settlement patterns and trends in post-apartheid South Africa is largely a result of misplaced settlement policies and strategies. They give knee-jerk responses to global, regional, national and local dynamics shaping settlement patterns and trends. The recommendation is that development planning initiatives should be informed by the dialectics of settlement facets at local, regional, national and global levels for them to deal decisively with the historical problem of unsustainable patterns and trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses challenges to the socio-economic life globally, though in varying degrees. Southern Africa is one of the regions that has shown signs of changes in climate. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007), temperatures in the region have risen by 0.5 degrees Celsius over the past hundred years. In addition, climate change has resulted in fifteen incidents of drought in Southern Africa between 1988 and 1992. This has consequently had a negative impact on the socio economic life of the inhabitants of the region. While climate change is an issue that requires attention from all spheres of government, it is posited in this article that the local sphere of government needs to be the focal point for redress as it is the sphere closest to the people. Mutanga, Pophiwa and Simelane (2013: 165) note that insufficient human and financial resources, inability to adapt technologically and politically driven climate change related programmes are some of the challenges faced by municipalities in tackling climate change. Capricorn District in Limpopo Province, South Africa has agriculture as one of its critical economic activities; thus climate change is a serious concern in the area. The article seeks to investigate how local government is responding to the climate change phenomenon. The Capricorn District Municipality is used as a case study. It must be noted that, although this municipality is not a typical representation of how the other local authorities in the country are responding to climate change, it however sheds significant light on how this phenomenon is viewed at this sphere of government. The guiding questions are:to what extent is climate change viewed as a challenge by local authorities?Secondly,what measures are local authorities taking to address both the causes and effects of climate change?It is postulated that local government in South Africa is not effectively proactive and innovative in dealing with climate change. There is a need for policies and mechanisms in municipalities that address challenges that are posed by climate change. This is only possible if both elected and appointed officials treat the issue as a priority. Interviews were conducted with key informants and official documents were consulted in order to gather data that would either support or refute the suggested hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the arguments in favour of a green economy often rest on the need to reduce environmental damage, mitigate climate change and create environmentally friendly jobs, this article argues that the inevitable and possibly imminent peak and decline in world oil production provides another strong rationale for green economy policies and investments in South Africa. The South African economy has a high degree of reliance on imported petroleum fuels and evidence suggests that oil price and supply shocks – resulting from diminishing world oil exports and a decline in the energy return on investment for oil globally – are likely to have a debilitating socioeconomic impact under business-as-usual policies and behaviour patterns. Two broad strategies for mitigating the impact of increasing world oil scarcity and oil price shocks are considered. The first evaluates the prospects for developing indigenous sources of liquid fuels, including coal-to-liquids, gas-to-liquids and biofuels, and finds that there are significant resource and environmental risks associated with these options. The second strategy involves short-term measures to reduce demand for liquid transport fuels together with a long-term shift toward electrified mass transport, supported by accelerated investments in renewable energy. The latter strategy is argued to be compatible with and necessary for a societal transition towards a green economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa like the rest of the world is facing critical challenges and opportunities relating to the Green Economy. The country has relevant policies, is part of various Green Economy International initiatives, Conventions and Declarations, has allocated funding to green economy programmes and projects and has made job projections in this sector. However, the education policies and the education system do not reflect an adequate paradigm shift towards a Green Economy. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (2012) purports that the education systems in various countries need to adapt to this demand. It is against this backdrop that this article seeks to highlight the fact that the present job projections are not attainable owing to lack of skilled personnel in the green economy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest for the concept of sustainable development. The interest for this concept was spurred by challenges facing the modern world, such as global warming, the ozone layer depletion, frequent natural disasters (tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and the like), and increased environmental pollution, but also a growing awareness of the importance of environmental protection. The concept of sustainable development includes three elements: economic, social, and environmental element. This paper specifically addresses the implementation of the environmental component of sustainable development in Montenegro. The emphasized fact is that, although Montenegro declared itself an ecological state, the concept of sustainable development is applied more or less on paper only. Therefore, the paper offers concrete recommendations for promoting the concept of sustainable development in Montenegro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to recent decentralization in Ethiopia, we investigated pressure exerted on Awash National Park ( ANP), vis-a-vis park resources; causes of park-related conflicts and the impact of policy on sustainable resources conservation before decentralization (pre-1995) and after decentralization (post-1995). The study's aim was to assess the implementation of sustainable resources conservation in terms of use policy and conflicts in protected areas. We sampled a total of 210 respondents by stratified random sampling and group discussion participants and key informants using purposive sampling technique. Our results show that while