Despite growing attention to environmental issues over the last two decades, insufficient progress has been made in integrating environment issues into development planning worldwide – and the situation is only growing more urgent. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005 reported that over 60 per cent of the ecosystem services provided worldwide are in decline. Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries still lack access to clean water. And in 2007 alone, 1.8 million children died as a result of contaminated water supplies. Added to these challenges, climate change is a growing threat to livelihoods and development: droughts, floods and other weather-related events reverse development in many parts of the world – with the most severe consequences felt by the poor.
There is no doubt that increased action is needed, from a variety of actors, all acting in coordination and based on their comparative strengths. UNDP’s role in safeguarding the environment and promoting sustainable development is focused strengthening regional and national capacity to manage the environment in a sustainable manner, in the interest of the poor.
Environment and Sustainable Development in the Arab States
The Arab States region is relatively arid. One of the most pressing environmental issues the region faces is water scarcity, particularly in countries where water deficits are currently being met mainly through exploitation of groundwater resources. Additionally, the reach of modern sanitation is insufficient. Indeed, the 2006 Human Development Report indicates that without a radical change of course the Arab region will miss the global MDG targets on water and sanitation by 27 years. Climate change compounds the situation: The Human Development Report 2007/08 reported that the Arab States region is the most vulnerable in the world to climatic changes, with predicted impacts ranging from increased droughts to land degradation and desertification.
Over the millennia, people in the Arab Region have developed ingenious solutions to address these challenges. However the complexity of environmental problems is growing by the day and new, scaled-up approaches are needed. In this context, countries in the Arab region are redoubling efforts to find solutions to environment and sustainable development challenges. UNDP stands at their side.
Regional Initiatives in the Arab States
UNDP supports Arab countries in capacity development to ensure that environment and sustainable development are taken into account in drawing up and implementing national policies, strategies and programmes. Given the particular needs of the region, our work has focused on the following:
· Combating Desertification. Working with the UNDP Dry lands Development Centre, we assist the Arab states in fighting poverty and encouraging development in the drier parts of the region by emphasizing their productive potential in the context of broad development planning.
· Improving Water Management. Through the Regional Water Governance Programme, UNDP provides technical and policy support, capacity building and seed funding to promote the effective use and management of scare water resources in Arab countries.
· Mobilizing funding from the Global Environment Facility. GEF grants support projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. UNDP helps our country partners take advantage of this resource from the proposal stage to the implementation stage.
Country Initiatives in Arab States
These regional initiatives are complemented by specific and targeted programming at the national level. Initiatives to promote sustainable development on the national level are implemented within the framework of the strategies of Country Offices, and in collaboration with national and international partners including governments, civil society, and other United Nations agencies.
To learn more about UNDP’s initiatives to promote sustainable development at the national level
please click on the relevant Country Office link on the right
