Brief2005 Jun07

							                    THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
                                   Tuesday, 7 June 2005

         UNEP and the Executive Director in the News

   Changing Planet Revealed in Atlas (The Journal of Turkish Weekly)
   Then & Now: Delhi explodes 1977 to 1999 (Financial Express)
   UNEP Launches Space Atlas for World Environment Day (Insurance Journal)
   U.N. produces atlas for environment day (WebIndia)
   U.N. produces atlas for environment day (Monsters & Critics.com)
   El mundo, ante cambios ambientales dramáticos (Diario de Yucatán)
   Registran en la Tierra cambios dramáticos (Prensa Latina)
   "Un planeta, mucha gente" (El Mercurio)
   La ONU alerta de la gran mancha de plástico que es Almería vista desde el
    espacio (RTVA / Canal Sur Web)
   PNUMA registra en la Tierra cambios dramáticos (Globovisión)
   El Atlas de la Devastación de la Tierra (Agencia Kanaria de Noticias)
   El día del medio ambiente (Infoecologia)
   Umweltzerstörung - Ein Planet, (zu) viele Menschen (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
   Atlas macht Umweltzerstörung anschaulich (Deutsche Welle)
   So verändern wir die Welt (Hamburger Abendblatt)
   Atlas der Umweltzerstörung (LDI)
   Der Fluch der Städte (Telepolis)

   World marks green day; UN warns of booming cities (Reuters)
   Mayors' pact pledges cleaner, greener cities (San Francisco Chronicle)
    [many more articles are available on this subject]
   South Africa set to celebrate National Environment Week (Dive South Africa)
   Water supplies 'in dire peril' (Gulf Daily News)
   Green City project launched - Bahrain (Bahrain Tribune)
   La sururbanisation, une menace à l'environnement (Libération)
   ZIGUINCHOR - Journée mondiale de l’Environnement : Pour sauver le dernier
    bastion forestier du pays (Le Quotidien)
   Journée de l'environnement : les villes menacées d'asphyxie (Le Courrier du
    Vietnam)
   La qualité de la vie améliorée pour chaque citoyen (La Presse)
   Promueve ONU las 'ciudades verdes' (El Universal)
   Día del medio ambiente, ¿y qué? (La Nueva España)
   Un patrón ecologista (20 minutos)
   Bahrain spearheading 'green' drive (Gulf Daily News)

   How great divide could light up the lives of millions (The Times)
   KFDA to Create National Center for Chemical Safety on June 11 (The Korea
    Times)
   A documentary video has been released, based on Tsunami disaster that caused
    to the environmental destruction (Maledives Info)

              Communications and Public Information, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-2) 623292/93, Fax: [254-2] 62 3927/623692, Email:cpiinfo@unep.org, http://www.unep.org
           Other Environment News

   World scientists urge CO2 action (BBC)
   Les trois quarts des eaux en France seront de mauvaise qualité en 2015 (Le Figaro)

           Environmental News from the UNEP Regions

   ROAP
   ROA
   ROWA

           Other UN News

   UN Daily News of 6 June 2005
   S.G.’s Spokesman Daily Press Briefing of 6 June 2005




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The Journal of Turkish Weekly: Changing Planet Revealed in Atlas

An atlas of environmental change compiled by the United Nations reveals some of the dramatic
transformations that are occurring to our planet.

It compares and contrasts satellite images taken over the past few decades with contemporary
ones.

These highlight in vivid detail the striking make-over wrought in some corners of the Earth by
deforestation, urbanisation and climate change.

The atlas has been released to mark World Environment Day.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (Unep) produced One Planet Many People:
Atlas of our Changing Environment in collaboration with other agencies such as the US
Geological Survey and the US space agency (Nasa).

Transformed world

Among the transformations highlighted in the atlas are the huge growth of greenhouses in
southern Spain, the rapid rise of shrimp farming in Asia and Latin America and the emergence
of a giant, shadow puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River that has built up
through transportation of sediment in the waters.

The effects of retreating glaciers on mountains and in polar regions, deforestation in South
America and forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa are also shown in the atlas.

This year's World Environment Day, which will be hosted by San Francisco in California, will
focus on ways of making cities more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient.

"The battle for sustainable development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just and
healthier world, is going to be largely won and lost in our cities," said Klaus Toepfer, Unep's
executive director.
____________________________________________________________________________

The Financial Express (India): Then & Now: Delhi explodes 1977 to 1999

REUTERS

LONDON, June 4: The devastating impact of mankind on the planet is dramatically illustrated
in pictures published on Saturday showing explosive urban sprawl, major deforestation and the
sucking dry of inland seas over less than three decades.
Mexico City mushrooms from a modest urban centre in 1973 to a massive blot on the landscape
in 2000, while Beijing shows a similar surge between 1978 and 2000 in satellite pictures
published by the United Nations in a new environmental atlas.




                                                                                                  3
Delhi sprawls explosively between 1977 and 1999, while from 1973 to 2000 the tiny desert
town of Las Vegas turns into a monster conurbation of one million people -- placing massive
strain on scarce water supplies.
"If there is one message from this atlas it is that we are all part of this. We can all make a
difference," U.N. expert Kaveh Zahedi told reporters at the launch of the "One Planet Many
People" atlas on the eve of World Environment Day.
Page after page of the 300-page book illustrate in before-and-after pictures from space the
disfigurement of the face of the planet wrought by human activities.
U.N. Environment Programme chief Klaus Toepfer has chosen efforts to make cities greener as
this year's theme for World Environment Day on Sunday on the basis that the world is
becoming increasingly urbanised.
"Cities pull in huge amounts of resources including water, food, timber, metals and people.
They export large amounts of wastes including household and industrial wastes, wastewater and
the gases linked with global warming," he said in a statement.
"Thus their impacts stretch beyond their physical borders affecting countries, regions and the
planet as a whole.
"So the battle for sustainable development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just
and healthier world, is going to be largely won and lost in our cities," Toepfer added.
The destruction of swathes of mangroves in the Gulf of Fonseca off Honduras to make way for
extensive shrimp farms shows up clearly in the pictures.
The atlas makes the point that not only has it left the estuary bereft of the natural coastal
defence provided by the mangroves, but the shrimp themselves have been linked to pollution
and widespread damage to the area's ecosystem.
And images of the wholesale destruction of vital rainforest around Iguazu Falls -- one of South
America's most spectacular waterfalls -- on the borders between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay
evoke comparisons with a bulldozer on a rampage.
"These illustrate some of the changes we have made to our environment," Zahedi said. "This is
a visual tool to capture people's imaginations showing what is really happening."
"It serves as an early warning," he added.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Insurance Journal: UNEP Launches Space Atlas for World Environment Day
6 June , 2005
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) marked "World Environment Day" on
Friday, June 3 with the release of a spectacular new Atlas, entitled "One Planet Many People,"
featuring comparative views of our planet from satellite images.
Rapid urbanization, sprawling shrimp farms and dwindling forests are among the many
highlights that show "the dramatic and, in some cases, damaging environmental changes
sweeping planet Earth." The Atlas "compares and contrasts spectacular satellite images of the
past few decades with contemporary ones, some of which have never been seen before," said
UNEP.




                                                                                                 4
"The huge growth of greenhouses in southern Spain, the rapid rise of shrimp farming in Asia
and Latin America and the emergence of a giant, shadow puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth
of the Yellow River are among a string of curious and surprising changes seen from space," it
continued. "They sit beside the more conventional, but no less dramatic images of rain forest
deforestation in Paraguay and Brazil, rapid oil and gas development in Wyoming, United States,
forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa and the retreat of glaciers and ice in polar and mountain
areas."
The attempt to create a picture of the entire planet's environment involved the use of a number
of images from varying sources, including the United States Geological Survey and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
For the insurance industry they provide graphic proof that many urban areas are undergoing
dramatic changes that will ultimately affect how risks are structured and what kinds of coverage
are needed to meet changed conditions. While a general survey doesn't provide much detailed
information, it acts as a warning that new studies and initiatives are need, if the industry hopes
to avoid some very unpleasant and costly surprises.
Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's executive director, commented: "People living in San Francisco or
London may look at these images of deforestation or melting Arctic ice, and wonder what it has
to do with them. That these changes are the result of other people's lifestyles and consumption
habits hundreds and thousands of kilometers away. But they would be wrong. Cities pull in
huge amounts of resources including water, food, timber, metals and people. They export large
amounts of wastes including household and industrial wastes, wastewater and the gases linked
with global warming. Thus their impacts stretch beyond their physical borders affecting
countries, regions and the planet as a whole." He added that the "battle for sustainable
development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just and healthier world, is going to
be largely won and lost in our cities."
The entire release and related documents may be obtained on the organization's Web site at:
www.unep.org.
_____________________________________________________________________________

WebIndia: U.N. produces atlas for environment day
4 June 2005
The United Nations has produced an atlas of environmental changes that have affected Earth,
comparing satellite images taken over a few decades.
The atlas -- One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment -- was designed to
mark Sunday's observance of World Environment Day.
Among the transformations highlighted in the atlas are the huge growth of greenhouses in
southern Spain, the rapid rise of Asia and Latin American shrimp farming and the emergence of
a giant, puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River that has built up through
sediment deposits, the BBC reported.
The effects of retreating glaciers on mountains and in polar regions, deforestation in South
America and forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa are also shown. The atlas was produced in
collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
This year's World Environment Day, to be centered in San Francisco, will focus on ways of
making cities more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient.




                                                                                                 5
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to
mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It is celebrated
each year on June 5.
(UPI)
_____________________________________________________________________________

Monsters & Critics.com: U.N. produces atlas for environment day
By UPI
5 Jun 2005, 19:00 GMT
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, United States (UPI) -- The United Nations has produced an atlas of
environmental changes that have affected Earth, comparing satellite images taken over a few
decades.
The atlas -- \"One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment\" -- was designed
to mark Sunday`s observance of World Environment Day.
Among the transformations highlighted in the atlas are the huge growth of greenhouses in
southern Spain, the rapid rise of Asia and Latin American shrimp farming and the emergence of
a giant, puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River that has built up through
sediment deposits, the BBC reported.
The effects of retreating glaciers on mountains and in polar regions, deforestation in South
America and forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa are also shown. The atlas was produced in
collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
This year`s World Environment Day, to be centered in San Francisco, will focus on ways of
making cities more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient.
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to
mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It is celebrated
each year on June 5.
___________________________________________________________________________

Diario de Yucatán: El mundo, ante cambios ambientales dramáticos
Imágenes de satélite muestran los daños causados al planeta

GINEBRA, Suiza (EFE).— La multiplicación de invernaderos en el sur de España, la expansión
de criaderos de camarones en Asia y América Latina y la formación de una península gigante en
la desembocadura del río Amarillo en China, son algunos de los cambios más sorprendentes
registrados desde el espacio.

Así queda en evidencia en la publicación “Un planeta, mucha gente. Atlas de un Medio
Ambiente que cambia”, presentado por el Programa de la ONU para el Medio Ambiente
(Pnuma) y que contrasta imágenes por satélite tomadas en décadas pasadas con otras
contemporáneas. Algunas fotografías revelan situaciones dramáticas, como la desaparición de
las selvas vírgenes de Paraguay y Brasil, el rápido desarrollo de la industria del gas y el petróleo
en Wyoming y el retroceso de glaciares polares y de montaña. Al presentar el Atlas, el experto
del Pnuma, Pascal Peduzzi, explicó que “los cambios del medio ambiente son lentos, pero
dramáticos y pueden ser tan impresionantes como los que causa un maremoto o inundaciones”.




                                                                                                   6
Como muestra de ello mencionó que en los últimos 25 años se ha perdido 15% de los glaciares
andinos y que la tendencia indica que en 2100 sólo quedará el 10% de los glaciares alpinos. El
nuevo Atlas también ilustra el crecimiento explosivo de algunas grandes ciudades como Pekín,
Dakar, Delhi, México o Santiago de Chile.

El Atlas también ilustra la “explosión masiva de criaderos de camarones en el Golfo de
Fonseca, en Honduras”, el segundo país productor y exportador de ese crustáceo después de
Ecuador.

“Se sospecha que las granjas de camarones son el origen de graves problemas ecológicos, como
la destrucción de manglares, que constituyen un sistema de defensa natural al borde de los
litorales y sirven de hábitat a numerosas especies de peces”, se advierte.

Imágenes del Golfo de Guayaquil, en Ecuador, describen una situación similar, con un
desarrollo del 30% de la acuicultura de camarones 1984 y 2000 en una extensión de 118,000
hectáreas.

También se hace hincapié en la situación de la frontera entre México y Guatemala, “que era rica
en biodiversidad” y se mantiene preservada del lado guatemalteco, gracias a la baja tasa
demográfica y al estatus de zona protegida.