policy problems were perceived to be the main threats to the park pre-1995, demand for pasture land and water, resource-caused conflicts, expansion of private and state farms were identified as main threats to the park post-1995. Before decentralization (pre-1995), inequitable resource sharing and poor organizational structures were the main causes of ethnic conflicts, whereas after decentralization, increasing demand for various resources were the main causes of conflict. We recommend experiences from the Simen National Park be tested to the benefit of improving the state of ANP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The example of peatlands is used to demonstrate the challenges facing the sustainable management of natural resources in situations where the fragility of an environment is not appreciated by all stakeholders. We reveal, through the use of a survey applying both contingent valuation and discrete choice experiments, that many local people and others within the wider population, value peatlands as an example of a cultural landscape. However, there is a reluctance to stop extracting peat for domestic fuel even though the activity is undermining the ecological sustainability of this same landscape. This resistance is shown to arise because the cutting of peat is a well-established land use and a cessation of peat cutting is perceived to require the abandonment of traditional rights. In addition, the activity is widely regarded as more benign than industrial scale cutting for energy. The value attached to the landscape is an opportunity for conservation policy, but for this to succeed there must be an acknowledgement of local interests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present review article focuses upon the key advancements made in green chemistry, its different areas and its 12 basic principles along with applications. It also highlights how chemists are now ready to introduce the applications of green chemistry and study its vital role in our daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimization of value chains is an important process to promote sustainable development, since value chains are closely linked to the satisfaction of human needs and combine different driving forces for environmental change. This article presents a methodological approach for the participatory development of value-chain wide sustainability indicator sets and their integration into a decision support tool in the specific case study of the chain “construction and refurbishment with wood”. There are numerous indicator sets for sustainable development of forests and sustainable forestry available at different levels, ranging from local, regional and national to global scale assessments. Some efforts were also made to integrate later production stages of forest value chains (such as wood processing) in the assessment scope (e.g. for chain-of-custody certification). However, no indicator set has so far been available covering environmental, social and economic aspects for the entire value chain of building with timber. This gap was closed through applied sustainability research in the project “Holzwende 2020: Sustainable future markets for wood in the building sector”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment (ToSIA) has been developed for assessing sustainability impacts of forest-wood-chains (FWCs). Sustainability is determined by analysing environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators for all the production processes along the FWC. Results of the tool can be analysed at an aggregated level for complete FWCs, but for some applications it is useful to assign the indicator results to products of the chain. This paper presents a procedure in ToSIA to assign sustainability impacts to multiple output products of FWC. The procedure was tested and demonstrated with an example FWC from Scandinavia that included furniture and bio-energy production. Two different allocation criteria, carbon-based and economic value-based, were applied with different options for assigning the impacts on the sub-products of the chain. Three indicators representing the three pillars of the sustainability were chosen to demonstrate the procedure: production costs (economic), employment (social) and transport intensity (environmental). The results indicated that the allocation criteria greatly affect the indicator results assigned to the different products of FWCs. The selection of the allocation criterion depends on the question approached and on the availability of the needed process related data. The data availability is assured for the carbon-based allocation within ToSIA, as following the carbon flows within the chain is mandatory for any ToSIA application. Economic values of products, on the other hand, are more closely linked to the aims of the production processes of the value chains and are thereby meaningful allocation criteria in many cases. The allocation procedure of ToSIA was proved to be flexible allowing different criteria and still consistent in allocation of the various sustainability impacts of the FWCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article examines how local authorities can engage citizens in sustainable development. Both in the scientific and political debates, it is widely acknowledged that sustainable development cannot simply be imposed top-down. Instead, citizens need to see themselves not only as part of the problem, but also as part of the solution if the transition to more sustainable lifestyles should be achieved. Based on theories of ecological modernisation, the article claims that we are witnessing some new and more deliberative forms of enacting local environmental policies. The Danish Agenda 21 centres are examined as an example of an innovative and a more participatory approach of promoting sustainable development at a local level. The article concludes that the centres have a broader outreach than traditional local environmental policies. This is achieved by coupling sustainable development to other policy areas and by tailoring participation to diverse target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discussion is presented of an article by Andrew B. Whitford and Karen Wong, "Political and Social Foundations for Environmental Sustainability," published elsewhere in the same issue. It is noted that the article helps to address the need for social sciences to make greater use of empirical hypothesis testing and quantitative models. However, Whitford and Wong's use of the components of the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) as dependent variables is said to be problematic. It is argued that the ESI is not a valid measure of sustainability, and that this detracts from the soundness of Whitford and Wong's conclusions.

