We need to find ways of making growth sustainable. We also need to distribute revenues more equitably as countries become richer. At the moment, every fifth person worldwide lacks access to electricity. Twice as many — three billion people — have to gather fuel to cook their food and heat their homes. The smoke from inefficient stoves is harmful and claims the lives of nearly two million people every year. This is unsustainable.
In the rich part of the world, we waste electricity and use more than our fair share of the planet’s energy resources. We can halve our electricity consumption use by 2040, if we improve the energy efficiency of buildings and at the same time live more comfortably and reduce our electricity bills because the consequences for those who come after us will be far more serious.
Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to climate change. The glacial melt and the monsoons overlap in a three month summer period providing the irrigation water needed for the arid country, but also, dangerously raising the risk of flash floods in the rivers. The dense population base, of more than 180 million, that resides along these flood plains is directly impacted and this reinforces the country’s vulnerability.
Food is another key area. According to UN figures, about a third of all food is thrown away or destroyed. Every one of us in the rich part of the world throws away an average of 100kg of food a year. Even in poor countries, a good deal of food is wasted, partly because of poor roads and inadequate storage facilities. If we are to feed all the children in the world properly, we must make some major changes.
These are some of the issues we will be discussing in Rio. Governments, NGOs, researchers and representatives of the business sector from all over the world will work together to identify opportunities. We all agree that the way we are living today is not sustainable. But it is much more difficult to find solutions that everyone can agree on because the key is more equitable distribution.
But this is far from enough. The financial crisis and the elections in a number of key countries, is deflecting the attention of politicians and the general public towards domestic problems and short-term prospects. Rio+20 reminds us that the most serious challenges require the ability to think along new lines. World leaders need to cooperate more closely. We must create the political will needed to ensure that Rio+20 is a milestone towards sustainable development.
In the worst case, Rio+20 will be too much talk and not enough action. The pessimists are already pointing out that the UN has been unable to resolve major global problems on several occasions. But the UN is the only arena where all the countries of the world come together to address these issues. We must ensure that the world we leave to our children’s grandchildren is a place where everyone can afford to take part. That will require bold decisions at Rio+20 and in the coming years.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
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he wrote truly right,but also American's war on the name of terror also a cause of changing environment in Pakistan. Pakistan can make energy through Kala Bagh Dam,if all politicians think for the future of all country not only for a territory.
Why do we keep on saying to leave a better planet for our children rather than to leave better children for our planet?
Kashmir is the core issue
A though struck me... Before trying to fix the world for our children's grandchildren we first need to go and have children.
A pretty good article. Rio+20 conference is a good milestone for sustainable future growth and Pakistan could learn from it as well.
Being from Norway, the author will realize that a major part of Pakistan's problems (and that of much of the third world) including that of climate change, are due to its uncontrollable population growth. It has affected the amount of water available per person, created huge grievances with land ownership (for eg. if a farmer has 2 sons, each son will get half his land, and this division will continue with every generation), and once the population becomes too big, it permanently becomes a strain on the environment, and has the capacity to destroy the natural surroundings irreparably. On an economic level, such a huge increase in population leads to high unemployment, and a low standard of living, not to mention high inflation and higher levels of hunger thanks to less food availability.
Unfortunately, talking about population control in Pakistan seems to be a taboo topic thanks to the bone-headed legislature, the retarded judiciary and the fanatical mullahs who believe that Muslims should reproduce as fast as possible until they become the largest religious group in the world. If the population of Pakistan keeps on increasing at this rate, it will compound on Pakistan's already numerous issues and in the worst case scenario, the country will become a basket-case like many of the Sub-Saharan countries.
Ideally, Pakistan should have a population of less than 120 million to have a relatively high standard of living in 4-5 decades (not more than 60 million for Punjab, 30 million for Sindh and 30 million for the rest).
The educated journalists need to start writing articles supporting measures to bring the country back to civilization before it is too late.