AGENDA 21

Agenda 21, is a global sustainable development action plan for the 21st Century resulting from the Earth Summit at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992 organised by the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development.
This action plan consists of 40 chapters explaining the actions needed to be implemented towards the sustainable development.

A popular definition for Sustainable Development is:
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs”

The plan seeks international cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies.

The objectives encompasses SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS and CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT

This include the promotion of economic growth in developing countries that is both sustained and sustainable and direct action in eradicating poverty by strengthening employment and income-generating programmes; meeting primary health care needs, particularly in rural areas, control of communicable diseases, protecting vulnerable groups,meeting the urban health challenge,reducing health risks from environmental pollution and hazards and providing adequate shelter for all; whilst promoting sustainable land-use planning and management, and promoting the integrated provision of environmental infrastructure: water, sanitation, drainage and solid-waste management.

The conservation of land and bio-diversity resources, protection of the atmosphere and water bodies and water resources, promotion of sustainable agriculture and environmentally sound toxic and hazardous waste disposal are part of the sustainable development objectives of the plan.

The last objective of the plan is to empower the role of workers, women, youths, non-profit and non-governmental organizations and local authorities in carrying out the implementation of the plan.

Local Agenda 21 (L A 21) is a programme to forge partnership between the local authorities, private sector and local communities in every country to work together, to plan and care for their surroundings towards sustainable development.

L A 21 is a programme for the civil society, private sectors and the local authority to Work, Plan and Manage their Environment together towards a Sustainable Development.

Malaysia kicked off the L A 21 project in Miri, Petaling Jaya, Kerian and Kuantan in the initial phase.

Besides recycling activities and park celebrations, not much information is available in the public domain on the progress of these projects after 2004.

From occasional reports in the newspapers, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya are still implementing LA 21 but the extend of the success is not known.

The latest news from the KL City Hall is the signing of a memorandum of understanding between City Hall and several parties in the private sector to undertake the composting of kitchen wastes from hotels.

CETDEM, (Centre of Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia) with the support of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, City Council of Petaling Jaya and sponsorship by a Danish agency has provided home composting guidance to selected households in the city. In addition to that, regular composting courses are held to interested city folks who are keen to contribute to save the environment.

The local authorities should be more proactive in the dissemination of its programme of activities in order to get the participation of city folks. In this way, more people will realise that to be 'green' is to be politically correct as the whole world is turning 'green'. Malaysia will not be left behind in the green revolution.

All is not lost, however, as the architects and engineers have now started to talk about environmental friendly and sustainable projects. The government too has started to give incentives but as there is not much publicity, the average man in the street is still oblivious of these concerns.

Human Activities, Technology and Global Warming

Come to think of it, no human activity is devoid of creating greenhouse gas emissions.
From the seminar I attended in January,this much I learned:

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon chlorofluoroethane (from aerosols) methane and nitrous gases. These gases are trapped in the upper earth atmosphere and act a blanket resulting in a warmer Earth. This in turn leads to climate changes with the polar ices melting, leading to a rise in sea levels, flooding, shifts in weather and seasonal patterns, depletion and contamination of freshwater resources, creation of new deserts, crop failures, habitat destruction causing extinction of certain animal species, and so on.

Aerosol gases react with the ozone in the stratosphere, depleting it. This sets a chain reaction much like the free radicals that attacks your cells, causing irreparable damage.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the pace of destruction of the Earth by mankind has not stopped.

All human activities evolve around the carbon cycle:

• The burning of fossil fuels by the transport and manufacturing sectors releases the energy trapped in it together with carbon dioxide.
• Agricultural activities such as growing of rice, wheat, maize and grains contribute to methane emissions
• Humans and animals release carbon dioxide as part of the respiration process.Grazing animals also contribute to methane emissions

Trees are created as saviours because they act as carbon sinks by assimilating the carbon dioxide. Thus cutting down trees and deforestation are not encouraged as they reduce the assimilation of carbon dioxide. Hence, for every tree that is cut, you have to replace with another tree.

The Kyoto Protocol (KP) sets among others, the following target:

5.2% reduction of 1990 emission by 2008 - 2012.
A scheme of tradeable Discharge Permits to minimize cost of compliance through the Clean Development Mechanism or Trade of Carbon Credits.

Malaysia ratified the KP in 2005. EU and 38 developing nations are also bound by the KP. The US contends that the KP is unfair and ineffective as 80% of the world population (China and India) are exempted. (Talk about being the leader!). US suggested improved technology as a means of combating climate change.

