COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES OF BALTIC STATES AND BRAZIL DESCRIBED, AS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HEARS COUNTRY PRESENTATIONS
Press Release
ENV/DEV/357
COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES OF BALTIC STATES AND BRAZIL DESCRIBED, AS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HEARS COUNTRY PRESENTATIONS
19960425 The countries of the Baltic Sea have embarked on concrete actions aimed at the protection of the region's wetlands, the Commission on Sustainable Development was told this afternoon as it continued to hear country presentations relating to coastal management. Bo Kjellen, Chief Negotiator at the Ministry of Environment of Sweden, who made a presentation on behalf of the Baltic Sea States, said that work was also under way on ways to preserve the living resources of the sea such as the salmon stock. According to him, in the space of a few decades, the Baltic Sea had been transformed into a severely fertilized sea because of pollution.In Brazil, where coastal areas were under a great deal of pressure from urbanization, coastal zone management programmes sought to ensure economic development while preserving endangered species and ecosystems, said Haroldo Mattos de Lemos, Secretary of Coordination for Environmental Issues, Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Legal Amazon said. Since 1988, Brazil's National Plan for Coastal Management had established an information database and carried out decentralized monitoring programmes.
Statements during the discussion of the country presentations were made by the representatives of Germany, Benin, Senegal, Australia, India, Burundi and Portugal. A statement was also made by the representative of the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific. Also this afternoon, statements on the protection of the atmosphere and of the oceans were made by the representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, Iran, South Africa, Russian Federation, and Mexico.
The representatives of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Council of Scientific Unions also made statements relating to the protection of the atmosphere and the oceans.
Responding to a request by Saudi Arabia not to schedule a meeting on 29 April -- an Islamic holiday -- Enrique Provencio (Mexico), Acting Commission Chairman, proposed that the bureau should discuss the matter and report back to the Commission on Friday.
When the Commission meets again at 10 a.m. Friday, 26 April, it will continue to hear the presentations of national strategies.
Commission Work Programme
The Commission on Sustainable Development met this afternoon to continue two days of country presentations and exchanges of national experiences in coastal zone management.
Country Presentations
BO KJELLEN, Chief Negotiator at the Ministry of Environment of Sweden, made a presentation on behalf of the Baltic Sea States. He said that the region was in the heart of the Baltic Sea which had a very large drainage area and a population of about 1 million people. It had very long coastline and was a very fragile area. In the space of a few decades, it was transformed into a severely fertilized sea.
He said that the governments of the region realized the need for cooperation even before the political changes that occurred there. They decided to set up the Helsinki agreement in 1974 and the agreement led to the establishment of a governing body. He announced that concrete action was under way in the area of wetlands and coastal management in the region. Work was also on ways to preserve the living resources of the sea such as the salmon resources.
The committee on spatial development in the region had identified some projects, he said. Those were pilot projects of different types covering transport corridors, coastal cooperation, the big islands in the region and the coastal areas. Work was also going on on common guidelines for spatial planning, and it was expected that the next ministerial conference of the countries of the region would adopt those guidelines.
He said that action at integrated coastal management in the region needed to address broader international concerns. Global aspects of issues had to be taken into account. In order to realize the overall approach, Sweden had undertaken to convene a meeting at the level of heads of States. That meeting was expected to agree on the areas of economic cooperation, spatial planning and other issues that affected the environment. Ministers of environment might be mandated to work out an agenda 21 for the Baltic region. Non-governmental organizations would also play an important role.
Discussion
The representative of Germany said that the Baltic region comprised the Scandinavian countries which had been very conscious of the environment and several countries which had previously neglected the environment. How was the cooperation between the two groups being handled?
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Mr. KJELLEN (Sweden) said that it was true that the Baltics faced very important problems. The region was trying to see how to develop good projects that would permit financing through institutions.
The representative of Benin noted the reference to an agenda 21 for the Baltic region and asked if that would be limited to the region or would take care of all environmental issues as was the case in Rio.
Mr. KJELLEN (Sweden) said that the idea of a local agenda 21, which had been developed and was being applied in Sweden, would utilize elements of the global Agenda 21. It would take into account the need for greater diversification of the economies of the region. It would also aim to establish links that would strengthen cooperation between the North and South of the European Union.