This article quantitatively investigates several possible foundations for environmental sustainability, as measured across countries with varying geography, development patterns, social customs, and political arrangements. Two central hypotheses about the roles of democracy and federalism, as well as other hypotheses about economic development, religion, and demographics, are tested. The study provides moderate evidence that sustainability levels depend on democratization, but little evidence that it depends on the presence of federalism. In addition, it is found that the effects of environmental interests, development paths, and religious orientations vary across different measures of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) emerged as a popular concept in the water sector in the 20th century. From a highly techno-centric approach in the past, it has taken a new turn embracing Habermasian communicative rationality as a place-based nexus for multiple actors to consensually and communicatively integrate decisions in a hydrological unit. The ‘how to integrate’ approach had remarkable appeal worldwide in promoting authentic participation of all stakeholders. However, critics argue that the domain of water resource management is a political process of contestation and negotiation; the emphasis is on complexities, contextuality, power dynamics and the importance of analysing real world situations. They demonstrate ‘how integration cannot be achieved’ given the power dynamics in social interactions. These apparently contradictory discourses draw on different theoretical paradigms and polarise the discourse on IWRM, without offering constructive alternatives. To this end, this paper offers an option to complement this polarised discourse by examining ‘how integration actually does take place’ in a strategic context thereby facilitating consensual decisions to integrate water management for a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) as the main advocate of the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), proposed a definition that is now the reference, despite the ambiguity that persists in its interpretation. At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the State representatives committed themselves to launch “plans for integrated water resources management and water efficiency by 2005”. Some states immediately honoured this commitment by adopting new national water policies inspired by IWRM principles. Do these implementation plans respond to all the challenges of the IWRM? Or have these states simply reorganized their water resource policies to give an impression of conforming to the framework? In response to these questions, we present a history of IWRM and its conflicting interpretations followed by a case study of reforms enacted in Burkina Faso, to highlight some problems which are inherent to IWRM and how IWRM was transposed on a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most people tend to focus on the visible part of water. Therefore, water quality has been undervalued in water management, with people often not having the necessary understanding and knowledge to manage water quality effectively. Policies and strategies also tend to give more attention to managing quantity. This paper highlights the legislative principles of equity, efficiency and sustainability in the context of water resource management in South Africa. It provides two examples of practical implementation of these principles from a water quality perspective and highlights the challenges relating to the realization of these principles in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Australia's globally significant savannas and rivers face major threats, from cattle to weeds to land clearing to climate change. In the face of imperatives and pressures such as reducing carbon emissions, nature conservation, alleviating Indigenous disadvantage, the resources boom and global food security, how should development be managed to protect its globally significant ecosystems? Nine planks in a ‘Sustainable Northern Australia’ agenda are proposed: (i) enhance investment in mitigating pervasive landscape threats; (ii) strengthen support for Indigenous Caring for Country activities and incorporation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge into land management; (iii) align and strengthen invasive species control and management; (iv) facilitate new economic development pathways focused on sustainability; (v) build climate resilience by maintaining and enhancing landscape-scale connectivity; (vi) protect free-flowing rivers from dams and major water resource development; (vii) establish and effectively manage a large interconnected network of protected areas; (viii) develop cooperative governance arrangements; and (ix) enhance knowledge generation and research and monitoring capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment documented the importance of ecosystem services. It is therefore important that these services are included in our economic accounts (Standard National Accounts), as long as we believe that these accounts should tell us something about our wellbeing. This requires measures of the ecosystem assets and their accounting prices. This article discusses how the concept of inclusive wealth