Sin embargo, no ocurre lo mismo en México, donde “enormes áreas de la selva de Chiapas han
desaparecido desde 1974 debido al rápido crecimiento demográfico y a la creciente necesidad
de tierras cultivables y para el pastoreo”.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Prensa Latina: Registran en la Tierra cambios dramáticos
Washington, 6 jun (PL) Expansión de ciudades como México y Nueva Delhi, o la formación de
una península gigante en la desembocadura del río Amarillo en China, son algunos de los
cambios más dramáticos registrados en la Tierra en las últimas décadas.
Así lo evidencia el nuevo atlas publicado por el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio
Ambiente (PNUMA), que contrasta fotografías por satélite tomadas años atrás con otras
actuales.
La desaparición de las selvas en Paraguay y Brasil, el rápido desarrollo de la industria del gas y
el petróleo en Wyoming y el retroceso de glaciares polares y de montaña, están también
reflejados en las imágenes, como reflejo de la devastación ocurrida en el planeta.
Al comparar dos imágenes de la selva amazónica, una de 1975 y otra del 2000, se observa una
gran mancha blanca en una zona que antes era de tupida vegetación.
La culpa de los cambios la tiene la acción del hombre en las grandes urbes. "Las ciudades se
llevan una cantidad enorme de recursos, incluidos alimentos, agua, madera, metales, exportan
grandes cantidades de desechos, tanto industriales como domésticos, así como aguas albañales y
gases, dijo la ONU en un comunicado.
Por su parte, Pascal Peduzzi, experto del PNUMA, explicó que los cambios del medio ambiente
son lentos, pero dramáticos y pueden ser tan impresionantes como los que causan los
maremotos o las inundaciones.




                                                                                                     7
La conversión de zonas rurales en grandes invernaderos, como ocurre en la provincia de
Almería, sur de España, afectan las reservas de agua, añadió el experto.
Asimismo, la explosión de criaderos de camarones en Honduras y Ecuador, causan la
desaparición de los manglares, que sirven de hábitat a otras especies marinas, señaló Peduzzi.
El Atlas analizó además la extensión hacia el oeste de Miami, en los Estados Unidos, que
amenaza los Everglades, una de las zonas pantanosas más extensas del mundo, protegida por el
Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura.
La lucha por un desarrollo sostenible, un ambiente más estable, un mundo más saludable y
justo, se ganará o perderá en las ciudades, asegura la ONU.
_____________________________________________________________________________

El Mercurio (Santiago, Chile): "Un planeta, mucha gente"

Domingo 5 de junio de 2005

Atlas ambiental ilustra radicales contradicciones del progreso

La publicación de Naciones Unidas revela algunas de las dramáticas transformaciones por las
que atraviesa el mundo.

No es difícil imaginar los cambios que una ciudad puede experimentar en 30 años. Aumento de
las viviendas, nuevas rutas de acceso y redistribución de los espacios. Lo sorprendente es
comparar con imágenes satelitales estas variaciones y notar que el impacto de la humanidad
sobre el planeta puede ser realmente devastador.

Ésa es una de las conclusiones que se desprenden del libro ilustrado que publicó el Programa de
Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA), que muestra las transformaciones de 80
ciudades del mundo producto de la expansión urbana, la deforestación y la desaparición de
grandes lagos en menos de tres décadas.

Cada una de las 332 páginas del texto ilustra, con fotos de hace 30 años y otras actuales
tomadas desde el espacio, la desfiguración que la humanidad ha causado sobre la faz del planeta
a manos del progreso.

En la publicación sobran los ejemplos sorprendentes. En 1973, la Ciudad de México era una
urbe capitalina con nueve millones de habitantes; hoy la metrópoli es un conglomerado masivo
que alberga a más de 20 millones de personas.

La ciudad de Nueva Delhi creció explosivamente entre 1977 y 1999, mientras que de 1973 al
2000 la zona desértica donde se fundó Las Vegas se transformó en una urbanización monstruosa
con un millón de habitantes, lo que provocó una intensa presión sobre los escasos recursos
acuíferos de la región.

El crecimiento demográfico no es lo único que ilustra el Atlas, donde también figuran el gran
aumento de la agricultura de invernaderos en el sur de España; el incremento de criaderos en
Asia y América Latina, y la vasta destrucción de la vegetación tropical en la zona de la Triple
Frontera entre Brasil, Paraguay y Argentina.




                                                                                                  8
Según señala el comunicado del PNUMA, el propósito principal del Atlas es documentar la
evidencia visual de los cambios ambientales, producto de las actividades humanas y también de
los procesos naturales.

"Si hay un mensaje en este Atlas, es que todos somos parte de esto. Todos podemos marcar una
diferencia", dijo el experto de la ONU, Kaveh Zahedi, durante el lanzamiento del atlas "Un
planeta, mucha gente", según consigna la agencia Reuters.

El llamado del experto apunta a contrarrestar los efectos perjudiciales de la acelerada
urbanización del planeta apostando por un desarrollo sostenible. Ello, porque no se descartan las
bondades del progreso en el mantenimiento ambiental. Es el caso del Lago Victoria, en el este
de África, infectado por plantas acuáticas durante los noventa, y cuya contaminación fue
contenida por un insecto depredador y la ayuda de cuidados artificiales.

"Las ciudades se llevan una cantidad enorme de recursos, incluidos alimentos, agua, madera,
metales y personas. Exportan grandes cantidades de desechos, tanto industriales como
domésticos, así como aguas servidas y gases, como los que están causando el calentamiento
global", expresó en el comunicado el jefe del PNUMA, Klaus Toepfer.

Tras este análisis, el personero destaca "que la lucha por un desarrollo sostenible, por lograr un
ambiente más estable, un mundo más saludable y justo, se ganará y perderá principalmente en
las ciudades".

La publicación pretende ser una herramienta visual para captar la imaginación de la gente y
mostrar las transformaciones del planeta, y vaya que lo logra.

El nuevo Atlas ambiental fue puesto en circulación con motivo del Día Mundial del Medio
Ambiente que se celebra hoy con una actividad en la ciudad de San Francisco, Estados Unidos.

SANTIAGO

La publicación también consigna los cambios de la capital chilena, que aumentó su número de
habitantes de 2 millones 800 mil a más de 5 millones desde el año 1970.

EN INTERNET
Las imágenes en
http://www.unep.org
_____________________________________________________________________________


RTVA (Andalucia) Canal Sur Web: La ONU alerta de la gran mancha de plástico que es
Almería vista desde el espacio
05/06/05
La multiplicación de invernaderos en el sur de España, y muy especialmente en Almería, la
expansión de criaderos de camarones en Asia y América Latina y la formación de una península
gigante en la desembocadura del río Amarillo en China, son algunos de los cambios más
sorprendentes registrados desde el espacio. Las 20.000 hectáreas de explotación de plástico en
Almería son un espectáculo muy preocupante.




                                                                                                     9
Así queda en evidencia en la publicación 'Un planeta, mucha gente: Atlas de un Medio
Ambiente que cambia', presentado en Ginebra por el Programa de la ONU para el Medio
Ambiente (PNUMA) y que contrasta imágenes por satélite tomadas en décadas pasadas con
otras contemporáneas.
Algunas fotografías revelan situaciones dramáticas, como la desaparición de las selvas vírgenes
de Paraguay y Brasil, el rápido desarrollo de la industria del gas y el petróleo en Wyoming
(EEUU) y el retroceso de glaciares polares y de montaña.
Al presentar el Atlas, el experto del PNUMA, Pascal Peduzzi, explicó que 'los cambios del
medio ambiente son lentos, pero dramáticos y pueden ser tan impresionantes como los que
ocasiona un maremoto o inundaciones, con la diferencia de que los primeros se producen en un
periodo muy largo'. Como muestra de ello mencionó que en los últimos 25 años se ha perdido
15 por ciento de los glaciares andinos y que la tendencia indica que en el año 2100 sólo quedará
el 10 por ciento de los glaciares alpinos.
El nuevo Atlas ilustra también el crecimiento explosivo de algunas grandes ciudades como
Pekín, Dakar, Delhi, México o Santiago de Chile. Entre los cambios más espectaculares
ocurridos en Europa destaca el registrado en la provincia andaluza de Almería (sur), que
imágenes tomadas en 1974 muestran como una típica zona rural agrícola.
Sin embargo, fotografías más recientes revelan que eso ya no es así y que, desde ése entonces,
un área de 20.000 hectáreas ha sido transformada en un gran invernadero para la producción de
cultivos. Las consecuencias, según el Atlas de la ONU, son numerosas, particularmente sobre
las reservas de agua, lo que ha obligado -afirma el texto- al Gobierno español a volcarse en el
uso de las tecnologías para conseguir más agua, como son las desalinizadoras.
Otras dos imágenes, registradas con 30 años de intervalo, muestran una tendencia similar en la
frontera entre Argentina, Brasil y Paraguay. En 1973, la selva paranaense que comparten esos
tres países estaba en su mayor parte intacta, pero una imagen de 2003 'confirma la pérdida de
más del 90 por ciento de la selva en favor de cultivos de soja y maíz'.
Sin embargo, Peduzzi dijo que no hay que caer en el pesimismo porque hay ejemplos que
demuestran que 'cuando hay voluntad política se pueden encontrar los medios para recuperar el
ecosistema'

_____________________________________________________________________

Globovisión: PNUMA registra en la Tierra cambios dramáticos
Expansión de ciudades como México y Nueva Delhi, o la formación de una península gigante
en la desembocadura del río Amarillo en China, son algunos de los cambios más dramáticos
registrados en la Tierra en las últimas décadas.
Expansión de ciudades como México y Nueva Delhi, o la formación de una península gigante
en la desembocadura del río Amarillo en China, son algunos de los cambios más dramáticos
registrados en la Tierra en las últimas décadas.

Así lo evidencia el nuevo atlas publicado por el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio
Ambiente (PNUMA), que contrasta fotografías por satélite tomadas años atrás con otras
actuales, precisa el reporte de Prensa Latina.

La desaparición de las selvas en Paraguay y Brasil, el rápido desarrollo de la industria del gas y



                                                                                                 10
el petróleo en Wyoming y el retroceso de glaciares polares y de montaña, están también
reflejados en las imágenes, como reflejo de la devastación ocurrida en el planeta.

Al comparar dos imágenes de la selva amazónica, una de 1975 y otra del 2000, se observa una
gran mancha blanca en una zona que antes era de tupida vegetación.

La culpa de los cambios la tiene la acción del hombre en las grandes urbes. "Las ciudades se
llevan una cantidad enorme de recursos, incluidos alimentos, agua, madera, metales, exportan
grandes cantidades de desechos, tanto industriales como domésticos, así como aguas albañales y
gases, dijo la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) en un comunicado.

Por su parte, Pascal Peduzzi, experto del PNUMA, explicó que los cambios del medio ambiente
son lentos, pero dramáticos y pueden ser tan impresionantes como los que causan los
maremotos o las inundaciones.

La conversión de zonas rurales en grandes invernaderos, como ocurre en la provincia de
Almería, sur de España, afectan las reservas de agua, añadió el experto.

Asimismo, la explosión de criaderos de camarones en Honduras y Ecuador, causan la
desaparición de los manglares, que sirven de hábitat a otras especies marinas, señaló Peduzzi.

El Atlas analizó además la extensión hacia el oeste de Miami, en los Estados Unidos, que
amenaza los Everglades, una de las zonas pantanosas más extensas del mundo, protegida por el
Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (Unesco).

La lucha por un desarrollo sostenible, un ambiente más estable, un mundo más saludable y
justo, se ganará o perderá en las ciudades, asegura la ONU.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Agencia Kanaria de Noticias: El Atlas de la Devastación de la Tierra
Para hacer más comprensible el mensaje, el PNUMA lanzó ayer un nuevo Atlas mundial sobre
el cambio ambiental producido en las últimas décadas. Se trata de imágenes captadas desde el
espacio en el que se pueden observar las enormes transformaciones provocadas por el hombre
en las tres últimas décadas.
La deforestación, la transformación en los usos del suelo, la desaparición de ciertos ecosistemas,
los cultivos o el crecimiento de las ciudades dejan muy patente esa realidad que se resume en el
emblema elegido para el día de ayer: Un planeta, mucha gente, titulo también del Atlas.
Según Klaus Topfer, director del Programa de Medio Ambiente de Naciones Unidas (PNUMA),
el Atlas «muestra que la batalla por un mundo estable desde el punto de vista ambiental será
ganada o perdida en las ciudades. De ahí que la ONU se fije en las grandes urbes porque son las
grandes consumidoras de energía, gigantes generadoras de residuos y contaminación».
«Las ciudades se llevan gran cantidad de recursos, incluidos alimentos, agua, madera, metales o
personas. Exportan grandes cantidades de residuos, tanto industriales como domésticos,
contaminan el agua y el aire, incluidos los gases de efecto invernadero que provocan el
calentamiento global», dijo ayer Topfer. «El impacto abarca más allá de las fronteras físicas y
afecta a países, regiones y al planeta en su conjunto», añadió.