The representative of Senegal asked what the management focus should be in the region.
Mr. KJELLEN (Sweden) said that there was the need to look at all the different elements of the environment. The Baltic countries had looked at emissions in the environment. The results had been very satisfactory.
HAROLDO MATTOS DE LEMOS, Secretary of Coordination for Environmental Issues, Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Legal Amazon, Brazil, said that for the past three years his Government had been implementing a plan of integrated management of its coastal zones.
In recent decades, the Brazilian coastal zone has been pressured by urbanization, industrialization and tourism. Government efforts were aimed at stimulating economic development consistent with sustainable development and public health. Developing countries such as Brazil, with social problems to address, had a difficult time in promoting technical capacity, political will and financial capacity.
Since 1981, Brazil's National Council for the Environment had organized technical committees composed of national, regional and local officials. Brazil's National Plan for Coastal Management, put into place in 1988, had established an information database and carried out decentralized monitoring programmes. The Plan called for partnerships between different levels of government and civil society. The federal government was responsible for technology, oversight and actions required at the national level.
Brazil had adopted a democratic approach to planning which emphasized participatory, decentralized management. This open strategy had allowed a broad range of social participation, while ensuring well-articulated actions. Specific programmes under the National Plan included efforts aimed at the
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preservation of endangered birds, turtles and manatees; the conservation of threatened ecosystems such as mangroves; and the mapping of Brazil's continental shelf. Brazilian legislation was restructuring national fisheries with a view to improved monitoring and management, particularly of targeted species.
The representative of Germany asked for an expansion of the term "re- valuation of nature".
Mr. MATTOS DE LEMOS said that Brazil was beginning a process of analysing the value of its biodiversity.
The representative of Benin asked for information on how Brazil measured the value of marine habitat in its overall management of coastal areas.
Mr. MATTOS DE LEMOS said that all marine resources conservation programmes were coordinated. Brazil was now surveying the living resources of its exclusive economic zones. While Brazil had five large urban areas on its coast, it also had large, sparsely populated coastal areas. The Government was seeking to develop those areas, consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Regarding the urban areas, he said that sanitation was a major concern; almost none of Brazil's urban sewage was treated prior to discharge.
The representative of India asked for information on the coordination mechanism used to work with urban, regional and national government bodies.
ANTONIO CARLOS ROBERT DE MORAES, of the University of Sao Paolo and the Ministry of the Environment, said that the federal government regularly visited regions to work with local authorities. The central Government also worked closely with non-governmental organizations. Brazil was creating a macro-economic model of the coastal areas embracing cartography and zoning.
The representative of Burundi asked for information on how local people were involved in national coastal management planning.
Mr. DE MORAES said that there was no use in creating lovely plans without the participation of the people who would be affected by them. Brazil involved all the actors and sought their opinions. In one coastal State, some 30 different groups -- governments, private sector representatives, womens' groups and indigenous persons -- worked together to reach consensus on coastal management plans. In one case, local fishermen that used to harvest endangered tortoises had become the major proponents of conservation after working in the eco-tourism sector.
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The representative of Germany asked for information on the technology employed by Brazil in coastal zone management. Could industrialized countries be useful to Brazil when it came to transferring technology?
Mr. MATTOS DE LEMOS said that only 10 per cent of Brazil's Atlantic forests were still standing. Conservation programmes were aimed at preserving them and at creating environmental "corridors" linking those forest areas. Those forests were threatened because 80 per cent of the national population was living on the coasts. Programmes aimed at those forests were financed by Germany, the G-7 and the World Bank. Regarding technology transfer, every developing country desired newer, cleaner technologies. North-South cooperation was important, but so was "horizontal cooperation" among developing countries.
A representative of the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific asked whether Brazil had planning policies in place for the Amazon basin.
Mr. DE MORAES said that the Ministry of the Environment had developed programmes for the Amazon region, as well as for the coastal zones. The effort was to integrate planning programmes for river basins and the coastal areas.
The representative of Portugal asked whether any programmes were in place in Brazil regarding artificial reefs.
Mr. DE MORAES said that the coast of Brazil was quite "monotonous". Artificial reefs were being used to increase the variety of fishing species, for example, by creating areas in which large-scale fishing could not take place.
