NEWS in brief
Global Highlights made in solid and liquid waste management .
Based on survey findings , the World Bank will release funds every year to the Government of India . The central government will in turn pass on these funds to the states , where the grant money will flow through district and block levels to successful villages .
These incentives will be in addition to the budgetary support provided by the central government to the states for funding program investments ; they will therefore be additional grants based on states ’ performance .
By promoting and sustaining changed behaviors , the program will help accelerate progress towards an Open Defecation Free ( ODF ) India as well as the achievement of other goals under the Clean India Mission .
The World Bank will also help strengthen the institutional capacities of the national Ministry of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation , as well as of selected states , particularly those which face the greatest challenges in sanitation .
Key UN meeting to address environmental challenges
( Nairobi ) The United Nations Environment Assembly ( UNEA ) convened in Kenya between 23 to27 May this year to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and the environmental challenges facing today ’ s world .
In preparation for the global meeting , representatives to the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ) attended a meeting in Kenya on 15-19 February this year , focusing on the environment , sustainability and health and discussed the link between conflicts and an increasingly over-exploited
Dr . Achim Steiner natural world .
According to UNEP executive director Achim Steiner , who outlined the agenda for the meeting , experts emphasized the importance of a healthy environment to human health and security .
Living or working in unhealthy environment contributed to 12.6 million deaths worldwide in 2012 — almost a quarter of total global deaths — says the WHO .
A healthy , well-managed environment is crucial to wellbeing and the security of the people and the planet , Steiner added , noting that the environment can influence health through exposure to physical , chemical and biological risk factors or by triggering behavioural changes .
The UNEP head said that there is a growing awareness that humans , through their intervention in the environment , play a vital role in worsening or mitigating health risks .
“ Childhood exposure to lead creates economic losses of US $ 977 billion a year through the lowering of intellectual ability in low- and middle-income countries ,” says Steiner , adding that 23 per cent of all premature deaths around the world are associated with environmental factors . Among children , that figure rises to 36 per cent .
“ To tackle premature deaths and chronic diseases associated with poor air quality in cities , we need to detoxify [ the environment ]; improve housing ; establish green public spaces ; ensure that vulnerable communities have access to essential services including education , health , public transport and clean fuels and strengthen networks ,” Steiner explains .
Judy Wakhungu , Kenya ’ s cabinet secretary for environment , water and natural resources , said that keeping the global environment under review through science and policy dialogue will help governments create international agreements that could improve the environment and boost human development .
Wakhungu added : “ Strong political leadership is essential to create the legislative and regulatory environment to address the environmental dimension of the world ’ s current humanitarian crises , including the root causes of conflict and displacement and the damage done to the environment through the illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources in conflict-affected areas .”
Source : SciDev . Net ’ s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk
Protecting water in German biosphere reserves
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UNESCO biosphere reserves are unique ecosystems and cultural landscapes . Water underpins the diversity of animal and plant species and is essential for the sustainable
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