                                                                                                 11
Entre otros muchos ejemplos de lo que está ocurriendo, el Atlas destaca el crecimiento enorme
de los invernaderos en Almería, cuya imagen ilustra esta página. También se fija en los cultivos
de crustáceos en Asia y América del Sur, la enorme destrucción de la selva tropical en los
alrededores de las cataratas de Iguazú, o en el crecimiento de las ciudades.
La celebración oficial del Día Mundial de Medio Ambiente tuvo lugar ayer en San Francisco
bajo la intención de que los administradores municipales de la ciudades den un golpe de timón
para que las urbes se beneficien del medio ambiente, en vez de causar su destrucción. Con
motivo de la conmemoración, el secretario general de la ONU, Kofi Annan, destacó que en
2030, más del 60 por ciento de la población mundial vivirá en zonas urbanas.
Además, dijo, el planeta no alcanzará los objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio a menos que las
ciudades incorporen una planificación medioambiental en todos los aspectos de la gestión
urbana.
Entre los objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio que la ONU se fijó hace unos años, figura reducir
a la mitad el porcentaje de personas que carecen de acceso al agua potable y el de personas que
viven con menos de un dólar al día antes de 2015.
Annan afirmó que la creciente urbanización presenta desafíos enormes, que incluyen la pobreza,
el desempleo, el crimen y la drogadicción. «Uno de cada tres habitantes urbanos vive en
viviendas precarias», declaró el diplomático, para agregar que en demasiadas ciudades en
crecimiento «la seguridad medioambiental es escasa y la planificación irregular».
El Atlas detiene su atención en ciudades como Las Vegas, con un crecimiento exponencial
urbanístico y de consumo de electricidad. También Miami se ha extendido de manera
insostenible hacia el oeste, amenazando a los pantanos, unas de las zonas pantanosas más
extensas del mundo, protegidas por numerosas especies que alberga y por el agua dulce que
contienen.
____________________________________________________________________________

Infoecologia: El día del medio ambiente
junio de 2005
_La actividad humana está provocando impactos “devastadores” en el planeta. Es la conclusión
a la que ha llegado el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA) que,
con motivo de la celebración el pasado domingo del Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente, ha
publicado un Atlas Mundial que ilustra los cambios que se han producido en los ecosistemas del
planeta durante los últimos 30 años.
La deforestación, la erosión, la sobreexplotación de los recursos han hecho mella en el planeta.
Así lo atestiguan las imágenes que recoge el atlas y que comparan la situación actual con la de
hace 30 años, poniendo de manifiesto la degradación que sufren numerosas áreas.
El PNUMA advierte que el crecimiento de las ciudades se está produciendo sin tener en cuenta
consideraciones ambientales, que a la postre equivale a decir que se produce sin atender a
criterios sociales y económicos. La ONU ha recordado que en 2030, más del 60 por ciento de la
población mundial habitará en zonas urbanas, pero, o cambian las cosas, o más de un tercio
vivirán en condiciones precarias. En muchos casos sin acceso al agua potable y los servicios
más básicos.
Pero los impactos no son visibles sólo en las grandes ciudades. Un estudio publicado en
“Science” revela que en los tres últimos decenios han desaparecido más de cien grandes lagos




                                                                                                12
siberianos. Más cerca, en el cantábrico, la anchoa también desaparece. Se podría decir para
ilustralo gráficamente que nos las hemos comido todas. Están muy buenas, pero no se lo
merecían. Muchos biólogos y organizaciones llevaban décadas advirtiéndolo, pero no nos lo
llegábamos a creer y ahora es posible que sea demasiado tarde. A quien no le guste la anchoa y
tampoco el boquerón, frito, en vinagre o en cualquier otra modalidad, puede llegar a pensar que
la historia no va con él, pero que no se engañe, dentro de poco, por lo que advierten algunos,
puede ocurrirle lo mismo al rape, el gallo o la merluza.
Puesto que la mayoría de la población del planeta pasa hambre, lo lógico es pensar que la
sobreexplotación de los recursos, incluidos los marinos, es una estupidez que sólo beneficia, y a
muy corto plazo, a una minoría..
____________________________________________________________________________

Süddeutsche Zeitung: Umweltzerstörung - Ein Planet, (zu) viele Menschen
7.6.2005
Rasch wachsende Mega-Städte, exzessive Landwirtschaft - Fotos aus der Weltraum-Perspektive
machen deutlich, wie dramatisch sich unser Planet in den letzten Jahrzehnten verändert hat.

Stadtbewohner tragen nach Angaben des UN-Umweltprogramms am meisten zur
Erderwärmung bei, sehen aber wenig von deren Folgen, weil diese vor allem in abgelegenen
und dünn besiedelten Regionen auftreten. Die Städte verbrauchten riesige Mengen Wasser,
Nahrung und Holz und produzierten viel Müll, sagte UNEP-Direktor Klaus Töpfer in Genf.
Töpfer äußerte sich anlässlich der Vorstellung des neuen Atlas’ „One Planet Many People“ (Ein
Planet, viele Menschen), der Satellitenfotos aus vergangenen Jahrzehnten aktuellen
gegenüberstellt.

Der Atlas soll vor allem Bewohnern von industrialisierten Staaten zeigen, wie ihr Lebensstil die
Umwelt zerstören kann. „Ein Bild sagt mehr als tausend Worte“, sagte Pascal Peduzzi, ein
Umweltwissenschaftler des UNEP.

Unter Verwendung von Aufnahmen des Geologischen Dienstes der USA und der US-
Weltraumbehörde NASA zeigen die Bilder dramatische Veränderungen in der Umgebung von
Städten wie Peking, Dhaka, Delhi und Santiago: die Zerstörung von Ackerland, die
Verschmutzung von Flussbetten, das Verschwinden von Wasservorräten und vieles mehr.

Der Atlas zeigt Satellitenfotos von Las Vegas, der Metropole mit dem rasantesten Wachstum in
den USA. In den 50er Jahren lebten dort 24.000 Menschen, heute sind es eine Million, und bis
2015 verdoppelt sich diese Zahl den Prognosen zufolge.

Als Folge fiel der Wasserspiegel des nahegelegenen Lake Meade von 2000 bis 2003 um 18
Meter. Wohnbebauung und bewässerte Golfplätze traten an die Stelle der Wüste. „Die Bilder
sind so Respekt einflößend wie diejenigen des Tsunamis, obwohl die Veränderungen nicht von
einem Tag zum anderen auftreten“, sagte Peduzzi.

Andere Bilder zeigen die Auswirkungen der Zunahme der Zahl von Gewächshäusern in
Südspanien, der Abholzung von Regenwäldern oder des Entstehens von Shrimp-Farmen in
Asien und Lateinamerika.

Darüber hinaus machen sie die Folgen von Kriegen deutlich. Kriege und die Trockenlegung des
Marschlands im Irak durch Saddam Hussein trugen zur Zerstörung des größten




                                                                                               13
Dattelpalmenwalds der Erde entlang des Schatt el Arab im Irak und Iran bei. Mehr als 14
Millionen Bäume - 80 Prozent der Bäume, die dort 1970 standen - sind ebenso verschwunden
wie die Lebensgrundlage von Millionen Menschen. Der Atlas sollte zeitgleich in London,
Nairobi und San Francisco erscheinen.
____________________________________________________________________________

Deutsche Welle:Atlas macht Umweltzerstörung anschaulich

6.6.2005

 Die UN rufen die Menschen weltweit zum sparsameren Umgang mit Rohstoffen auf. Dazu
wurde in Genf ein Atlas mit erschreckenden Satellitenbildern über den Wandel der Umwelt in
den vergangenen dreißig Jahren veröffentlicht.
Der Atlas soll vor allem Bewohnern von industrialisierten Staaten zeigen, wie ihr Lebensstil die
Umwelt zerstören kann. "Ein Bild sagt mehr als tausend Worte", sagte Pascal Peduzzi, ein
Umweltwissenschaftler des UNEP. Unter Verwendung von Aufnahmen des Geologischen
Dienstes der USA und der US-Weltraumbehörde NASA zeigen die Bilder dramatische
Veränderungen in der Umgebung von Städten wie Peking, Dhaka, Delhi und Santiago: die
Zerstörung von Ackerland, die Verschmutzung von Flussbetten, das Verschwinden von
Wasservorräten und vieles mehr.
Die Städte verbrauchten einen Großteil der Ressourcen wie Wasser, Holz und Metalle, heißt es
in dem Bericht. "Sie produzierten zudem eine bedeutende Menge an Haushalts- und
Industrieabfällen sowie Abwässer und Treibhausgase", erklärte der deutsche UNEP-Direktor
Klaus Töpfer. Das wirke sich auch auf Gebiete außerhalb ihrer geographischen Grenzen aus.
DW-WORLD stellt drei Damals-heute-Bilder vor, die das Ausmaß der ökologischen
Veränderungen verdeutlichen.

Beispiel 1: Der gelbe Fluss in China
An der Mündung des zweitlängsten Flusses in China ist in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten neues,
mehrere hundert Kilometer langes Land aufgeschüttet worden. Es besteht aus dem "Dreck", der
vom Fluss mitgeführt wird. Bild eins zeigt die Flussmündung im Mai 1979 - Bild zwei im Mai
2000.

Beispiel 2: Die Region Almeria in Spanien
Die Südküste der iberischen Halbinsel ist heute ein riesiges Gewächshaus. Hier werden Früchte
und Gemüse für den europäischen Markt angebaut. Zur Versorgung der Anlagen mit Wasser
aus anderen Landesteilen wurden 118 Staudämme und 22 Wasserkraftwerke gebaut. Bild zwei
wurde im Juli 2004 aufgenommen - Bild eins zeigt das Gebiet vor 30 Jahren.

Beispiel 3: Der Igauzu National Park in Argentinien
_____________________________________________________________________________

Hamburger Abendblatt: So verändern wir die Welt
6.6.2005
Foto-Beweis: Wie der Mensch in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten die Natur zerstört hat.




                                                                                              14
Genf - Dürre, wo früher traumhafte Landschaften blühten. Häuser und Straßen, wo einst seltene
Pflanzen- und Tierarten gediehen - die Welt verändert sich dramatisch. Der neue Atlas "One
Planet, Many People" (Ein Planet, viele Menschen) des Uno-Umweltprogramms (Unep) beweist
jetzt durch Vergleiche von Satellitenfotos, wie die Erde immer mehr aus den Fugen gerät.

Der deutsche Unep-Direktor Klaus Töpfer: "Die Stadtbewohner tragen am meisten zur
Erderwärmung und Umweltzerstörung bei, sehen aber wenig von den Folgen, weil die vor allem
in abgelegenen und dünnbesiedelten Regionen auftreten." Die Städte verbrauchten riesige
Mengen Wasser, Nahrung sowie Holz und produzierten viel Müll.

Umweltwissenschaftler Pascal Peduzzi: "Die Bilder sind so respekteinflößend wie die Tsunami-
Fotos, obwohl die Veränderungen nicht von einem Tag zum anderen auftreten."

Die Aufnahmen, die größtenteils von der US-Weltraumbehörde Nasa stammen, zeigen die
Veränderungen von Städten wie Peking, Dhaka, Delhi und Santiago seit den 70er Jahren: die
Zerstörung von Ackerland, die Verschmutzung von Flußbetten oder das Verschwinden von
Wasservorräten. Der Atlas zeigt Satellitenfotos von Las Vegas, der Metropole mit dem
rasantesten Wachstum in den USA. In den 50er Jahren lebten dort 24 000 Menschen, heute sind
es eine Million. Als Folge fiel der Wasserspiegel des nahen Lake Meade von 2000 bis 2003 um
18 Meter. Darüber hinaus machen die Bilder die Folgen von Kriegen deutlich. Kriege und die
Trockenlegung des Marschlands im Irak durch Saddam Hussein trugen zur Zerstörung des
größten Dattelpalmenwaldes der Erde entlang dem Schatt el Arab im Irak und Iran bei. 14
Millionen Bäume - 80 Prozent des Gesamtbestandes 1970 - sind ebenso verschwunden wie die
Lebensgrundlage von Millionen Menschen. ap

_____________________________________________________________________________

Landwirtschaftlicher Informationsdienst LDI (Schweiz): Atlas der Umweltzerstörung
6.6.2005
(lid) – Die Uno hat einen Atlas veröffentlicht, der mittels Satellitenbilder die fortschreitende
Zerstörung der Umwelt dokumentiert. Der Atlas soll vor allem Bewohnern von
industrialisierten Staaten zeigen, wie ihr Lebensstil die Umwelt zerstören kann, heisst es in
einem Artikel von Spiegel Online. Aufnahmen des Geologischen Dienstes der USA und der
US-Weltraumbehörde Nasa, die im Abstand von mehreren Jahrzehnten aufgenommen wurden,
zeigten die dramatische Veränderungen in der Umgebung von Städten wie Peking, Dhaka,
Delhi und Santiago: die Zerstörung von Ackerland, die Verschmutzung von Flussbetten, das
Verschwinden von Wasservorräten und vieles mehr, heisst es.

 Der Atlas zeigt Satellitenfotos von Las Vegas, der Metropole mit dem rasantesten Wachstum in
den USA. In den fünfziger Jahren lebten dort 24'000 Menschen, heute sind es eine Million, und
bis 2015 verdoppelt sich diese Zahl den Prognosen zufolge. Als Folge davon fiel der
Wasserspiegel des nahe gelegenen Lake Meade alleine von 2000 bis 2003 um 18 Meter.
Wohnbebauung und bewässerte Golfplätze traten an die Stelle der Wüste. Andere Bilder zeigen
die Auswirkungen des exzessiven Gewächshäuserbaus in Südspanien, der Abholzung von
Regenwäldern oder des Entstehens von Shrimp-Farmen in Asien und Lateinamerika.