Statements on Protection of Atmosphere and Oceans
EVANS KING (Trinidad and Tobago), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, said that heads of State and governments of the Alliance had identified the broad area of the protection of the oceans and the atmosphere as a priority. The process of review within the Commission on Sustainable Development should respect the terms of the various legal instruments that had been adopted. The Commission should assess the implementation of those instruments to give impetus to the achievement of their objectives.
He said that the Commission should use the current session to encourage remaining States to ratify the Framework Convention on Climate Change. That Convention showed that the problem of climate change was a global one requiring a global response. The important role of environmentally sound technology should also be emphasized and encouraged by the Commission on Sustainable Development.
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ABDUL MALEK (Bangladesh) said that to avoid controversy and duplication of work, the Commission should concentrate on the implementation of the various conventions and on issue relating to the transfer of technology. Bangladesh was doing its part towards the achievement of its commitment with regard to the Framework Convention on Climate Change. It was implementing a project aimed at the phasing out chloroflorocarbons in a matter of few years.
He said that Bangladesh and other developing countries were facing difficulty in the prevention of marine pollution caused by the dumping of waste, largely due to financial constraints and lack of appropriate technology. His country supported the recommendations of the Washington Declaration on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities. The Commission should make concrete proposals for the transfer of resources and technology to developing countries to enable them implement those recommendations.
SAEID HOSSEINI (Iran) said that his country attached particular importance to the protection of its marine environment. Studying the long- term adverse impact of the two military conflicts in the region required intensive international cooperation. Iran had independently undertaken an extensive research programme into the ecology with regard to sea-based and land-based oil pollution in the region.
Concerning Caspian's environment, he said that despite massive endeavours, the ecology there continued to deteriorate because of activities related to oil exploitation. Extensive pollution generated by such action, along with sea-water rise, was responsible for degradation. Iran, therefore, recommended an international initiative involving an action plan for the protection of the Caspian's ecosystem. Also, the exploitation of the resources of the area should take environmental considerations into account.
MONDE MAYEKISO (South Africa) said that his country was well along towards phasing out chloroflorocarbons, consistent with the Montreal Protocol for the protection of the ozone layer. South Africa had introduced unleaded automobile fuel earlier this year as well.
Regarding marine resources, he said that South Africa had well-advanced legislation and management plans for integrated coastal zone management. With considerable international oil traffic around the Cape of Good Hope, oil spills were sometimes unavoidable, but South Africa had cooperation programmes in place with several of its neighbours. South Africa was undertaking fisheries management consistent with international accords and the principles of sustainable harvesting.
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ALEXANDER GOUDYMA (Russian Federation) said that his Government was actively working on marine management programmes in the Black Sea and in the Arctic region. Regarding protection of the ozone layer, he said that despite great economic difficulties, Russia would be implementing the Montreal Protocols by ceasing the use of ozone-depleting chemicals. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) would be very helpful in that regard, he noted.
In the effort to protect oceans and the atmosphere, no new international agencies were needed, he said, though a new mechanism would be useful for linking different initiatives aimed at global climate change. Productive work in that regard could also be carried out in the regional economic commissions.
OSCAR RAMIREZ (Mexico) said that among marine and coastal ecosystems, mangroves and temperate forests were sometimes overlooked. His Government thought that the problem of organic pollutants and sewage also deserved closed scrutiny. Mexico had national programmes in place to protect sea turtles, dolphins and other sea mammals. It also had initiated a 15-point set of technical standards to manage national fisheries practices.
Other Statements
J.W.M. LA RIVIERE, International Council of Scientific Unions, said that his organization had worked for two years on the global climate agenda. Political support for climate issues was critical, particularly for the global observation systems. Regarding the oceans, he said that rivers and ocean currents did not respect national borders -- that was why international cooperation was essential.
MIQUEL RIGOLA, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, said that industry and energy had been a central theme of the work of his agency. The UNIDO had some 60 energy-related projects costing $20 million currently under way in developing countries.
The manufacturing sector had seen a structural change, he said, towards energy-intensive processing of raw materials. Unless mitigating action was taken, increased energy use would have implications for climate change. The UNIDO was developing data on energy use and greenhouse emissions and would provide it to developing countries to assist with their programmes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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