In 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio, countries adopted Agenda 21 a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.
Twenty years after this in 2012 June 20-22 The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil resulted in a focused political outcome document which contains clear and practical measures for implementing sustainable development. This outcome of the Rio+20 Conference initiated an inclusive intergovernmental process to prepare a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on earth. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) within an area, biome, or planet.
South Asia is home to one of the oldest civilizations of the world. The Region includes the countries i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. South Asia is famous for its spectacular natural beauty and biological wealth. The region’s geographical expanse and topography contains several diverse marine and terrestrial ecosystems that harbour a rich variety of faunal and floral species.
Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is about "the use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of further generations" (Oslo symposium, 1994).
The South Asian region with a current population of 1.6 billion is experiencing rapid urban growth. Increasing population, urbanization, industrialization and changing consumption patterns are resulting in the generation of increasing amounts of solid waste and diversification of the type of the solid waste generated. The region is reported to generate worldbank.org/INTURBANDEVELOPMENT/.../Chap3.pdf approximately 70 million tons of solid waste per year, with per capita values ranging from 0.12 to 5.1 kg per person per day and an average of 0.45 kg/capita/day.
Climate change is one of the most important environmental, social and economic issues facing the world today. In the Asia and the pacific region and particularly in the South Asia Sub-region, there is evidence of prominent increases in the intensity and/or frequency of many extreme events. Despite growing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, some impacts such as higher temperatures, more intense floods, droughts, wildfires, and rising sea levels are now inevitable. It must be planned for and adapt to these changes, to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the benefits to natural systems, societies, and human activities and well-being. This challenges decision making at all levels, from individuals to governments, as well as in business and industry.
The Regional Seas Programmes of UNEP have several common elements. The process of establishing a Regional Seas Programme usually begins with the development of an action plan outlining the strategy and substance of a regionally coordinated programme, aimed at the protection of a common body of water. The action plan is based on the region’s environmental challenges as well as its socioeconomic and political situation. It may cover issues ranging from chemical wastes and coastal development to the conservation of marine species and ecosystems.
