Sustainable development for a sustainable future [Archives:2002/28/Focus]
BY MOHAMMED AL-DOAIS
FOR YEMEN TIMES
The environmental development is a dynamic reaction between man and his ecosystem and must be positive for both. Hence, to be sustainable, the developmental process must be more actual and comprehensive. It must fulfill the requirements of the coming generations and not only concentrate on the near future. We need grow a common consensus to achieve this instead of executing huge projects without long-term planning and studying any negative consequences or drawbacks. We must reduce the level of environment pollution, carelessness and illiteracy.
Yemen is now facing huge environmental problems including resource quality and quantity depletion such as soil erosion, destruction of fauna and flora, depletion of genetic resources, loss of water resources, lowering of productivity, drying swamps, depletion of mineral resources and fossil fuels. Our country is suffering from biological pollution because of poverty and crowdedness. Chemical pollution is also a source of threat because of the improper use of toxic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. The weak transport infrastructures resembled in substandard roads, environmentally unsafe vehicles, and irregular fuel consumption are all adding more harm to our environment and future. I believe that the prominent irreversible loss of the environmental balance and harmony of the ecosystem will lead to our destruction.
To sustain our ecosystem and consequently our future, we must introduce many principles at both the popular and governmental level. First of all, awareness must be established of the importance of balance preservation in the earths ecosystem. Secondly, the environment can be enhanced by ensuring the safety of industrial projects in terms of their effects on the environment and workers. Sustainable development projects must be introduced and renewable resources must be exploited. Thirdly, application of safe environmental decisions includes awareness and evaluation of the environmental status of the country, planning, and safe environmental management and execution. Fourthly, environmental ethics and responsibilities should be enforced and observed.
To do all of this, we need a scientific methodology to solve environmental problems. This can be achieved through certain steps. Firstly, we must determine of the environmental defects through screening, analyzing the reporting on biological and social cases to determine the thresholds that must be redlined. Secondly, we should gather information about the environmental problems that exist in our country, and then determine the right solution for them. This may require changing, modifying or even replacing plans already in existence. A work plan must then be constructed and executed to diagnose the problems according to the rarity and fragility of our ecosystem.
Eventually, an evaluation of the validity and efficacy of the replaced solutions must be carried out. A follow-up of the designed solution results must be made to see if the results are as expected and to try to fix any problem that may abruptly come to view.
Policies in Yemen must concentrate on developing the quality of life not quantity of consumption in order to overcome poverty and provide better civil services in a clean environment. Other priorities should also be in developing environmental legislations and standardizations including protocols concerning sanitary networks, solitaires, sewage treatment, noise pollution levels and controlling production and use of chemicals. Regional policies must be adopted to replace depleted resources by renewable resources taking in consideration the environmental capacity. Human resources must be developed in the form of training, enhancing awareness and education, etc. More skillful and educated individuals would construct a better society and a society of qualified individuals will bring a better future for the generations and sustainable development. Environmental planning must deal with developing management skills, supporting of infrastructures, pursuing research, developing computer simulation programs, introducing an environment-friendly culture through education and training programs for all levels of education. Individual can do a lot to start a sustainable development program for the whole country. It is a long way to go, but we must realize that humans and environment must be in harmony for a better and brighter future in Yemen.
——
[archive-e:28-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-07-08-p:./2002/iss28/focus.htm]