 Darüber hinaus machen sie die Folgen von Kriegen deutlich. Kriege und die Trockenlegung
des Marschlands im Irak durch Saddam Hussein trugen zur Zerstörung des grössten
Dattelpalmenwalds der Erde entlang des Schatt el Arab im Irak und Iran bei. Mehr als 14




                                                                                               15
Millionen Bäume - 80 Prozent der Bäume, die dort 1970 standen - seien ebenso verschwunden
wie die Lebensgrundlage von Millionen Menschen, heisst es in dem Artikel weiter.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Telepolis: Der Fluch der Städte
Brigitte Zarzer 06.06.2005
Das Umweltprogramm der Vereinten Nationen dokumentiert das erschreckende Ausmaß der
Umweltzerstörung der letzten Jahrzehnte anhand von vergleichenden Satellitenfotos
1950 lebten etwa dreißig Prozent der Weltbevölkerung in Städten. Im Jahr 2003 waren es 48
Prozent und im Jahr 2030 werden es über 60 Prozent sein, berichtet das United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP (1)). Der städtische "Wohlstand" (in vielen Ländern wohl eher
die Ausbreitung von Slums) hat aber einen hohen Preis. Denn nach Ansicht der UNEP tragen
die Stadtbewohner am meisten zum Klimawandel bei. Drastisch führt das nun der UNEP-Atlas
(2) "One Planet Many People" vor, der anlässlich des Weltumwelttages präsentiert wurde.
Gezeigt werden Satellitenfotos aus vergangenen Jahrzehnten, die aktuellen gegenübergestellt
werden.

[Bild Shenzen, China, 1986]
Industrialisierte Städte verbrauchen Unmengen Wasser, Nahrung, Energie und Holz. Sie
produzieren soviel industriellen und häuslichen Müll, Abwässer und Abgase, dass weit über die
Stadtgrenzen hinaus ganze Regionen und letztlich der gesamte Planet davon betroffen ist,
erinnerte UNEP-Direktor Klaus Töpfer bei der Atlas-Präsentation. Das Buch macht die
Auswirkungen des Lebensstils der industrialisierten Welt in den letzten Jahrzehnten sichtbar.

[Bild Shenzen, China, 2000]
Die Aufnahmen wurden vom Geologischen Dienst der USA und der US-Weltraumbehörde
NASA gemacht. Das Buch zeigt verschiedene Fallbeispiele. Dramatische Veränderungen in der
Umbebung von Städten wie Dhaka, Delhi, Santiago und Peking werden vorgeführt: zerstörtes
Ackerland, verschmutzte Flüsse und das Verschwinden von Wasservorräten.
Ein interessantes Beispiel ist Las Vegas. 1950 wurden gerade mal 24.000 Einwohner gezählt.
Doch die Spielerstadt in der Wüste Nevadas nahm seit den 70er-Jahren einen spektakulären
Aufschwung. Heute leben bereits eine Million Menschen dort. Schätzungen zufolge werden es
2015 bereits doppelt so viele sein. Ganz zu schweigen von den Touristen-Schwärmen, die jeden
Tag in Las Vegas einfallen. Das rasante Wachstum führte zu einem Abfall des Wasserspiegels
des nahe gelegenen Lake Meade von 18 Metern alleine in den Jahren zwischen 2000 bis 2003.
Schuld daran war vor allem die Wasserversorgung der Stadt. Denn heute werden mit dem
Wasser die Golfplätze bewässert und das Grundwasser dient auch für Toilettenspülungen.

[Bild Satellitenaufnahme von Mexico City mit 9 Millionen Einwohnern 1973]
In Mexico City wiederum sticht die ausufernde Abholzung ins Auge. Viele Städte Afrikas und
Asiens leiden unter geradezu explodierenden Bevölkerungszahlen. Überbevölkerung wird etwa
in Delhi das zentrale Problem, wenn man sich vor Augen hält, dass die Stadt 1975 nur 4,4
Millionen Einwohner zählte, 2000 aber bereits 12 Millionen und 2010 wollen dort Schätzungen
zufolge 21 Millionen Menschen versorgt werden.

[Bild Mexico City mit 14 Millionen Einwohnern im Jahr 2000]
Dramatisch die Situation auch in China. Der wirtschaftliche Aufschwung geht Hand in Hand
mit zunehmender Umweltverschmutzung, wie erst kürzlich auch die chinesischen Behörden
wieder mit Besorgnis feststellten (3). Wie die Bilder von Peking zeigen, fielen der Expansion



                                                                                                16
ganze Wälder zum Opfer. Von den Reis- und Winterweizen-Feldern bis zu den Gemüse-Beeten,
die früher die Stadt umgaben und wichtige Ressourcen für die Versorgung der städtischen
Bevölkerung waren, ist kaum mehr etwas zu sehen.
Während in den letzten Jahren schon viel über die Schäden in den tropischen Regenwäldern
berichtet wurde, weist die UNEP auch auf ein Problem hin, das noch kaum ins Bewusstsein der
Bevölkerung der westlichen Industriestaaten vorgedrungen ist: die schädliche Ausbreitung von
Shrimp-Farmen in Asien und Lateinamerika.

[Bild Mosaik aus vier Bildern 1973-1976 vom Mesopotamischen Marschland]
Doch nicht nur unser Wohlstand schadet der Natur. Kriege tun ein Übriges. Die Trockenlegung
der Mesopotamischen Marschlands trug u. a. zur Zerstörung des größten Dattelpalmenwalds der
Erde entlang des Schatt-el-Arab im Irak und Iran bei. Mehr als 14 Millionen Bäume - 80
Prozent der Bäume, die dort 1970 standen - sind verschwunden und damit die Lebensgrundlage
von Millionen Menschen.

[ Bild Übriggeblieben sind kleine Reste]
In diesem Fall konnte der Einzelne wohl wenig ausrichten. In vielen anderen Fällen kann
Ressourcen schonendes Verhalten aber sehr wohl Positives bewirken. Klaus Töpfer appellierte
anlässlich des Weltumwelttages insbesondere an die Städter der industrialisierten Länder:
"Menschen, die in San Francisco oder London leben, werden die Bilder von Rodung oder das
Schmelzen des arktischen Eises sehen und sich fragen, was das mit ihnen zu tun hat." Aber
diese Veränderungen sind "das Resultat des Lebensstils und Konsumverhaltens von Menschen
wären, die Hunderte und Tausende Kilometer entfernt leben". Und Töpfer schließt mit einem
Appell: "Ich bitte die Städter der ganzen Welt und vor allem der Industrieländer, im Interesse
der lokalen und weltweiten Umwelt sparsam mit Ressourcen umzugehen"
Links
(1) http://www.unep.org
(2) http://www.na.unep.net/publications/selected/Selected.pdf
(3) http://www.china.org.cn/german/177061.htm
Telepolis Artikel-URL: http://www.telepolis.de/r4/artikel/20/20249/1.html
___________________________________________________________________________


Reuters: World marks green day; UN warns of booming cities
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
5 June 2005
OSLO (Reuters) - From Japan to Jamaica, millions marked World Environment Day on Sunday
by planting trees or staging rallies as the United Nations urged better "green" city planning to
cope with runaway urban growth.
By 2030, more than 60 percent of the world's population will live in cities, up from almost half
now and just a third in 1950, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said. Growth poses huge
problems ranging from clean water supplies to trash collection.
"Already, one of every three urban dwellers lives in a slum," Annan said in a statement. "Let us
create green cities," he said, adding the U.N. goal of halving poverty by 2015 would not be met
unless city planning was less haphazard.




                                                                                               17
Activists mark June 5, the date of the first environmental summit in Stockholm in 1972, as the
U.N.'s World Environment Day. The 2005 theme is "greener" planning for cities, many of them
hit by air pollution, fouled rivers and poor sanitation.
In San Francisco, the main host of the 2005 event, mayors from more than 50 cities including
Shanghai, Kabul, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Phnom Penh, Jakarta, Rome and Istanbul planned to
sign up for a scheme setting new green standards for cities.
Cities would be ranked from zero to four stars according to compliance with a set of 21 targets.
And around the world, from Australia to Zimbabwe, activists staged rallies, cleaned up litter,
organized poetry competitions or planted trees.
In China, home to a fifth of humanity, the 2005 focus was to curb noise and clean up fouled
water, air and rubbish in urban areas, Pan Yue, vice minister of the State Environmental
Protection Administration, told Chinese Central Television.
In Australia, green groups and local councils organized festivals to promote awareness of
environmental issues from recycling to tree planting to cleaning up waterways.
COOL FASHION
In Greece, the port of Zakynthos banned cars for the day and allowed free public transport,
while tree planting took place along the Sri Lankan coast -- devastated by the Dec 26. tsunami --
in Kenya and at Ocho Rios on the Caribbean island of Jamaica.
Among events in Japan, a fashion show encouraged workers to dress less formally in summer to
help cut air conditioning bills and save energy under a government-sponsored "Cool Biz" drive.
"By trying on these clothes, it helps ... raise awareness of environmental issues and help realize
how we need to revolutionise our ways," said Sanyo Electric Chairman Satoshi Iue after
walking down a catwalk in a gray suit and a white stiff-collar shirt -- but minus a tie.
In Norway, a youth group staged protests against plans to build new gas-fired power plants,
saying they would mean too much pollution and add to greenhouse gas emissions.
GLOBAL WARMING
The San Francisco meeting would set goals including a cut in emissions by cities of heat-
trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from cars, factories and power plants by 25 percent by 2030.
That is more ambitious than under the U.N.'s Kyoto protocol, which seeks to cut emissions from
developed nations by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.
"Cities are prolific users of natural resources and generators of waste. They produce most of the
greenhouse gases that are causing global climate change," Annan said.
Other targets for the cities will include ensuring residents would not have to walk more than 500
meters (550 yards) in 2015 to reach public transport or an open space.
And in London, the environment ministry admitted that Britain's year-long presidency of the
club of the world's top eight industrial nations -- focused on slowing global warming and
helping Africa -- would emit a lot of hot air.




                                                                                                 18
"The total carbon dioxide emissions associated with the G8 presidency will amount to 4,000
tonnes ... roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by the electricity and gas used in 800
average homes over a year," it said in a statement.
(With reporting by David Fogarty in Singapore, Jeremy Lovell in London, George Nishiyama in
Tokyo, Anis Ahmed in Dhaka and Tamora Vidaillet in Beijing)
_____________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco Chronicle: Mayors' pact pledges cleaner, greener cities
U.N. CONFERENCE: Accords promote taking responsibility locally
6 June 2005
Mayors from the world's cities convened in the capacious rotunda room of San Francisco City
Hall on Sunday to sign a set of 21 urban environmental accords, marking the end of the U.N.
World Environment Day conference.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom characterized the accords as a collective dream that
pointed the way to a cleaner, greener future for the planet's cities.
"The challenge is to take these (accords) and manifest them," Newsom said. "My expectation is
that this is the beginning of our work together. We hold ourselves accountable."
The signatories pledged to improve the environment of their cities in seven broad areas: energy,
waste reduction, urban design, urban nature, transportation, environmental health and water.
The U.N. conference was designed to address cascading environmental crises facing Earth's
urban areas -- foul air, inadequate and polluted water, traffic gridlock, rampant development,
unreliable and unsustainable energy supplies, and toxic emissions.
"Cities now cover 2 percent of the world's surface, but they accommodate 50 percent of the
world's population and consume 75 percent of its resources," said David Cadman, the deputy
mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, and the North American regional chairman for the
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.
"As cities become more and more congested, the people in those cities will suffer accordingly,"
Cadman said.
Alfonso Alonso, the mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, said the world's mayors have an
obligation to push for strong environmental reform.
"We have to change, and we have to change now," Alonso said. "Planetary change is happening
right now, with very serious consequences to our way of life."
Fifty of the 68 mayors attending the conference signed the accords. Addressing the 18 who
didn't sign, Santa Monica Mayor Pam O'Connor said the issue generally was more of protocol
than rejection of progressive environmental principles.
"City governments are arranged differently," O'Connor said. "Some mayors may have needed
ratification from their city councils, and therefore couldn't sign. There may have been some
matters involving language or cross-cultural differences. A few may just be opposed."




                                                                                                  19
But O'Connor said the conference was an unqualified success, regardless of who did or didn't
sign.
"They were all part of the dialogue," she said. "We all exchanged ideas."
The mayors agreed that they all must deal with significant environmental degradation.
"I've talked to the other mayors here, and the challenges we face are similar," said Ajith
Mannapperuma, the mayor of Gampaha, Sri Lanka. "For some of our problems, we can use
local funds. But for others, as a developing country, we may need international help."
Past international accords have produced little in the way of substantive impacts.
The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions has not yet been
implemented; the United States is one of the countries that has not ratified the agreement.
And the much ballyhooed Rio de Janeiro U.N. Conference on Environment and Development
produced virtually nothing in the way of worldwide environmental reform.
But the mayors said their conference -- an annual event in its third decade, but the first in the
United States -- might actually make a difference, simply because it focuses on the local rather
than the global.
"If we're going to meet these (urban) environmental challenges, it will be at a very local level,"
Cadman said. "We (as mayors and community residents) can do tremendous good."
Besides, Cadman said, ambitious goals set by international conferences sometimes exert their
influences only years after they were declared.
"If you look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, progress occurred over a period of
50 years," he said. "International accords sometimes work slowly."
But some of the mayors indicated that implementing the accords would be tough.
"Many times these United Nations accords have been signed but implementation didn't work
because there was no local connection," said Vlad Oprea, the mayor of Sinaia, Romania.
"I believe some of the conditions and articles mentioned in the accords are very difficult," said
Oprea, "but they are very important for my own town."
Ross Mirkarimi, a San Francisco supervisor, said that while the accords are admirable, follow-
through is essential.
"These conferences are meant to be demonstrations of good will, and that's fine," Mirkarimi
said, "but the critical point is to have a legislative component that obligates all these well-
intentioned mayors to fulfill the promises of this seminal event."
Some observers said they also are concerned that the conference didn't adequately address the
most numerous inhabitants of the world's megalopoli -- the poor and nonwhite.
The economically and politically disenfranchised inhabitants of the world's great cities
constitute a "social justice" issue that wasn't fully engaged by conference attendees, said Van
Jones, the executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland.




