sustainable developmentaSustainable Development: Natural Resources

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Name: Instructor: Course: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Introduction Sustainable development can be defined merely as economic development done with maximum efficiency toward the use of natural resources. Consequently, sustainable development is conscious of the use of natural resources. In a more complex concept, it is the organizing principle that guides the achieving human development goals – whereas enhancing the ability of the natural systems to offer not only natural resources but also ecosystem services that the community. Sustainable development aims at achieving a state where both living conditions, as well as resource usage, consistently meet the needs of humans while not undermining not only the stability but also the integrity of the natural systems. Therefore, it is a development which attends to the needs of the present at no expense of the capacity of future generations (Hopwood, Mellor & O'Brien, 2005). Key International Policies and Agreements The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development The Rio Declaration was approved by the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The declaration reaffirmed the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972. The primary component of the Rio Declaration was a set of specific principle that would govern future development. The said principles defined the right of persons to progress as well as their responsibilities to protect the standard environment. It states that the sole way to ensure long-term economic development is to integrate it with environmental protection. And to actualize this goal, countries must come up with not only new but also equitable global partnerships that encompass the governments as well as their citizens and critical parts of the societies. Further, they must develop international agreements which safeguard the integrity of the global environment as well as the developmental system (Un.org, 2019). Second Earth Summit review 1997 The earth summit review held in New York in 1997, aimed at energizing members commitment to sustainable development, this summit also focused on recognizing failures and their causes as far as implementation of outcome from first Earth Summit (Rio conference). Besides, assessment of progress since the first meeting and highlighting critical areas requiring intergovernmental cooperation. Moreover, the conference included a comprehensive review program of action concerning sustainable development of small island developing states thereby arriving at integrated management and plan of land resources engineering strategic approaches to freshwater management. (Un.org, 2019). The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC) The UNFCCC treaty negotiated between February 1991 to May 1992. However, it was opened up for signatures in June 1992 during the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), alternatively called the Rio Earth Summit. UNCCC was drafted primarily to address the issue of climate change. It defines a mutually agreed framework for handling the matter. Although opened up for signatures in June 1992, it became effective on the 21st March 1994, ninety days after the 50th nation ratified it. The UNFC...