Sustainable development for LDCs

Schematic Representation of 'Sustainable Development'

Climate Change is a global fact. There is a need to agree on a framework of action during Rio+20 and have, among others, a timeline for implementing sustainable development commitments with a set of actionable goals. The poor and mountainous countries contribute least to global warming but are the most vulnerable to climate change and erratic weather patterns. But, their capacity to address the problems is limited. Therefore, the global community needs to develop mechanisms to support the most vulnerable countries in effectively addressing the adverse impacts of climate change and for using the opportunities resulting from it to improve livelihood and achieve climate-resilient development. The ability of vulnerable countries to address different global crises is limited and therefore the need for a mechanism to help such countries to overcomes crises, and improve resilience. 

Nepal believes this can be achieved through proper and effective integration of Istanbul Program of action for the LDCs in the global sustainable development agenda. While using natural resources (hydropower generation and biodiversity conservation) for economic gains, care must be taken to ensure fair and equitable benefit sharing with local communities and indigenous people, whose life and livelihood directly or indirectly depend on the resources or the ecosystem services. Both income inequality and poverty reduction need to be addressed sustainably taking into account the need to democratize ownership, control and decision making over productive natural resources and assets. 

There has to be an appropriate mix of the democratic and inclusive models such as cooperatives, collective and community- based and driven ventures, and public-private enterprises for ensuring that the economic activities contribute to the developmental goals of the community and society. LDCs such as Nepal need support for the strengthening innovation capacity to generate appropriate technologies, enhance extension services and improve market infrastructures for increasing the productivity of agriculture and natural resources. It is also necessary to develop easily adoptable and resilient technologies that meet the needs of the poor, women and excluded groups and communities. Both farm and non- farm linkages need to be strengthened by improving connectivity, creating post- harvest infrastructures and facilities, promoting value adding small and micro enterprises (SMEs) and increasing marketing and distribution efficiency.

Despite constraints, Nepal has made considerable progress in implementing programs related to the natural resources management, renewable energy, health and education and poverty reduction. It can be better given its comparative advantages and natural resources endowment for the developing sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, water resources, renewable energy, non- timber forest products, community forestry and biodiversity conservation. However, it needs additional support (finance, technology transfer and capacity development) for the sustaining the achievements and scaling up the successful pilot interventions.

Read More

Reusing + School Enterpreneurship

We have traveled a long way since the 1992 Earth Summit.  The Agenda 21 recognised Education and Educational Institutions as essential tool for achieving sustainable development. Many enthusiastic teaching professionals of those days may have retired and many would be, very soon. The UN decade recognising 'Education for Sustainable Development" (2005-2014) is nearly coming to the end without concrete achievement (my personal opinion).

I determined myself to pursue my career in teaching and learning back in 2007. That was 2 years after the commencement of the ESD Decade. I have been looking for ways and means to coordinate with like-hearted  folks, definitely on the same profession/arena who are looking forward for further development of academia and indeed personal worlds. My personal achievement, particularly in implementing ESD effectively at schools and schools' communities is non-significant (I admit.) , amidst small approaches in teaching and learning.

In my opinion, 'Sustainable Education' (SE) covers wider aspect of global sustainability through education which also includes:
1) right based issues of education.
2) education within ESD (not ESD within education).

Let me come to the context. Being an 'Environmental Science' (In Nepal, we include population education and health education with environmental education as a single paper) teacher at school, I am looking forward for contributing by joint effort for maintaining global sustainability by putting education within ESD.

For this, we should equally encourage students to be career centric.  Vocational Education should be practice based. If it accommodates skills of reusing art, the vocational education within the school curricula becomes effective in enabling students to set sustainable values within their behaviours in future. I hereby suggest (Yes, this is part of small approaches in sharing ideas around SE.) Nepalese teachers and world teachers to plan and implement 'Reusing Entrepreneurship' at schools. The reused materials can be shaped into interesting and amazing products which can develop entrepreneurship skills in pupils.

I wish to share here the pictures, which I took in a temple in Kathmandu. Here the mat is made by weaving plastics used for oil packaging. The mat is long and comforts the seat. The reusing skill is awesome.

Read More

Asia Pacific Week (APW) 2012

8-13 July 2012

ANU Asia Pacific Week will bring leading experts on the Asia Pacific region together with 100 of the world's top students to engage in a series of dynamic discussions and events focused on developments and trends in what has been called the focus region of the 21st Century.

Scholarships are available for deserving students.
More info : http://asiapacificweek.anu.edu.au/

Read More

Official :: Educational Video for Children and Youth #Rio+20

This video was prepared by UNCSD in the context of 'The Earth Summit, 2012' (Rio+20) going to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 20-22, 2012 after 20 years in the same city. This video guides children and youth for the summit and beyond as well.

Rio+20: an introduction for children and youth from Rio+twenties on Vimeo.

Read More