                                                                                                    20
"The glass here is half full because for the first time, we had mayors coordinating a response to
the urban environmental crisis," Jones said. "But we had hoped the accords would acknowledge
that when you're talking about the world's biggest cities, you're talking about poor people and
people of color.
"The glass is half empty because they didn't do that," he said.
____________________________________________________________________________

Dive South Africa: South Africa set to celebrate National Environment Week
6 June 2005
The 21 st Century marks the first point in human history that the majority of the world's people
will be living in cities," said Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism, speaking on World Environment Day on Sunday. The Minister was also launching
South Africa 's celebrations of National Environment Week.

The United Nations General Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972 to mark the
opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. This conference resulted in
the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through which
concerns for the environment are addressed by the international community.

"Cities consume more than 75% of our global resources, and it is therefore very appropriate that
UNEP has chosen ' Green Cities ' as the international theme for World Environment Day this
year," said Minister Van Schalkwyk. "This is also the ten year anniversary of Pretoria 's hosting
of the international World Environment Day celebrations in 1995. Our national theme for the
week is 'Our environment belongs to all who live in it' and echoes another anniversary – that of
the Freedom Charter."

"Our celebrations this week will emphasise the South African approach to environmental
concerns," said the Minister. "This approach places people at the centre of the environmental
equation, and takes the view that protecting and promoting the interests of people and the
interests of the environment are one and the same battle."

Minister Van Schalkwyk will on Monday, in Boipatong, launch the first in a series of
countrywide Clean Air Imbizo meetings to engage with the communities worst-affected by air
pollution. "Ensuring Green Cities and the ownership of our environment by all communities
means dealing with the damage caused by urban development," said the Minister.

On Wednesday there will be a debate in the National Assembly on the subject of National
Environment week, with a special emphasis on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. The
Minister is also expected this week to formally empower the first group of Environmental
Management Inspectors – the so-called 'Green Scorpions'.

The Deputy Minster of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, is today
celebrating the launch of the week in the Makuleke community in Limpopo which is regarded
as a 'beacon of hope' for land restitution in the country. The Makuleke community story
demonstrates the results of a successful partnership between community and business. This
further entrenches the concept of people and parks, whereby land restitution happens within a
conservation area.

Speaking about the importance of National Environment Week the Deputy Minister said




                                                                                                21
"Within the context of the celebration of the Freedom Charter it is important that our
communities should start to take ownership of the environment and ensure that they partner
with government in pursuing a vision of a clean and healthy environment." She added that
"Such partnerships must include other stakeholders like business to ensure that all derive real
benefits from our environment".

_____________________________________________________________________________

Gulf Daily News: Water supplies 'in dire peril'

By SOMAN BABY
7 June 2005
BAHRAIN'S natural resources are under immense threat due to rapid industrialisation, high
population growth rate and restricted space, says a government minister.
There is no surface water in Bahrain and the groundwater has been declining in quality and
quantity due to over-abstraction from the aquifer, said Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al
Jowder.
"A high percentage of our water supply comes from the desalination of seawater," he said.
"This situation has caused deep concern over the sound management of water resources in
Bahrain."
Mr Al Jowder was speaking at a symposium titled Water management: European and regional
experience, which opened at the Bahrain Conference Centre, Crowne Plaza, yesterday.
The three-day event has been organised by Bahrain's Euro University, in conjunction with
Hannover University, Germany, and the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep).
It is being held under the patronage of Southern Governor and Public Commission for the
Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, who is also the honorary president of the Euro University.
Euro University founding president Dr Ahmed Al Janahi welcomed the gathering.
"Water Management has become an issue of top priority to be resolved on strategic grounds, in
an environmentally friendly manner, by utilising appropriate technologies to restrict the
pollution and conserve the finite and delicate resources of the country," said Mr Al Jowder.
He revealed that the Works and Housing Ministry would conduct an opening ceremony next
Saturday to commemorate the start of the substitution of ground water with treated effluent
water, for irrigating the first group of farms in the Hamala and Dumistan agricultural areas.
"A total of 30 farms out of 600 in the Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) phase II scheme will be
irrigated initially," said Mr Al Jowder.
"From here on, wastewater treatment facilities in Bahrain will no longer be only treatment
facilities but also alternative water production facilities.
This, we believe, will be a great relief to the aquifer, and the environment."




                                                                                                  22
The government is taking the necessary measures to serve the population with a sewage
collection network, said Mr Al Jowder. "To date, 81 per cent of the population has been
connected to the sewerage network," he revealed.
"In accordance with the National Strategy Plan for Sewerage and Sewage Treatment, which is
currently being updated, it is anticipated that by the year 2020, this will reach 95pc.
"Simultaneously, every effort is being made to control and conserve available excess water
resources."
A Royal decree has been enacted to curb the drilling of new wells and control water use for
agriculture, by introducing drip irrigation practices, said Mr Al Jowder.
"Re-use of treated wastewater (re-cycled water) has been tried and used successfully for about
20 years in Bahrain in landscaping municipal gardens, highways, hedges and for growing
fodder crops," he added.
"Aquifer recharge of treated wastewater is under detailed study. "The Works and Housing
Ministry is about to complete the largest scheme of its kind in Bahrain, the TSE scheme Phase
II."
Once fully operational, 100pc of the effluent in the main wastewater treatment facility at Tubli
will be treated to the highest standards of water re-use and will be fully utilised for agricultural
and landscape irrigation, said Mr Al Jowder.
"The newest technologies have been employed to ensure reliable availability of the intended
production of 70 million cubic metres per year of treated effluent," he continued.
"Our intentions coincide with the theme of the World Environment Day selected for 2005,
which is Green Cities and its slogan Plan for the Planet."
_____________________________________________________________________________

Bahrain Tribune: Green City project launched - Bahrain
05/06/2005
Bahrain has pioneered a bold concept of an environmentally-friendly city in the Middle East
with the launch of a 200-million euros Green City project, writes Naila Barakat.

Yesterday's launch coincides with International Environment Day and its theme which is
"Green City."

The Euro University's project is a new concept of an environmentally-friendly city, which will
include the university campus, and other environmentally-related facilities in Aali village," the
university chairman, Dr Ahmed Al Janahi, said. The university's Honorary President, Southern
Governor and head of the General Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources,
Environment and Wildlife, Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, was present.

"Bahrain is making Green City - the first in the Middle East - a reality. We are in the master
planning stages which will be undertaken by an international expert consultant in town planning
and environmental concept. Work on the project will start once the design is finalised and
approved. "The project will include smart buildings, landscapes and other facilities. The city
will also have its own waste water treatment and desalination plants and will generate and
partially meet its power requirements," he said.



                                                                                                   23
_____________________________________________________________________________

Libération (Casablanca): La sururbanisation, une menace à l'environnement
By M.Naboulssi

6 juin 2005

Exode rural et extension anarchique des villes
Les plus grandes villes au monde sont malades de leur croissance effrénée. L'accélération de
l'urbanisation et de l'industrialisation menace sérieusement la santé des citadins alors que les
infrastructures nécessaires au développement durable font encore défaut. C'est pour ces raisons,
semble-t-il, que la Journée mondiale de l'environnement sera célébrée, dimanche, autour du
thème: "Des villes vertes, un plan pour la planète". Autrement dit, l'ONU veut attirer l'attention
sur l'urbanisme et l'aménagement du territoire, clé de la survie écologique de la planète.
Le choix de ce thème interpelle gouvernements et élus locaux sur la nécessité d'endiguer l'exode
rural et d'organiser la croissance des villes. Des actions efficaces et urgentes s'imposent. Le
Programme des Nations unies pour l'environnement (PNUE) rappelle que plus de 60% de la
population mondiale vivra en zone urbaine d'ici 2030 contre 30% en 1950 et 48% en 2003.
Dans un message adressé à l'occasion de la célébration de la Journée mondiale de
l'environnement, le secrétaire général de l'ONU, M.Kofi Annan, a souligné: "La quasi-totalité
de la croissance démographique des 25 prochaines années se produira dans les villes et surtout
dans les pays en développement". L'expert français Michel Hamelin précise, selon les agences,
que 70% de la population des pays en développement vit actuellement en milieu rural contre
30% en milieu urbain. En 2030, ce sera l'inverse dans les pays émergents, les pays moins
avancés le seront un peu plus tard.
Avant 2015, estime l'ONU, la planète comptera 23 agglomérations de plus de dix millions
d'habitants contre 19 en 2000. 80% de ces immensités de béton seront localisées dans les pays
en développement comme c'est déjà le cas actuellement. La multiplication du nombre de
mégalopoles est plus qu'inquiétante alors qu'en 1950 seule New York comptait 12 millions
d'habitants.
Le problème ne se pose pas cependant de la même manière à travers le monde. Le Programme
des Nations unies pour l'environnement considère que "l'urbanisation est allée, le plus souvent,
de pair avec la croissance économique et l'augmentation du niveau de vie". En revanche, "c'est
tout le contraire qui s'est produit au Sud, notamment en Afrique où 70% de la population
urbaine vit dans des bidonvilles". Dans les pays sous-développés, "l'urbanisation est imposée au
lieu de faire l'objet d'un plan d'ensemble", explique M. Hamelin. La population s'entasse dans
des bidonvilles dépourvus de réseaux d'eau, d'assainissement, de collecte des déchets et de
transports publics. D'où l'appel de l'ONU précisant que "créer des villes respectueuses de
l'environnement est un énorme défi", mais "possible dès aujourd'hui". Comme alternative à cette
situation critique, le directeur du PNUE, Klaus Toepfer, propose d'imaActivité physique et
nutrition équilibrée les atouts essentiels d'un 3ème âge agréable giner "une ville où les
immeubles utiliseraient l'énergie solaire pour produire leur propre électricité et gaspilleraient
moins d'électricité grâce à des lampes à basse consommation et à une bonne isolation; où les
transports publics seraient abordables et efficaces; où les véhicules seraient électriques ou à
hydrogène et pollueraient moins".




                                                                                                24
A noter que la Journée mondiale de l'environnement est célébrée le 5 juin depuis 1987. San
Francisco héberge les principales festivités 2005 et accueille des maires des cinq continents
pour signer une Déclaration des villes vertes, une Charte de bonne conduite écologique à
l'échelle municipale.
En dépit de cette situation qui aggrave la pollution et rend la vie difficile non seulement dans les
villes mais aussi en milieu rural, les Etats-Unis d'Amérique ont rejeté le Protocole de Kyoto, qui
constitue un accord international sur la diminution de ces gaz réchauffant l'atmosphère.-
_____________________________________________________________________________

Le Quotidien (Senegal): ZIGUINCHOR - Journée mondiale de l’Environnement : Pour
sauver le dernier bastion forestier du pays
7 juin 2005
«La région naturelle de la Casamance a toujours été qualifiée de verte, à cause de sa verdure et
autre végétation qui lui vaut sa beauté originelle, son attrait touristique tant au niveau national
qu’international.» C’est en ces termes que le ministre de l’Environnement et de la Protection de
la nature a justifié, dimanche dernier à Ziguinchor, le choix de la capitale du Sud pour célébrer
la 33e édition de la Journée mondiale de l’Environnement. Ces caractéristiques qui cadrent
nettement avec le thème retenu cette année par les Nation-Unies : «Des villes vertes, un plan
pour la planéte» épousent également, selon Modou Diagne Fada, l’objectif visé par le Pnue
(Programme des Nations-Unies pour l’environnement) qui est d’améliorer la gestion de la
verdure et des forêts existantes. Toutes choses qui imposent, selon lui, la nécessité d’introduire
des politiques et des technologies d’exploitation et d’implantation des ressources forestières qui
rehaussent la capacité des forêts de séquestrer et d’emmagasiner le carbonne. M. Diagne voit à
travers cette journée une occasion de souligner la dimension humaine des problèmes
environnementaux, de donner aux individus les moyens de devenir des acteurs du
développement durable et équitable. Il veut qu’elle soit mise à profit pour renforcer l’idée que la
participation des communautés locales est une condition essentielle pour le changement des
comportements en matière d’environnement et de susciter des partenariats qui assurent à tous
les peuples un avenir sûr et prospère. Ceci, dans un objectif majeur, pour le Pnue, d’harmoniser
les questions environnementales et amener les populations à devenir des agents actifs du
développement durable et équitable. Car, se convainc Modou Diagne Fada, «la survie de
l’humanité réside dans la sauvegarde des ressources naturelles de notre planète». C’est
pourquoi, il veut que la manifestation nationale de la Journée mondiale de l’Environnement à
Ziguinchor soit considérée comme une graine semée pour asseoir, de nouveau, une dynamique
de protection et de conservation des ressources de l’environnement qui est de tradition, selon
lui, en Casamance. La preuve, souligne-t-il, ce sont les forêts sacrées qui, de par leur vocation
culturelle, jouent un rôle important dans l’épanouissement de l’individu. Il en appelle, en
conséquence, à une mobilisation générale pour atteindre ces objectifs globaux. Mais aussi pour
sauver principalement les ressources forestières casamançaises qui constituent, à son avis, l’une
des dernières réserves forestière du pays. Car, prévient le ministre : «Si nous négligeons
Ziguinchor, la savane et le désert qui arrivent à grand pas risquent de nous surprendre.»
Pour éviter de s’exposer à de tels risques, Omar Lamine Badji, le président du Conseil régional
de Ziguinchor, demande des moyens de mettre fin à l’exploitation sauvage des ressources
naturelles et forestières en Casamance liée à l’insécurité. Pour y arriver, il préconise la mise en
place de brigades de volontaires pour la protection de l’environnement. Le ministre de
l’Environnement est d’avis que l’idée est en gestation quand il avait en charge la tutelle de la
Jeunesse.