can be exploited for creating such accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the sustainable development represents a great advance in the scene that was marking an incisive dichotomy between conservation and use of the natural resources. Though even the real possibility of concretion is criticized in many situations, the fact is that the model of economicist development has now a , interés about the preservation of the nature. It allows today to put in the agendas of government the environmental topic as an aspect interdependent and correlated with the public economic, social policies and even of national safety, whwn the focus is the improvement of the quality of life of the communities. But it is not easy to harmonize interests that have been in opposite sides therefore time, more even if the contradictions and normative emptinesses derive from the same juridical frame that tries to regulate adequately this relation. For whom must make fulfill the law the doubt arises when the legal frame generates unjust situations that turn into ethical conflicts , even generate violation of fundamental rights of the communities seated in the protected areas or in its zone of influence; the present articule describe an example of this situation, working on the supposition that to identify the failings and contradictions constituted in the first step to find solutions valid and effective that allow to support the fragile balance between the conservation and the utilization of the environmental services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental education is commonly claimed to be at the centre of efforts to achieve sustainable development. Since the 1980s, Costa Rica has been one of the acknowledged leaders in efforts to promote environmental learning, and national policy includes a three-fold national development strategy which simultaneously promotes education, conservation and ecotourism. As of yet, however, what is happening ‘on the ground’ has not been examined in much detail. This article addresses this gap in the literature by providing an overview of the diverse programmes and actors involved in environmental education in Costa Rica, as well as analysing the politics of its implementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sustainable development, as defined in the Brundtland Report (Brundtland Commission, 1987), aims to meet the needs of both current and future generations. On the company level, implementing sustainability should guarantee long-term success and requires not only support of top management, but also networking of several other corporate systems. The aim of this article is to frame the role of communications in corporate sustainability processes. The authors notice that companies engage in communications about sustainability issues for marketing, business, and/or societal reasons. In addition to that, linkages between recent theoretical approaches to public relations and the concept of corporate sustainability communications are being established. Professionalization is recognized as important to secure the evolving field of action for public relations practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The potential of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the Mediterranean region as a source of livelihood and sustainable development has been widely recognized. Yet, surprisingly few efforts have been made to value them comprehensively. Valuation efforts usually focused on selected NTFPs traded on formal markets, at local level. This paper aims to provide comprehensive estimates of NTFPs benefits at national and regional level in the Mediterranean region. Six major groups of NTFPs are identified: firewood, cork, fodder, mushrooms, honey and other NTFPs. Valuation is based on a wide variety of techniques, drawing on official statistics, and supplemented by results of local surveys. It shows that at Mediterranean level, NTFPs provide annual benefits of about €39/ha of forests, accounting for about a fourth of the total economic value of forests estimated by this study. The average estimate for southern countries (€54/ha) is considerably higher than for northern (€41/ha) and eastern countries (€20/ha). The paper reveals the degree of importance of the main NTFPs benefits for the country groups and the region as a whole. It also discusses some reasons of concern when drawing policy tools for improving rural income and forest conservation in the Mediterranean. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article introduces the concept of ecosystem services for a broad scientific readership in South Africa and contends that its attendant research offers a theme for the engagement of a diverse range of scientific disciplines and stakeholders in the development of sustainability science. It then provides an overview of published ecosystem service studies that have dealt with the country, revealing that there were large gaps in the information on these services. Research shows that human activities are contributing to a decline in the quantity and quality of these services. If the potential of research on ecosystem services are to be realized, more direct interaction and development of an interdisciplinary understanding between the different domains of science are required .

