Sustainability

Fayetteville, Belize, and beyond

Sustainability =

environmentally friendly preserving resources in international development

appropriate technology with environmental preservation

in Belize preserving nature biodiversity

Sustainability = in business

efficiency cost reduction reduction of resource consumption social and quality of life issues life cycle thinking environmentally benign a business plan

in engineering Low Impact Development (LID)

green building water management energy efficiency

in agriculture sustainability natural, organic?

Sustainability is

a BIG deal at The University of Arkansas

TODAY 3 PM (next slide) http://sustainability.uark.edu/

City of Fayetteville Academia and Industry Wal-Mart International development Local to federal development

regulations

Sustainability In Action Three global business experts will talk about their

sustainability projects Thursday, April 19, 3 p.m. Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development

Vijay Sharma, business head of Project Shakit, Hindustan Lever Inc. will discuss how business objectives and social

development objectives can be aligned and how innovation in business processes can help achieve a sustainable way to do the same.

Jack Linard, scientific and regulatory affairs, Research and Development, Unilever, will address Unilever and sustainable agriculture: growing

for the future. David Pendlington, sustainable agriculture coordinator,

Unilever, Rotterdam, Netherlands, will address formulation and packaging issues for Unilever

globally. He provides support, guidance and facilitation to all of Unilever's global sustainable activities.

Sustainable Development: History

the term “sustainable development” from World Commission on Environment and

Development (WCED) in its 1987 report Our Common Future

also known as the Brundtland Commission report. WCED, which included 23 members from 22

countries, was formed by the United Nations to study the conflicts between growing global environmental problems and the needs of less-developed nations.

WCED’s widely used definition of sustainable development is: “Meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Developing Countries: Sustainability and Appropriate Technology

Appropriate technologyculturally, economically, and

technically appropriate Sustainability

“sustainability” is broader but includes much of what we used to call “appropriate tech”

5 Factors of Sustainability as applied to Water and Sanitation Development Projects

Five factors (McConville, 2006)Socio-cultural RespectCommunity participationPolitical cohesionEconomic sustainabilityEnvironmental sustainability

McConville, J.R. 2006, “Applying Life Cycle Thinking to International Water and Sanitation Development Projects: An assessment tool for project managers in sustainable development work”, Michigan Tech, Environmental Engineering MS Report.

Service Learning in Engineering and Science for Sustainable Development

Joshua M. Pearce For the future, the entire world population needs ways to

achieve economic, social, and environmental objectives simultaneously.

How do we engineer our future development so that all people have basic human needs met and a clean, healthy and safe world in which to grow and prosper? This is the challenge of sustainable development.

Appropriate technologies must be able to be easily and economically constructed from readily available materials by local craftspeople. Appropriate technologies must meet environmental, cultural, economic, and educational resource constraints of the localized community.

(promote service learning)… to help harness the knowledge and skills of our university students to assist their own learning while helping global sustainable development.

To an engineer, a sustainable system is in equilibrium, or changes at a tolerable rate. illustrated by natural ecosystems, which consist of

nearly closed loops that change slowly.

The roles of engineers in sustainable development can be illustrated by a closed-loop human ecosystem that mimics natural systems. This model of a closed-loop ecosystem was first

proposed in 1990, as shown below

Wal-Mart: sustainability

http://walmartstores.com http://walmartstores.com/microsite/walmart_sustain

ability.html go to website to see slides

see also: http://walmartfacts.com

Wal-Mart Experimental Stores Aurora, Colorado

recycled airport runway concrete used motor oil and deli oil burned for heat solar and wind power porous pavements radiant floor heating (outside) tall grass prairie on site

McKinney, TX renewable or reused materials rainwater storage and reuse low-volume irrigation more natural stormwater management

Wal-Mart Experimental Stores Chicago

green (planted) roof

Rogers, AR LED lighting motion activated lighting

Fayetteville, AR Sam’s roof rainwater collection and reuse constructed wetlands efficient heating and cooling

Water Use

Sustainability = in business

efficiency cost reduction reduction of resource consumption social and quality of life issues life cycle thinking environmentally benign a business plan

in engineering Low Impact Development (LID)

green building water management energy efficiency

in agriculture sustainability natural, organic?

Developing Countries: Sustainability and Appropriate Technology Appropriate technology

culturally, economically, and technically appropriate Sustainability

“sustainability” is broader but includes much of what we used to call “appropriate tech”

Five factors (McConville, 2006) Socio-cultural Respect Community participation Political cohesion Economic sustainability Environmental sustainability

McConville, J.R. 2006, “Applying Life Cycle Thinking to International Water and Sanitation Development Projects: An assessment tool for project managers in sustainable development work”, Michigan Tech, Environmental Engineering MS Report.