                                                                                                  25
Dans le cadre de la gestion des ordures ménagères, M. Diagne a révélé que le chef de l’Etat a
mis en chantier un important programme de centres d’enfouissement technique -des structures
de conservation de déchets qui respectent les normes environnementales- dans les 11 régions du
pays, en plus des villes saintes de Touba et de Tivaoune. Deux sont en train d’être installés à
Thiès et Dakar, a-t-il précisé.
                                                  Par Aliou CISSE - Correspondant
_____________________________________________________________________________

Le Courrier du Vietnam: Journée de l'environnement : les villes menacées d'asphyxie
7/06/2005

Pour la Journée mondiale de l'environnement, célébrée le 5 juin, l'ONU braque le projecteur sur
l'urbanisme et l'aménagement du territoire, clés de la survie écologique de la planète.
L'intitulé, "Des villes vertes, un plan pour la planète", va bien au delà des forêts urbaines et des
espaces verts, sources d'une meilleure qualité de l'air. Il interpelle gouvernements et élus locaux
sur la nécessité d'endiguer l'exode rural et d'organiser la croissance des villes. Plus de 60 % de
la population mondiale vivra en zone urbaine d'ici 2030 contre 30 % en 1950 et 48 % en 2003,
rappelle le Programme des Nations unies pour l'environnement (PNUE) qui organise
l'événement (www.wed2005.org). "La quasi-totalité de la croissance démographique des 25
prochaines années se produira dans les villes et surtout dans les pays en développement", relève
dans un message le secrétaire général de l'ONU, Kofi Annan.
En gros, résume l'expert gouvernemental français Michel Hamelin, "70 % des habitants des
pays en développement vivent actuellement en milieu rural, 30 % en milieu urbain. En 2030 ce
sera l'inverse dans les pays émergents, les pays moins avancés suivant un peu plus tard".
Avant 2015, estime l'ONU, la planète comptera 23 agglomérations de plus de dix millions
d'habitants contre 19 en 2000. Quatre-vingt pour cent de ces immensités de béton seront
localisées dans les pays en développement comme c'est déjà le cas actuellement. L'envolée des
mégalopoles est spectaculaire depuis 1950 où seule New York faisait partie de la catégorie avec
12 millions d'habitants.
Au Nord, souligne le PNUE, "l'urbanisation est allée, le plus souvent, de pair avec la croissance
économique et l'augmentation du niveau de vie". Mais au Sud, "c'est tout le contraire qui s'est
produit, notamment en Afrique où 70 % de la population urbaine vit dans des bidonvilles". Le
plus souvent "l'urbanisation est subie au lieu de faire l'objet d'un plan d'ensemble", explique M.
Hamelin. La population s'agglutine dans des bidonvilles dépourvus de réseaux d'eau,
d'assainissement, de collecte des déchets et de transports publics.
Avec l'envolée des prix des terrains, les infrastructures nécessaires ne peuvent plus être
construites et les problèmes d'environnement deviennent insurmontables.
"Créer des villes respectueuses de l'environnement est un énorme défi" mais "possible dès
aujourd'hui", relève M. Annan. "Imaginez une ville où les immeubles utiliseraient l'énergie
solaire pour produire leur propre électricité et gaspilleraient moins d'électricité grâce à des
lampes à basse consommation et à une bonne isolation; où les transports publics seraient
abordables et efficaces; où les véhicules seraient électriques ou à hydrogène et pollueraient
moins", renchérit le directeur du PNUE, Klaus Toepfer.
La Journée mondiale de l'environnement est célébrée le 5 juin depuis 1987. San Francisco
héberge les principales festivités 2005 et accueille des maires des cinq continents pour signer
une Déclaration des villes vertes, une charte de bonne conduite écologique à l'échelle
municipale. Le gouverneur de Californie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, républicain d'origine
autrichienne en pointe sur l'environnement, a saisi l'occasion dès le 1er juin pour assigner à
l'État des objectifs de réduction de gaz à effet de serre. Le président George W. Bush a rejeté le




                                                                                                  26
protocole de Kyoto, un accord international sur la diminution de ces gaz réchauffant
l'atmosphère.

_____________________________________________________________________________

La Presse (Tunis): La qualité de la vie améliorée pour chaque citoyen
By Chokri Gharbi
2 Juin 2005
Les défis de la Tunisie face à l'environnement mondial
La Tunisie célèbre, comme tous les pays du monde, le 5 juin de chaque année, la Journée
mondiale de l'environnement qui est placée cette année sous le signe «Des villes vertes, un plan
pour la planète». Les acquis réalisés par la Tunisie qui a ratifié et mis en application les
conventions internationales relatives au développement durable et à l'environnement sont
sources de fierté, même si du chemin reste encore à parcourir, notamment en matière de
sensibilisation et d'information. Le but étant d'enraciner les principes du développement
durable, non seulement dans l'esprit des citoyens, des décideurs et des chefs d'entreprise, mais
aussi dans l'esprit des jeunes, qui seront appelés à gérer demain les ressources naturelles d'une
façon rationnelle.

Volonté politique
Institutée en 1972 par l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies et célébrée sous la houlette du
Programme des Nations unies pour l'environnement (PNUD), la Journée mondiale de
l'environnent est donc une occasion pour marquer un arrêt et constater l'état de l'environnement
dans différents pays du monde. C'est un moment proprice aussi pour voir quels sont les pays qui
ont fait le plus de progrès dans ce domaine grâce à une volonté politique et des mesures
draconiennes en faveur de l'environnement.
Aussi bien en milieu urbain qu'en milieu naturel, le cadre de vie a été amélioré au cours des
dernières années : des parcs urbains, des espaces verts, des avenues de l'Environnement, un
raccordement au réseau de l'assainissement de plus en plus important. La verdure ne cesse de
gagner du terrain dans tous les coins du pays à la faveur de multiples programmes et projets et
au grand bonheur des citoyens et des visiteurs. Outre l'embellissement des entrées des villes, un
intérêt particulier a été donné à la création de parcs urbains à l'instar de celui d'Ennahli dans le
gouvernorat de l'Ariana et celui de Farhat-Hached dans le gouvernorat de Ben Arous : c'est là
que les familles peuvent se rendre pour profiter des bienfaits de la nature. Ces parcs se
distinguent par leur conception intégrée qui comprend des aires de jeux, des buvettes et même
des petits zoos. Dans d'autres parcs, comme celui d'Essaâda à la Marsa ou de Sidi Bou Saïd, on
a même intégré les nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication. Les jeunes
peuvent, en effet, se rendre aux publinets qui se trouvent dans ces parcs et naviguer sur Internet.
Après avoir créé 11 nouveaux parcs urbains au cours des quatre premières années du Xe Plan,
les efforts se poursuivent pour créer d'autres parcs, sachant que le programme comprend la
création de cent parcs répartis dans toutes les régions du pays.
Le tourisme qui contribue dans une large mesure au développement économique du pays a
besoin d'un environnement sain et avenant. C'est pourquoi les autorités publiques ont pris les
dispositions qui s'imposent afin de préserver le littoral. Des études relatives à la protection des
plages contre l'érosion ont été élaborées pour 2,5 MD environ. Les actions sont axées sur la
protection des écosystèmes côtiers, ainsi que des plages, en les équipant et en aménageant
certaines d'entre elles. Des espaces pour les promenades - des esplanades dans certaines plages -



                                                                                                  27
sont prévus pour les estivants qui veulent passer quelque temps dans un milieu propre et sain,
près de la mer ! Des ports de loisirs ont été également mis à niveau et modernisés pour
bénéficier du «drapeau bleu», signe de qualité et de propreté. Tout cela entre dans le cadre du
développement durable qui concilie dynamique socioéconomique et protection de
l'environnement.

Quartiers populaires assainis
Mais la protection de l'environnement ne peut être totale sans raccordement du plus grand
nombre d'habitants au réseau public d'assainissement : le but recherché est d'améliorer le cadre
de vie, aussi bien dans les quartiers populaires que dans les quartiers périphériques aux grandes
villes.
Plusieurs systèmes de lutte contre les déchets nuisibles sont mis en place: Eco-lef et «Cheb»
pour le plastique, Ecohuile pour les huiles usagées...
Dans le domaine de l'assainissement, les investissements atteindront fin 2005 près de 525 MD,
ce qui va permettre de mener à bien les projets programmés. A noter que l'Office national de
l'assainissement (Onas) a dépensé plus de 84% des fonds alloués pour le Xe Plan. Selon les
chiffres disponsibles, pour la période 2002-2005, le taux de raccordement des zones
d'intervention de l'office serait de 86%, alors que les stations d'épuration en cours d'exploitation
sont au nombre de 87.
L'approche participative est consacrée notamment dans les programmes régionaux de
l'environnement et du développement durable, dans la mesure où les intervenants régionaux
concernés sont tenus de concevoir des projets et programmes prioritaires qui sont proposés pour
leur concrétisation au cours du XIe Plan. Des indicateurs régionaux d'amélioration des
conditions de vie existent, qui mettent en exergue l'état des lieux de l'environnement dans
chaque gouvernorat.
Parmi les indicateurs au niveau national, on peut citer la moyenne d'espace vert par habitant qui
est de 13 m2. On compte aussi 15 parcs urbains et un couvert végétal de 12,3%.
L'effort en matière de sensibilisation et d'éducation devrait se poursuivre (d'une façon plus
intelligente) en multipliant les actions auprès des élèves et des lycéens notamment. Car,
actuellement, malgré les spots diffusés sur le petit écran, on continue encore à voir des gens qui
font fi de l'environnement et qui continuent à jeter les ordures en pleine nature...

_____________________________________________________________________________

El Universal (Mexico): Promueve ONU las 'ciudades verdes'
Domingo 05 de junio de 2005

En San Francisco se reúnen alcaldes de 70 países; llaman a proteger el clima

San Francisco (Agencias).- Con el lema "Ciudades verdes-planear para el planeta", se celebra
hoy el Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente, en el marco de un encuentro en San Francisco de
alcaldes de 70 países, se encuentran reunidos del 1 al 5 de junio.
Los alcaldes analizarán la forma de hacer que las ciudades sean más amistosas con el medio
ambiente. En ese sentido, el director ejecutivo del Programa de la ONU para el Medio




                                                                                                  28
Ambiente (PNUMA), Klaus Toepfer, llamó a la comunidad internacional a coopear en la
protección del clima.
Según la BBC de Londres, Toepfer indicó que la batalla por el desarrollo sostenible se librará
en las ciudades, que "consumen grandes cantidades de recursos(...). Exportan sus desperdicios
(...) y de esta forma su impacto va más allá de sus fronteras físicas, afectando a países, regiones
y al planeta entero".
Los alcaldes, bajo el auspicio del PNUMA, tienen previsto firmar hoy un plan de acción global
con 21 objetivos, entre ellos la reducción de desechos tóxicos y de emisiones de gases de efecto
invernadero y el desarrollo de fuentes de energía no contaminantes.
Asimismo, analizarán el Atlas de nuestro cambiante Medio Ambiente, lanzado por el PNUMA,
que compara y contrasta imágenes de satélite actuales y de las últimas décadas, que evidencian
"el explosivo crecimiento y los cambios alrededor de algunas de las grandes ciudades del
mundo".
De acuerdo con la ONU, el crecimiento de la población mundial en los próximos 25 años estará
casi exclusivamente restringido a las ciudades, ante todo en los países en vías de desarrollo.
En un mensaje difundido ayer en la página electrónica de la ONU, Kofi Annan, secretario
general de la instancia, dijo que en 2030, casi 60 por ciento de la población mundial vivirá en
zonas urbanas.
"Si queremos un mundo de paz, libertad y dignidad para todos, necesitamos agua potable, aire
puro y recursos suficientes para sostenernos. Déjennos crear `ciudades verdes`", apeló Annan.
_____________________________________________________________________________

La Nueva España: Día del medio ambiente, ¿y qué?

CARLOS F. LLANEZA

05/06/05
En 1972, las Naciones Unidas, con motivo de la Conferencia de Estocolmo sobre Medio
Ambiente, estableció tal día como hoy, 5 de junio, el «Día mundial sobre el medio ambiente»
con la intención de examinar la situación ambiental y fomentar una alerta mundial en este
campo a la vez que se pretendía incrementar la actuación y acción política. Este año el lema es
«Ciudades Verdes». Recuerdo de niño, en el cole, que había ciertas asignaturas consideradas
«marías»: la gimnasia, la música, el dibujo, la religiónÉ luego nos daríamos cuenta de la
importante aportación de todas, pero, bueno... El caso es que, como esas asignaturas, la defensa
del medio ambiente es un poco «maría» en las políticas de las administraciones, cuando debería
de ser vital, esencial, entre otras cosas porque nos va mucho en ello. ¿Es considerada así de
necesaria? Pues, a mi juicio, va a ser que noÉ Sobre el éxito de la iniciativa de Naciones Unidas
habría mucho que decir, pero ya se sabe que la ONU, en muchos asuntos, es como la voz que
clama en el desierto y así nos va.
En fin, sirva este día como reflexión no sólo para las administraciones públicas -especialmente
este año nuestra Administración municipal-, que deberían hacer un mayor esfuerzo en la
promoción de iniciativas encaminadas a la protección de nuestra especie antes de que, como el
lince ibérico, nos encontremos en peligro de extinción, sino también como un toque de atención
a todos nosotros que desde nuestras casas también podemos y debemos hacer mucho. ¿Qué tal
empezar por aplicar la regla de las tres «R»? A saber: Reducir. Reutilizar. Reciclar. Y sobre




                                                                                                  29
todo el sentido común, que aunque se diga que es el menos común de los sentidos, en Oviedo y
en los ovetenses, estoy seguro de que abunda.
Feliz 5 de junio, y que los nietos de nuestros nietos también lo puedan celebrar.