Although nonhuman entities are indeed incapable of entering into contractual relations with humans or of participating in social dialogue on ethical norms, they can nonetheless become the objects of moral consideration on the part of humans. Moral consideration need not be extended universally to all nonnatural entities, but only to those entities with which humans interact. Rather than regard some or all of the natural world as having "intrinsic value," considered judgments must be made regarding which parts of nature can be legitimately used for human purposes and which should be left alone. What needs to be justified are not attempts to preserve nature but rather any human interventions which infringe on the autonomy of nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of development assistance programs on Local Agenda 21 (LA21) programs in three municipalities of Thailand. First, the article examines institutional changes in Thailand geared toward decentralization. Second, the article analyzes the effect based on the frameworks of Noda and Ouchi for the level of participation. The results indicate that participation was a top-down participation of local residents who presumed some benefits from the municipality in exchange for their attendance in meetings. Third, the article evaluates the effect in terms of project efficiency. The results show that municipalities conducted most of the actions declared in their LA21 but the sustainability of these actions is questionable. It is contended that LA21 has its limitations as a planning guide for sustainable cities in developing countries. An assistance program should be designed that helps the government of a developing country to institutionalize meaningful involvement for a participatory environmental policy formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource efficiency and recycling and strategies for sustainable production and consumption need to be further developed throughout Asia. To improve resource efficiency the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that occupy a majority of industrial sectors and contribute a large proportion of Asian gross domestic product must become central actors. This research reviews the role of SMEs in Asia in connection with resource efficiency improvement, and provides insights into why governments need to work with the private sector and local communities to make further advances in resource efficiency. A pattern-matching analysis of 43 examples of good practice from 11 countries reveals a range of factors that are common to success. These include: good supply-chain linkages; industry clusters; producer associations; voluntary agreements through public-private partnerships; good technical support; and the underlying threat of increased regulation if voluntary approaches fail. This paper is part of the series of eight linked papers presented in this special issue of the International Review for Environmental Strategies (IRES). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's view concerning the issue relative to nuclear energy and environmental sustainability. He claims that the need to reassert the paradigm shift in addressing the increasing demands for energy is significant to obtain energy security. He discusses that the topics of sustainability should be included in the nuclear industry's guidelines. He denotes that achieving sustainability require policies that support conserving and recycling the use of renewable energy and resources. Moreover, he emphasizes that proper evaluation depicting the environmental, health and economic impacts of nuclear energy should be determined.

The difficulties of achieving sustainable development reflect several internal tensions in the three-pillar approach: The adoption of economic development as a separate pillar from social development challenges the view that the purpose of one is to achieve the other; economic valuation of the environment removes the distinction between environmental and economic goals; and no distinction is drawn between the development of developing countries and the development of developed ones. These tensions are shown to be symptomatic of difficult issues being avoided. A closer examination revives doubts about whether the conservation of the global commons and the development of developing countries can both be achieved without major changes in economic structures and governance systems, nationally as well as globally. It is concluded that the development of more appropriate systems requires imaginative research in every discipline of the social sciences, with a vital role for cooperation between American and Chinese institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is now commonplace to assert that actions toward sustainable development require a mix of scientific, economic, social and political knowledge, and judgments. The role of research-based knowledge in this complex setting is ambiguous and diverse, and it is undergoing rapid change both in theory and in practice. We review conventional views of the linkages between research-bared knowledge and action, and the early response to concerns that these links could and should be improved, through efforts at translation and transfer. We then examine the range of critiques that challenge those conventional views by highlighting different aspects of the relationships between science and society, focusing on the implications for action toward sustainable development. We then review the theories and strategies that have emerged in the attempt to improve the linkages between research-bared knowledge and action in the context of sustainability across four broad categories: participation, integration, learning, and negotiation. These form a hierarchy with respect to how deeply they engage with the various critiques. We propose that the relationships between research-based knowledge and action can be better understood as arenas of shared responsibility, embedded within larger systems of power and knowledge that evolve and change over time. The unique contribution of research-bared knowledge needs to be understood in relation to actual or potential contributions from other forms of knowledge. We conclude with questions that may offer useful orientation to assessing or designing research-action arenas for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The starting point of the policy analysis of the Tonle Sap Area in Cambodia was the Mekong Agreement of 1995. It specifies three development goals for the Mekong Basin: economic growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. The