HONG KONG MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2014 Committee: Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Topic: Pollution and Environmental Sustainability in Developing Nations Chair: Samantha Ip (140042@hkis.edu.hk) The purpose of this forum is to discuss the effects of development on pollution, and how pollution can be controlled even while allowing continued economic growth.
Overview Sustainable development is defined by the UN as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development can actually be broken into four equally important pillars: 1. Economic growth: the underlying principle of sustainable development is the pursuit of economic growth without 2. Social inclusion: improving the wellbeing and quality of life of the community as a whole 3. Environmental balance: maintaining environmental health 4. Cultural vitality: preserving art, culture, and heritage The focus of this forum is on environmental sustainability - the pursuit of economic growth while maintaining environmental balance. However, the four pillars of sustainable development are interconnected, and delegates should keep the implications on all four of the pillars in mind during discussion of this topic. Environmental sustainability is particularly difficult to achieve in developing nations because these nations typically have the most rapidly increasing populations with the most fragile environmental conditions, along with limited financial and infrastructural resources to deal with these challenges. Pollution is the introduction of substances that have harmful or poisonous effects into the environment. There are many different types of pollution, and for the purposes of this committee, air, water, and land pollution will be focused upon. Air pollution is the emission of gases and vapors into the atmosphere, causing abnormal chemical reactions that can induce global warming, acid rain, smog, and ozone depletion. Developing nations undergoing industrialization usually do not have the pollution control measures to limit the pollutants released into the atmosphere by factories. In addition, these nations are often heavily dependent on
the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, for energy, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Water pollution is the contamination of liquid water resources, both freshwater and saltwater. This is caused by the dumping of wastes from factories into water sources, limiting access to drinkable clean water and threatening biodiversity. In addition, fertilizer runoff from mismanaged agriculture creates artificially nutrient-rich water sources that are plagued by algal growths. Land pollution (or soil pollution) involves the deposition of solid waste and accumulation of non-biodegradable materials and poisons in the soil. Like water pollution, it is caused by the dumping of industrial waste. In addition, the transfer of toxic or hazardous materials from developed nations to developing nations (shipping the waste off to another country is cheaper than complying with waste management laws in developed nations) exacerbates the problem. The global community has already taken some actions towards sustainable development. Recently, the Rio+20 conference (a.k.a. United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) in June 2012 brought world leaders, NGO's, and representatives of the private sector together to discuss sustainable development. The conference highlighted seven areas of discussion: 1. Jobs: Gainful employment that promotes wealth inequality, in addition to jobs that contribute to preserving the environment 2. Energy: access to clean energy for all 3. Cities: allowing population hubs to grow while not straining land and resources, and reducing wealth inequality 4. Food: providing enough food for the growing population without damaging the environment 5. Water: access to water (preventing drought) and water sanitation 6. Oceans: protecting the oceans to maintain natural resources such as fish, 7. Disasters: preventing natural disasters (such as by reducing desertification due to agriculture), and enhancing ability to recover The seven areas of discussion above are interconnected in an endless number of ways, and thus must all be considered in order to pursue environmental sustainability.
Additional Key Terms
Global warming: the rise in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere, generally attributed to the greenhouse effect Greenhouse effect: the trapping of the sun's warmth in the earth's lower atmosphere due to increased presence of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and other pollutants Inclusive development: development in which all groups of people share the benefits of economic growth. Inclusive development is a key part of sustainability. Millennium development goals: The UN MDG's form a global blueprint for improving the world's underprivileged by the year 2015. Environmental sustainability is one of the eight goals. United Nations Development Program (UNDP): a UN body whose goal is to help nations develop economically and politically. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP): a UN body, essentially whose sole purpose it to promote environmentally sustainable development. Kyoto Protocol: an international treaty that legally binds developed nations to emissions reduction targets, under the idea that most greenhouse gas emissions come from developed nations. Developing nations do not have legally binding targets, but do still commit to reducing emissions.
Possible solutions The seven areas of discussion highlighted by the Rio+20 conference are all areas of growth that delegates should consider. The methods highlighted below are just two examples of the possible steps that can be taken towards greater environmental sustainability. Sustainable energy: Universal access to modern energy is a key necessity for sustainable development. This is because the availability of energy means that machinery can be used in place of manual labor. For example, a task has simple as removing the husks off of rice would take hours of manual work; a machine that could take over the job would free up time for individuals to find other jobs, produce other items that can be sold, or attend school. Reducing deforestation: Deforestation occurs for timber as well as to make way for agriculture, roads, mines, hydroelectric dams, and cities. This exacerbates global warming, because there is a loss of trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere. Erosion also occurs from the lack of roots to hold the soil in place. Cutting deforestation involves the working with corporations to change their practices, collaborating with NGO's such as Greenpeace, and urging governments to make laws against excessive deforestation.
Questions for Debate What are the root causes of pollution in developing nations, and how can they be tackled? Identifying the root causes is the first step to tackling the problem. How can economic growth in developing countries be pursued without jeopardizing the environment? Developing countries do not have the infrastructure and laws in place to deal with environmental concerns while pursuing economic growth. Delegates need to discuss how the world can come together to deal with this issue. What is the relationship between developing and developed nations in terms of environmentally sustainable development? Developing nations cannot tackle problems on their own. The cooperation of developed nations to provide technical assistance, share best practices, and provide funding is key. Delegates must also consider actions of developed nations that adversely affect developing ones - for example, the dumping of electronic wastes in developing nations - and the economic implications associated with such actions. Delegates should consider how developed nations should be held accountable for their actions. How can NGO's and private enterprises be involved? Private enterprises are key because they are the market forces that drive development, and whose production decisions have environmental impact. Delegates need to consider economic incentives for companies to comply with policy. NGO's can be of great assistance to provide advice to governments and corporations.
Further Reading "The Future We Want" - Outcome of the Rio+20 Conference http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html
Rio+20 website http://www.uncsd2012.org/ The UNDP's work on environment and energy http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/ overview.html UNEP's website http://www.unep.org/ The Millennium Development Goals http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
Bibliography http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/f ocus_areas/sustainable-energy.html http://www.ilo.org/oshenc/part-vii/environmental-health-hazards/item/497industrial-pollution-in-developing-countries http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111040/Types http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/julyhls/pdf12/issues_note_dcf_side_event_on_green_ economy_in_ldcs_(finland).pdf http://www.uncsd2012.org/7issues.html http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/povertyreduction/focus_ areas/focus_inclusive_development/ http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/about_us.html http://unfccc.int/essential_background/items/6031.php http://www.sustainablekingston.ca/community-plan/four-pillars-of-sustainability http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-todeforestation/
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html http://www.uncsd2012.org/ http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/ overview.html http://www.unep.org/ http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/