_____________________________________________________________________________

20 minutos: Un patrón ecologista
César-Javier Palacios. 03.06.2005 - 02:07h
En el Día del Medio Ambiente hay que reivindicar la importancia de proteger nuestro entorno
Pasado mañana se celebra el Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente. En esta ocasión, el lema elegido
por Naciones Unidas es el de Ciudades verdes, y puesto que verde es el color de esta columna, y
urbanos ya somos todos, bien está que hagamos una pequeña reflexión sobre la efeméride. La
propia palabreja compuesta sigue sin gustarme. Medio Ambiente es, como diría Benedetti, un
pleonasmo, una redundancia, pues ambas palabras vienen a significar lo mismo, nuestro entorno
vital, el medio en el que vivimos y al que tan brutalmente maltratamos. Pero en la era de la
globalidad, también los errores se generalizan, y hoy todos aspiramos a un mundo
«medioambientalmente sensibilizado».
Yo, que me considero un tradicional en el sentido cultural de la palabra, sigo aferrado al
calendario agrícola, que no necesita de convocatorias internacionales y donde cada día tiene su
refrán y su afán. Así, ayer fue San Marcelino, y si en alguna zona de nuestra reseca piel de toro
llovió estarán de suerte, pues el agua de San Marcelino es buena para el pan y buena para el
vino. Por eso, si nuestros hombres del campo necesitasen de un patrón ecologista, sin duda
elegirían a San Antonio de Padua, cuya fiesta se celebra el 13 de junio, aquel divino Antonio
precioso del romance que cantaban nuestras abuelas, el que predicaba a las golondrinas y
apaciguaba al hermano lobo.
Ambos, golondrinas y lobos, como cigüeñas, alimoches y la mayoría de los animales de nuestra
rica fauna, se afanan estos días por alimentar a su prole. En ellos está el futuro de su especie,
pero también el de la nuestra. Si algún día desaparecieran, entonces sí que nos quedaríamos en
la mitad de ese Medio que ahora celebramos. Y el Ambiente ya no sería el mismo sin ellos.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Gulf Daily News: Bahrain spearheading 'green' drive
7 June 2005
BAHRAIN is ushering in a new era of environmental awareness, the conference heard.
It is a pioneering step for the kingdom to invest in the concept of a Green City campus,
Southern Governor and Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources,
Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa said in a statement to
mark the event.
"Investment in Green City is aimed at helping our next generation to face globalisation with
confidence," said Shaikh Abdulla.
"Bahrain has always been a pioneering country in spearheading new initiatives in different
fields and in particular in the field of education.
"It has the oldest educational system in the region, which started a century ago.




                                                                                                30
"We are continuing this early momentum by establishing the Euro University and the campus of
Green City, which should allow Bahrain to lead international and regional initiatives in the field
of environment in the Arab region."
Bahrain once again has taken the lead in environment and scientific programmes in the GCC
and Arab region with the establishment of the first University in the Middle East to specialise in
Environment Sciences, said Dr Al Janahi.
He said the Euro University's board was developing contacts with additional European
universities and experts in order to offer environment symposiums in the upcoming months.
UN Environment Programme regional industry officer Dr Basel Al Yousfi said about 1.1 billion
people globally are without access to improved water supply.
The Gulf region is persistently under the threat of water scarcity, he said. "More than 85 per
cent of water produced in the Gulf is used for agriculture," said Dr Al Yousfi.
"About 91 per cent of water production is from ground water, 7.3pc from desalination plants
and the remaining from treated waste water."

_____________________________________________________________________________


The Times (London): How great divide could light up the lives of millions
From Xan Rice in Lake Bogoria, Kenya

7 June 2005
HIGH in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, a young man walks towards a bubbling pond that burps
spouts of white water high into the air.
Using a long wooden stick, he gently lowers a plastic bag containing two raw eggs into the
boiling water.
Watching from a distance, Mariita Obuya chuckles at the tourist lark. But Mr Obuya, a senior
geophysicist with Kenya’s state energy company KenGen, is not here to cook his lunch. He has
a much more important task: to assess whether the volcanic activity that created the hot springs
can be used to light up the homes of his countrymen and of millions of people across East
Africa.
“Under the Rift Valley we have a natural resource that can be of huge benefit to Africans,” said
Mr Obuya, gesturing towards the clouds of steam wafting across the muddy shoreline of Lake
Bogoria.
He is not alone in his belief. Governments throughout eastern Africa — where less than 10 per
cent of the population has access to electricity — are fast realising that the key to bringing clean
and cheap power to millions of poor people may lie beneath their feet.
Experts at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimate that there is enough
geothermal energy under the Rift Valley — a 9,500-km (5,900-mile) fissure in the Earth’s crust
stretching from Mozambique to the Red Sea — to satisfy the entire power demand of most
eastern African countries. Until now, only Kenya has taken advantage of its indigenous




                                                                                                  31
resource, drilling wells a mile or more into the ground at Naivasha, 50 miles from Nairobi, the
capital. The escaping steam powers turbines that supply about 10 per cent of the country’s
electricity.
But with fears growing over the environmental impact of burning carbon fuels such as coal and
diesel to produce power, geothermal energy is seen as the ideal resource to help poor countries
to cope with increasing demand for electricity. UNEP is leading a big push to help Kenya’s
neighbours — including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Tanzania — to participate.
Modern geothermal plants release few harmful emissions, and any waste water can be reinjected
deep into the ground, making the energy largely renewable. Vagaries of the weather, which can
affect hydroelectric and solar power projects, are of no concern.
While countries such as Iceland and New Zealand have used the Earth’s heat to produce power
for many years, the stumbling block to exploration in Africa has been the costs. Drilling a well
typically costs more than £1 million — a huge outlay when there is no guarantee of hitting
steam.
But later this year it is hoped that the Global Environment Facility, an international body that
helps developing countries to set up environmentally friendly projects, will approve a $40
million (£22 million) grant to minimise the risks of exploration in the Rift Valley.
Companies, whether state-owned or private, will receive grants to cover a portion of their
drilling costs. If exploration is unsuccessful, 75 per cent of the money spent will be reimbursed.


Under the new drive towards clean power, KenGen hopes to ensure that a third of Kenya’s
power needs will come from geothermal energy within 15 to 20 years. In dry countries, such as
Eritrea and Djibouti, where hydroelectric projects are not an option, the potential usage is far
higher.
Mr Obuya, who is leading a team of 30 geologists, chemists and technicians in exploring the
Lake Bogoria region in western Kenya, said that KenGen was looking at ways to set up small
plants in outlying areas. Not only will this bring power to poor communities for the first time,
he said, but it will also enhance their economic prospects.

Rift Valley

    Created more than 20 million years ago by the slow separation of East Africa’s tectonic
plates
    Takes the form of a deep fracture in the Earth’s crust, forming valleys and bodies of water
that are flanked by parallel fault lines
    As the plates pulled apart, lava was forced up, forming volcanoes, including Mount
Kilimanjaro
    The bones of several ancestors of modern humans have been found including a skeleton that
is 3.18 million years old

_____________________________________________________________________________




                                                                                                   32
The Korea Times: KFDA to Create National Center for Chemical Safety on June 11
By Lee Yong-sung
7 June 2005
The Korea Food and Drug Administration will set up a chemical safety center in cooperation
with the government on June 11.
KFDA Commissioner Kim Chung-sook told the Yonhap News Agency yesterday that the
regulator and the government agreed to create the center during a meeting of related ministers
on June 1.
The center will be called the National Center for Risk Analysis, which is to run a safety
management system for harmful chemicals and boost cooperation with international agencies,
including organizations affiliated with the United Nations.
``The birth of the new organization will be a meaningful step, as it provides Korea opportunities
to actively join the decision-making process on the safety of foods, cosmetics, medical and
environmental products,’’ Kim said.
She said the risk analysis center will also help the nation’s related industries increase its
international competitiveness.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the KFDA and the World Health
Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, last month to allow Korea to participate in the
International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS).
The IPCS is a joint program of three U.N. organizations _ the International Labor Organization
(ILO), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the WHO. The program is
designed to ensure chemical safety.
Kim said the KFDA will cooperate with the WHO in regulating the level of harmful chemical
residues to meet the global standard.
The center will gather a wide range of information about possible chemical exposure from
international organizations such as the WHO and the UNEP.
``We will be able to make use of the WHO’s enormous database as well as their human
resources,’’ Kim said. ``Once local businesses meet global safety standards, their products can
improve their competitiveness in world markets.’’
Kim said that the KFDA will focus on raising the competitiveness of local pharmaceutical
products. ``We will improve the quality of products to meet the very strict European safety
standards in the long run,’’ Kim said.
The regulator has recently come up with a new plan to upgrade the efficiency of the
organization, which includes increasing the number of employees by 275.
``The safety of food and pharmaceuticals has become more important than ever,’’ Kim
continued. ``Upgrading the size and efficiency of the organization is thus the key to sharpening
our competitive edge.’’
____________________________________________________________________________




                                                                                                  33
Maledives Info: A documentary video has been released, based on Tsunami disaster that
caused to the environmental destruction
05.06.05
The research report on the destruction caused to the environment of the Maldives by the
Tsunami disaster and the leaflet on the theme of World Environment Day has been released at a
ceremony held at Nasandhura Palace Hotel.
A documentary video compiled to create awareness on the importance of measures taken to
protect selected areas in the Maldives was also released at the ceremony today. The report,
leaflet and the video were released by the Acting Minister of Environment and Construction, the
Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Abdullah Kamludeen.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Construction, Abdullah
Majeed gave an introduction of the report, leaflet and the documentary video. Details of the
Tsunami Assessment report by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, was given
at the ceremony by the UNEP Country Co-ordinator in Maldives Mr. John Benet.
In his speech, Mr. Benet spoke about the destruction caused to the environment of the Maldives
in the Tsunami disaster and highlighted the main findings of UNEP’s post-tsunami assessment
report.
The documentary video on the importance of measures taken to protect selected areas in the
country was shown at the ceremony, which features the areas environmentally protected in the
Maldives such as Eedhi gali kilhi and Koa’ttey areas of Addu atoll Hithadhoo.
The documentary video was compiled under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action
Plan, which was jointly implemented by UNDP and the Ministry of Environment and
Construction with the assistance of the Global Environment Facility.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________




                                                                                               34
                                    Other Environment News

BBC: World scientists urge CO2 action
The science academies of the world's leading nations are urging their governments to take
prompt action to combat possible climate change.
They have agreed that all countries could and should take cost-effective action to cut carbon
dioxide emissions.
The unprecedented statement will be issued on Wednesday by the academies of the G8 nations,
including the US National Academy, and China and Brazil.
World leaders attending July's G8 meeting in Scotland have received it.
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to hold talks in the US with George W Bush on Tuesday to
discuss the issues at the top of the G8 agenda - aid to Africa and measures to target global
warming.
Mr Bush has consistently stressed the uncertainties of climate science.
But the statement will make it much harder for him to scorn the scientific consensus.
Mr Blair's environment advisers are urging him to persuade Mr Bush to commit to concrete
measures the world can see.
Mr Blair's G8 ambitions on climate change are to reach agreement on the scientific basis for
action, pull the US back into global discussions on emissions cuts, and agree new investment in
low-carbon technology.
____________________________________________________________________________

Le Figaro: Les trois quarts des eaux en France seront de mauvaise qualité en 2015
7 juin 2005
Le professeur Jean-Claude Lefeuvre, du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (MNHN), a rendu
publique hier une étude sur la qualité de l'eau en France. Ce travail est notamment le résultat
d'une enquête d'un an auprès de cinq des six Agences de l'eau françaises. Il remet en perspective
le bilan officiel déjà très sombre sur la qualité de l'eau dressé fin 2004 par les Agences de l'eau
et les Diren sur l'ensemble du territoire, principalement basé sur le couple nitrates-pesticides.
Selon ce bilan, 50 à 75% des masses d'eau superficielles et souterraines de notre pays sont
aujourd'hui fortement dégradées et n'atteindront pas la qualité requise par la directive cadre sur
l'eau (DCE) à échéance 2015. Le rapport insiste sur des «polluants émergents» encore négligés
dans les mesures officielles.