possibilities to find combinations of sector policies for achieving these often conflicting goals were analysed systematically using a probabilistic, Bayesian network model. Four policy scenarios were constructed, one promoting each of the three development goals separately and one integrated, compromise scenario. The results indicate that a compromise policy is possible, being radically more balanced and acceptable than any of the policies that target only one of the three goals at a time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the importance of tuna fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean to Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and examines whether current and proposed institutional mechanisms for tuna management are sufficient to promote long-term tuna-led development. Potential gains exist from cooperation on tuna management; however, it seems unlikely such benefits will be realized in the short or medium term despite the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Without improvements in the institutional capability of many PICs the tuna fisheries will likely fail to sustain the region's long-term development. Greater effort should be directed to support multinational institutions that reduce harvests, allow for transferability of harvesting rights across countries and vessels, manage financial risk, and for initiatives that improve the capacity and government effectiveness of PICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States and China are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of total annual greenhouse gas emissions. Global climatic stabilization cannot succeed without the participation of people and organizations in the PRC and the USA. Given the likelihood of continued political paralysis at the national level in both countries, it is important to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and potential of nongovernmental actors in bringing about durable reductions in GHG emissions. Consumption trajectories present one of the most intractable barriers to anthropogenic GHG-emissions reductions and to long-term climatic stabilization. Nordlund and Garvill's (2003) model is adapted and applied in assessing prospects for value change, specific problem awareness, and sustainable-consumption behavior in the PRC and USA. The contributions of nonstate actors are elucidated when issue bundling (specifically links with stress reduction and healthy futures) and principle bundling are incorporated into the explanatory framework. The involvement of transnationally competent activists in emissions mitigation projects, value change, and durable sustainable-consumption practices provides a beacon for future possibilities. Chinese transnationals are a key overlooked and underestimated piece in the current emissions-reduction puzzle because of their critical position at the intersection of values, behavior change, and nongovernmental institutions directly and indirectly involved in climatic-change mitigation. Given their special U.S./P.R.C. leverage, other actors concerned with building a sustainable-consumption movement and with climatic stabilization are likely to benefit from devoting increased attention and responsibilities to this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the by-products of the culture of targets, performance and assessment, is the introduction of uniform methods for the evaluation of the success of policy interventions. Such an approach has been applied to attempts to evaluate regional sustainable development, often with unsatisfactory results. This paper reviews some of the fundamental requirements for the evaluation of regional sustainable development and provides research evidence that indicates the need for procedural and institutional innovation. The evidence in support of innovation reflects the need for assessment procedures and methods to be tailored-to-fit the environmental, social and economic conditions obtaining in an individual region. An additional consideration in analysing the evaluation of regional sustainable development is the extent of socio-political influence over the choice of procedures and methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many different approaches for national sustainable development strategies (NSDS) have been proposed since 1992, with some components common to all. A country's national strategy should be designed to help mainstream environmental concerns into policy. More broadly, it should coordinate local policy with global concerns, as well as integrate scientific knowledge into policy and development planning. The peer review mechanism for national strategies was piloted by France, and also involved representatives of countries from the North and the South as well as stakeholders. The peer review process allows countries to share their experience and information, and can assist them in identifying their own path to sustainable development. The business community can also contribute to sustainable development through provision of local and global public goods. Another input to sustainable development could come from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and its Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility (ISO 26000), as a coordinating mechanism between voluntary initiatives and binding obligations (such as international conventions). ISO standards and guidelines should therefore be integrated with national sustainable development strategies and local Agenda 21 frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National sustainable development strategies (NSDSs) play a vital role in pursuing sustainable development (SD) at the country level. These strategies help in clarifying priorities and in focusing efforts to more effectively address relevant SD issues. Since its establishment in 1992, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development has urged its members to formulate and implement their respective NSDS. The Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 (1997) provided a more aggressive push to this advocacy by setting 2002 as the deadline for the formulation of NSDS while the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2002) targeted 2005 as the year by which all countries should have started implementing such strategies. Many countries have heeded this call, albeit the strategies have taken a variety of forms: some took the route of formulating National Agenda 21s (as in the Philippine case), while others built on existing national environmental action plans, poverty strategies, sustainability plans, so-called