Belize Sustainable Development

Sustainability of environment and biodiversity

Belize Audubon Society barrier reef forestry energy solid waste water resources

Belize Sustainable Development

Ministry of Natural Resource and the Environment “Towards a National Protected Area Systems Plan

for Belize” (NARMAP) “National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan” Land Management program NSDC: National Sustainable Development Council National Poverty and Elimination Strategy and

Action Plan (by GOB)

NSDC: National Sustainable Development Council

Definition “Sustainable Development is a process that pursues

progressive change in the quality of human life… It is achieved through economic growth with social equity and

changes in production and consumption patterns, based on ecological equilibrium and the support of the region.

This implies respect for regional, national and local ethnic and cultural diversity, and the enhanced and full participation of all citizens, living together in peace and harmony with nature, not jeopardizing but rather guaranteeing the quality of life of future generations.”

Tasks, goals A public education strategy and program on the concept of

sustainable development and its national, regional and international considerations;

A National Policy on Sustainable Development; Develop the mechanisms and evaluate the progress made

towards achieving sustainable development.

Other sustainability programs in Belize Sustainable Use and Conservation of the

Belize Barrier Reef Complex Meso American Barrier Reef System

Regional Fisheries Mechanism Central American Alliance for Sustainable

Development Various energy programs

solar and wind: sustainable energy practices hydrolectric: reduce dependency on petroleum

Organization of American States (OAS): Sustainable Human Development Project

Integrated Water Resources Management National Solid Waste Management Project Sustainable Tourism

Climate Change programs

Central American Regional Project on Forestry and Climate Change

Belize is host country of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)

Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change Programme

Belize signed and joined stuff

National Solid Waste Management Project Options

Design and construction of a Central Sanitary Landfill to accommodate the entire Western Highway Corridor;

Establishment of Transfer Stations at Cayes, Belize City and Western Landfill;

Barging of wastes from Cayes and then trucking it to the Sanitary Landfill;

Upgrading of existing sites in Orange Walk and Corozal;

Construction of three new sites in South (Dangriga, Placencia and Punta Gorda) which will be a landfill type operation (including those of the north); and

Development of a rural collection system for rural and small communities.

Belize Eco-Tourism Association Code of ethics

To support economic and social sustainability by encouraging small scale tourist developments, providing employment of local people, purchasing products made locally from sustainable resources and providing guidance to all guests to be environmentally and culturally responsible;

To provide education in Belizean geography, customs and culture, creating opportunities for cultural, historical, environmental, and archaeological learning for visitors to Belize;

To maintain and conserve the flora and fauna habits in Belize by providing appropriate information to visitors, teaching them to avoid disturbing wildlife and flora, discouraging the sale of products or species on the endangered species list, helping to implement carrying capacities, and preventing the introduction of non-indigenous species;

To promote the sustainability of all resources, both renewable and nonrenewable; conserving water and energy, and increasing awareness of the need for energy and water conservation;

UNDP quotes Belize will need to increase community

participation in environmental management initiatives as one of the main strategies for reversing loss of resources. This should entail sharing the responsibilities and

authority with local governments, community based organizations, private sector and vulnerable groups in the monitoring of the country’s resources.

Currently, a significant portion of monitoring and sustainability initiatives are driven by external funding and technical support. Belize will have to invest more of its own resources

to ensure long term sustainability of many of the initiatives and to improve its prospects for achieving MDG 7 for environmental sustainability.

UNDP project: Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)

promotes sustainable income generation and biodiversity conservation

works with Maya Mountain Marine Sustainable Livelihoods Initiative

certify fly-fishing guides ECO-OK timber certification micro-enterprise ecotourism training natural resource management and

community monitoring reduce poaching, illegal hunting and logging

statement by Stuart Leslie, Belize UN Ambassador, 2004 - 2005

on behalf of the member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), need an integrated approach to the management of water, sanitation

and human settlements.  major urban centres with industrial and commercial activity were

located principally in coastal zones.  Tourism development was also concentrated in coastal areas.  That had increased rural to urban migration along coastlines.   The vulnerability of urban coasts exacerbated by population growth. 

urban expansion implied unplanned spread beyond the urban fence onto lands important for agriculture or watershed protection. 

Unplanned, informal settlements in the hinterlands, populated mainly by the poor, invariably lacked the requisite sanitation infrastructure, and improper disposal of waste had inevitably led to pollution of the water table, further limiting the freshwater supply. 

For CARICOM, the inability to provide adequate sanitation services had often resulted in increased pollution of the coastal waters, as well, which were vital to the economic viability of the islands.

To pursue effective management, must have a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of the poor, both urban and rural. 

More attention should also be given to programmes for housing the poor. national recycling initiatives had been hampered by financial constraints.  need training programmes in water resources management.  Investment in appropriate technology for water resources management.  Continued attention must also be given to national policies for freshwater

and waste management

Questions?