Every country is looking forward to the date in Copenhagen in December, 2009 when they have to present their environmental progress status report in relation to the Kyoto Protocol. New carbon targets will be set. For countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia, Japan and Western Europe, that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol or fail to commit to the agreement, it is about time they do so. For anything to work, cooperation is vital. It does not pay to point your fingers to other countries when you are not doing the same as what you want others to do.

How Technology can be employed to reduce global gas emissions:

High mitigation costs to reduce global emissions and create green sustainable technology may be offset by benefits to better health.

Key mitigation technologies to be employed according to the sector concerned.

• The energy sector should improve its supply and distribution efficiency, use renewable energy sources, capture and store carbon dioxide, and generate energy from biomass.
• The transport sector should encourage hybrid vehicles and the use of biofuels
• The building sector must use be efficient in lighting, use energy saving appliances, evolve green and intelligent buildings and employ integrated design of commercial buildings.
• The industry sector must employ electrical equipment more efficiently and reduce the burning of fossil fuel by using biofuels.
• The forestry sector must reduce deforestation and adopt reforestation. Replanting of fast growing species is encouraged. Timber and paper should come from replanted trees.
• The agricultural sector must improve crop and grazing land management to include soil carbon storage. This would include organic waste composting and controlled waste water treatment. Wastes can be minimized by the use of biocovers and biofilters.

Other strategies to address global warming will be posted at a later date.

Sarawak Forests

Today, Malaysia, as a member of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) which is fully committed to ITTO's objectives, is striving towards the achievement of forest management that is environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable.

The following excerpt taken from www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my

There are about 80% or almost 10 million hectares of Sarawak's total land area of 12.3 million hectares covered with forest (including natural as well as secondary forests). The remaining 2.3 million hectares are under settlements, towns, agricultural crop cultivation and native customary rights land.

Secondary forests refer to ecological systems deriving from clearing of natural forests for shifting cultivation. These forests have been established through a long fallow period of natural regeneration and now contain minimum crown covers of trees and are associated with wild flora, fauna and natural soil conditions. Secondary forests are established after abandonment of 10 years or more by shifting cultivators. Secondary forest formations in Sarawak are closed forests.

Six million hectares of the State's forests are zoned as the Permanent Forest Estate which is meant for sustainable forest management and about 1 million hectares are designated as Totally Protected Areas.

Although five types of natural forest are recognised in Sarawak, three main types predominate. These are Hill Mixed Dipterocarp Forest (covering about 7 million hectares), Peat Swamp Forest (comprising about 1 million hectares) and Mangrove Forest (occupying slightly more than 0.1 million hectares). The other two types, the Kerangas and the Montane Forests, are minimal in size.

Where each of the forest types is found depends on the altitude, soil conditions and water availability. Hill Mixed Dipterocarp Forest is found in the interior, upriver areas, extending from coastal peat swamps up to heights of 1,500 meters. Montane Forest takes over beyond this altitude. The domain of the Peat Swamp Forest is lowlying coastal plains with a high water table reaching inland along the lower reaches of major river systems. The Rejang delta and the Batang Baram are fine examples of Peat Swamp Forest. Mangrove Forest, on the other hand, is found in tidal and estuarine stretches extending from mud flats to where the saline waters start while Kerangas Forest occurs on poor, sandy soil and terrain.

Forest harvesting plays a major role in Sarawak's economy. It provides jobs, alleviates poverty in rural areas and helps to reduce the spread of shifting cultivation.

The mangrove forest was the first to be commercially harvested - for poles and charcoal - before work began in the other types of forests. Systematic harvesting in peat swamp forest started only in the '50s followed by hill mixed dipterocarp forests in the '70s.

Forest harvesting is presently carried out in the permanent forest estate and state land forests. In the permanent forest estate, prescriptions in the forest management plan are implemented and followed. The control of yield of harvest on an annual basis is carried out using the annual coupe system.

Field studies of improved tractor logging practices named path logging were carried out as part of ITTO development programmes. Experiences in 1997 felling blocks with the PATH Logging indicate considerable reduction in damages as compared with conventional working practices.

As for the harvesting of hill forests in the remote and difficult terrain regions of Sarawak, the Forest Department is encouraging the timber operators to adopt helicopter harvesting in their operations.

Comment: I don't think it is advisable to log remote and difficult terrain using helicopters. It would be too dangerous and too costly.

Even with a sustainable logging plan, we still hear of grouses by the local indigenous people complaining their customary lands are being violated by the logging companies.The Forestry Department needs to enforce strictly the forest management plan to prevent loggers destroying the environment and encroaching on timber not meant to be harvested.

Lately we hear also of people forging Sarawak timber labels on their timber products.