green plans, policy statements, or legal frameworks. The UN/DESA crafted some guidelines for NSDS formulation but, and rightly so, countries are given freedom of choice as to the scope, substance and form best suited to their own unique circumstances. As varied as the formats of these strategies turned out, so too were the processes that were adopted in their formulation. All these elements could reflect varying degrees of understanding and differing perspectives about the nature of sustainable development and how the concept could be made operational. Consequently, such an understanding could ultimately define a country's success in mainstreaming and achieving sustainable development. In this connection, it would be worthwhile examining how an NSDS has actually played out its role in the national pursuit of sustainable development. Are there creative insights, lessons or guidelines that can be drawn from practical, countrywide experience in NSDS formulation and implementation? What are the emerging challenges and problematic areas in using an NSDS as an instrument for integrating sustainable development in mainstream decision-making? Are there nascent considerations that could be useful in developing design parameters for NSDS? This paper explores the foregoing questions in the Philippine context, given its decade-long experience in implementing its NSDS, the Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21). In so doing, it hopes to distill potentially valuable perspectives that can inform UNCSD and country-level efforts at crafting, refining and mainstreaming national strategies for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the actions of Abraham Lincoln in trying to address the issue of slavery in the U.S. as an example of how this generation should try to establish the foundation for solving the various problems related to sustainability so that they might someday be resolved. Lincoln understood the importance of maintaining the larger framework in which the lesser problem of defining the specific issues might proceed with sufficient deliberation. Lincoln has also demonstrated the importance of the qualities of clarity, courage, humor, generosity, kindness and wisdom.

Many developing countries experience habitat degradation and unsustainable natural resource exploitation, with biodiversity and habitat conservation efforts often impeded by political instability and limited funding. Challenges in previous conservation efforts coupled with the current rate of marine habitat degradation and species declines warrant consideration of an innovative conservation approach. Co-management of protected areas addresses biological, cultural, economic, and political concerns and empowers communities through collaboration and integration in conservation efforts. It provides flexibility for adaptive practices to address underlying socioeconomic factors affecting conservation efforts and may compensate for limited or missing scientific data. The ecosystems of the Comoros Islands in the West Indian Ocean, a biodiversity hotspot with high endemism and diverse tropical marine habitats, are adversely affected by existing ecological, socioeconomic, and political conditions. Mohéli Marine Park was designed to address threats to the marine environment and is a model for co-management practices. We conducted a year-long evaluation of the park implementation process, including community and fisher participation. After 3 years of operation with 80% local community control, the park maintains a small staff to monitor sea turtle nesting beaches, reef health, fisheries, and uninhabited islets and to guide ecotourists and educate visitors. Our analysis revealed successes and shortcomings of the co-management approach. Successes included local communities empowered to participate in natural resource management, increased local involvement in conservation initiatives, and use of traditional knowledge when scientific information was unavailable. The Comoros example also illustrates that co-management is not immune to social issues, inadequate government law enforcement, or political instability and is an incomplete substitute for sound science. Lessons learned are applicable elsewhere and offer a template for effective scientific research and monitoring, policy making, and management of protected areas in developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development will shortly become the core issue of our everyday life. This article argues that only a nature-driven economy and society could give a final answer to sustainability questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a background to the SUFOR program, in this paper a short introduction to Swedish forestry is given, together with an overview of the sustainability debate in Sweden. The research carried through in the SUFOR program is concurrent with some of the main aspects of sustainability as interpreted here. Knowledge obtained through the program is identified to have a role as decision support for decision makers in Swedish forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental policy makers are embracing consensus-based approaches to environmental decision making in an attempt to enhance public participation in conservation and facilitate the potentially incompatible goals of environmental protection and economic growth. Although such approaches may produce positive results in immediate spatial and temporal contexts and under some forms of governance, their overuse has potentially dangerous implications for conservation within many democratic societies. We suggest that environmental decision making rooted in consensus theory leads to the dilution of socially powerful conservation metaphors and legitimizes current power relationships rooted in unsustainable social constructions of reality. We also suggest an argumentative model of environmental decision making rooted in ecology will facilitate progressive environmental policy by placing the environmental agenda on firmer epistemological ground and legitimizing challenges to current power hegemonies that dictate unsustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of clean water, good sanitation and a healthy environment demands better management of planning, control and regulation with catchments increasingly being the administrative basis of regional management. It then makes eminent sense from a theoretical and practical point of view to use the basin as the administrative unit to model and administer an integrated environmental protection regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]