____________________________________________________________________________




                                                                                                 35
                               ROAP Media Update 7 June 2005

                                   UN or UNEP in the news

Brown earth on green atlas
Hindustan Times - Delhi, India, 5 June 2005 - The devastating impact of mankind on the planet
is dramatically illustrated in pictures published on Saturday showing explosive urban sprawl,
major deforestation and the sucking dry of inland seas over less than three decades.
… UN Environment Programme chief Klaus Toepfer has chosen efforts to make cities greener
as this year's theme for World Environment Day.
“Cities pull in huge resources. Thus their impact stretches beyond physical borders affecting
countries and the planet as a whole,” he said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1390002,008700010013.htm

Marking World Environment Day, UN Officials Urge Creation Of 'Green Cities'
Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand, Tuesday, 7 June 2005, 11:19 am
Press Release: United Nations - New York, Jun 5 2005 - United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan heralded the celebration of World Environment Day as an opportunity for
individuals, businesses and local and national governments to meet the challenges facing cities
… Echoing this theme, Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director said that with careful
planning, cities can be "flagships of sustainable development." In his message marking th
"humanity's home?and its future." The UNEP chief offered a vision of cities "where buildings
use solar power to help generate their own energy, and waste less because they use power-
saving lighting and are well-insulated, where public transport is affordable and efficient, where
vehicles pollute less because they are powered by electricity or hydrogen."
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00081.htm

KFDA to Create National Center for Chemical Safety on June 11
Korea Times, South Korea, 6 June 2005 - By Lee Yong-sung, Staff Reporter - The Korea Food
and Drug Administration will set up a chemical safety center in cooperation with the
government on June 11.
KFDA Commissioner Kim Chung-sook told the Yonhap News Agency yesterday that the
regulator and the government agreed to create the center during a meeting of related ministers
on June 1.
The center will be called the National Center for Risk Analysis, which is to run a safety
management system for harmful chemicals and boost cooperation with international agencies,
including organizations affiliated with the United Nations.
… The IPCS is a joint program of three U.N. organizations _ the International Labor
Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the WHO. The
program is designed to ensure chemical safety.
Kim said the KFDA will cooperate with the WHO in regulating the level of harmful chemical
residues to meet the global standard.
The center will gather a wide range of information about possible chemical exposure from
international organizations such as the WHO and the UNEP.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200506/kt2005060618263111980.htm

BLIND GROWTH
Calcutta Telegraph, India, 7 June 2005 - Cities have their unique ways of destroying the world.
And the flow of people into them will only increase all over the world. The United Nations



                                                                                                 36
secretary general has predicted, on World Environment Day last Sunday, that more than 60 per
cent of the earth’s population will live in cities by 2030, up from almost half now and just a
third in 1950. Calcutta has also grown as part of this process of rapid urbanization. But how
does a city “grow”? Is it simply a question of more people, houses and cars, or is the
“development” of a city a more systematic process of planning and implementation, motivated
by an informing and evolving vision? More people and a wider spread is certainly the basis of
Calcutta’s growth. But the saddest, and most dangerous, aspect of Calcutta’s burgeoning has
been a lack of vision behind its development. Railing against flyovers and shopping malls is the
standard way of voicing civic discontent in Calcutta. But the real extent of this civic and
municipal failure goes well beyond just a reductive and mindlessly cosmetic approach to urban
development.|
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050607/asp/opinion/story_4834479.asp


                                 General Environment News
New and bleak climate-change study:-
Webindia123, India, 7 June 2005 - PARIS | June 06, 2005 9:11:29 PM IST - A French study
finds global warming is proceeding apace, even under a best-case green scenario.
Published jointly by the Pierre-Simon-Laplace Institute and Meteo France, the report looked at
11 climate scenarios with different concentrations of heat-trapping, greenhouse gasses.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=86158&cat=Science

Nuclear climate change
Political editor Dennis Shanahan
Australian, Australia, June 04, 2005 - THIS nation is about to launch into a new era of
environmental politics. It's a reversed world where John Howard concedes global warming is
not a myth and environmentalists and Labor politicians want a debate on nuclear energy.
It is going to be a debate during which nations that are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol on
greenhouse emissions talk about nuclear power stations and GeorgeW. Bush campaigns against
global warming. Energy and environmental concerns are meshing for conservative governments
in such a way that by giving ground on some totemic green issues they can make progress in
industrialisation and resources development they could not have contemplated 15 years ago.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15500032%5E28737,00.htm
l

_____________________________________________________________________________

                               ROA Media Update 7 June 2005

                                    UN-UNEP in the news
Annan Calls for Environmental Planning in Achieving MDGs
The Post (Lusaka): UNITED Nations secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday said the world
will not achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) unless environmental planning is
incorporated in urban management. And tourism, environment and natural resources deputy
minister Nedson Nzowa has expressed sadness that big businesses in Zambia were making huge
profits at the expense of protecting the environment. Meanwhile, Environmental Council of
Zambia (ECZ) director Edward Zulu expressed concern that only 30 per cent of people in




                                                                                              37
Lusaka have access to sewer systems. In his message on World Environment Day which fell
yesterday, Annan said rapid urbanization brought with it challenges of poverty, crime, and
unemployment and drug addiction. "In the next quarter century almost all population growth
will occur in cities, most of it in developed countries. By 2030, more than 60 per cent of the
world's population will live in urban areas," Annan said. He expressed concern that expanding
towns and cities had created disorganization in terms of environmental safeguards. Annan
observed that the consequences of urban growth on the environment were considerable as many
cities were prolific users of natural resources and generators of waste. "They produce most of
the green house gases that are causing climate change. They often degrade local water quality,
deplete aquifers, pollute the marine environment, foul the air and consume the land, thereby
devastating biological diversity," Annan said. He said there was need to make use of technology
and expertise that was available to create environmentally friendly cities. And Nzowa said
producers and manufacturers of various products in the country were the main culprits of
pollution. Speaking at the commemoration of the World Environment Day, which fell
yesterday, Nzowa complained that many businesses did not care about the environment. This
year's theme was 'Green Cities' with 'Plan for the Planet' as an associated slogan.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060860.html

Save Environment or Perish
The Nation (Nairobi)- EDITORIAL : Today is World Environment Day. June 5 is the one day
the United Nations has set aside to highlight the global concern about environmental
degradation and the vital need for conservation to stem the grave threat to humanity. It was
established in 1972 by the UN General Assembly to promote and sustain environmental
awareness. But even more significant for us is that its commemoration is entrusted to the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), whose headquarters is located in Nairobi. The
target is the general populace, with colorful activities such as yesterday's EcoFest concert in
Nairobi, essay competitions in schools, tree-planting, recycling and clean-up campaigns. This
year's keynote event, which will be hosted by the American city of San Francisco in California,
will focus on ways to make cities more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient. To
emphasize this point, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer says: "The battle for sustainable
development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just and healthier world, is going to
be largely won and lost in our cities." It is true that cities attract huge amounts of resources,
including water, food, timber, metals and people. They also export large amounts of wastes
from the households and industries, and which have been linked with global warming. Clearly
the responsibility for the protection of the environment is within the grasp of each and every one
of us. For it is we who dump plastics carelessly, pollute our rivers and streams, burn our forests
and do numerous other things that harm the environment. It is, therefore, time every man,
woman and child took responsibility for the preservation of the environment for our own good
and for the benefit of generations to come. http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060560.html

World Environment Day
Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) OPINION-Green Cities: Plan for the Planet- The World
Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to deepen
public awareness of the need to preserve and enhance the environment. That date recalls the
opening day of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment ( Stockholm), in
1972, which led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Since then, World Environment Day, has been commemorated each year on 5th June, as one of
the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the
environment and enhances political attention and action. The World Environment Day theme
selected for 2005 is "Green Cities" and the slogan is "Plan for the Planet." The main
international celebrations of the World Environment Day, 2005, will be held in San Francisco,



                                                                                                38
California, USA and UNEP is honored that the city of San Francisco will be hosting this
important United Nations Day. It is an occasion to pause and reflect on the state of the
environment. Ghana, as a member of the international community, is also affected by the global
environmental problems. There is the need therefore for Ghanaians to co-operate with other
countries to protect the environment . Ghana will therefore join the international community in
commemoration of the World Environment Day this year, which falls on Sunday 5th June,
2005. This year's celebration seeks to draw the attention of people the world over to the
centrality of Green Cities, with the theme Plan for the Planet. There could not have been a more
suitable theme for deep reflection on the realities of the threats posed to world Green Cities'
resources than what has been chosen. Indeed, the importance of Green Cities in the global quest
for sustainable development, goes without saying. World Environment Day which is now
considered one of the most important events on the environmental calendar, is celebrated
globally every year on 5th June, in more than 100 counties.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060392.html

SA Celebrates National Environment Week
BuaNews (Tshwane): Issues relating to the environment come under the spotlight this week as
South Africa celebrates National Environment Week, coinciding with International
Environment Day today. The week has been themed: "Our environment belongs to all who live
in it". The United Nations General Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972 to
mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. This resulted in the
establishment of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), through which the international
community addresses concerns for the environment. As part of the celebrations in South Africa
this year, the National Assembly will debate the subject on Wednesday with special emphasis
on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister
Marthinus van Schalkwyk is also expected to formally designate the first group of
Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) - the "Green Scorpions". The environmental
inspectors are authorized with a range of enforcement powers varying from routine inspections
to search and seizure operations, setting up roadblocks and arresting suspects. They will also
issue formal notices to individuals or corporations who are breaking environmental laws or not
complying with the terms of their licenses. Launching the week, the Minister said it was
appropriate that the UNEP chose this year's theme for World Environment Day - 'Green Cities' -
because cities consumed more than 75 percent of global resources. He said this week's
celebrations would emphasize the South African approach to environmental concerns. "This
approach places people at the centre of the environmental equation, and takes the view that
protecting and promoting the interests of people and the interests of the environment are one
and the same battle," he explained. The Minister launched the first in a series of countrywide
Clean Air Imbizo meetings in Boipatong tomorrow, to engage with communities worst affected
by air pollution. "Ensuring Green Cities and the ownership of our environment by all
communities means dealing with the damage caused by urban development," said the Minister.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060789.html


                                 General Environment News

Kenya marks 2005 World Environment Day
Kisumu, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya's Environment Minister Kalonzo Musyoka Sunday directed
urban administrations within Lake Victoria region to control untreated effluents being
discharged into the water basin to protect human health and marine life. The Minister, speaking
in the port city of Kisumu during celebrations to mark this year's World Environment Day, told



                                                                                              39
local authorities in the region to develop proper sewerage and waste disposal systems. They
should also try to eradicate the water hyacinth menace in the Lake, said the Minister, who urged
residents to keep the region green, noting that it was an honour for them to host the Lake
Victoria Basin Commission. Musyoka also called on Kenya Association of Manufacturers and
the National Environmental Authority to help rid the country of unsuitable plastic materials.
Noting that plastic bags constituted a danger to animals, he urged Kenyan households to help
curb the polythene bag menace. Revealing that population had grown by 250 percent in the last
three decades, and urban settlements at annual six percent growth, the Minister said population
pressures had led to serious environmental problems in human settlements. According to him,
urban growth has mostly taken place outside the planned areas leading to mushrooming of
slums and informal settlements that have inadequate and dilapidated infrastructure, which
impact negatively on the quality of urban life. The minister therefore urged local authorities and
other stakeholders to develop "Green-up action plans" to improve infrastructure and sanitation,
especially in slum settlements, saying such efforts would help protect water sources including
the ocean, lakes and rivers. He said good sanitation would help reduce deaths associated with
poor hygiene, noting that only 30 percent of the gazetted urban centers in Kenya had sewerage
systems, and with the available systems posing environmental and health problems due frequent
breakages and leakages. Musyoka also called on local authorities to provide efficient transport
systems, develop parks with footpaths, public health facilities and lighting systems using Local
Authority Trust Funds. He equally stressed the need to review the building codes and strengthen
the enforcement of building standards, adding that government would also endeavour to raise
the country's forest cover from the current 1.7 percent to the minimum recommended 10
percent. http://www.panapress.com/newslat.asp?code=eng083739&dte=05/06/2005

The World Seeks Greener Cities
The Nation (Nairobi): Today is World Environment Day. Apart from marking the day with song
and dance, it is a day conservationists worldwide use to raise public awareness on
environmental issues affecting their countries. The international theme for this year is "Green
Cities: Plan for Planet Earth," which Kenya has modified to "Green our Towns and Cities.
There are many ways a country can commemorate the day such as street rallies, bicycle parades,
green concerts, essay and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, recycling efforts, clean-
up campaigns and others. Local Government Minister Musikari Kombo plants a tree at Nairobi's
Arboretum yesterday to commemorate this year's World Environment Day. In Kenya today,
some of the most pressing environmental concerns include: Deforestation, the plastic menace,
water pollution, use of chemicals and pesticides, and an even more serious one of the alien,
invasive and poisonous weed prosopis juliflora in parts of the country. Although the country
faces tough challenges on its environment, there are some remarkable achievements that have
been made. There is an increase in environmental awareness among the public. More and more
people, including schoolchildren, are becoming more sensitized about environmental
conservation. Through tough environmental laws since the introduction of the Environmental
Management and Coordination Act (1999), the wanton destruction of natural resources has been
checked. More so developers now have to do environmental impact assessments or
environmental audits to guarantee environmental safety. For the first time ever, the State of
Environment report has been produced by Nema to show the environmental status in the
country as well as the hotspots that need immediate action. The government may be seen to be
slow in prosecuting those who harm the environment, because many of the new regulations
have not been gazetted for smooth operations. Some of the laws to protect the environment are
scattered in other ministries. Once these laws are harmonized, we could see a better Kenya with
greener cities. http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060572.html




                                                                                               40
Landfill for Industrial Waste
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo): Mozambique's Environment Minister,
Luciano de Castro, on Sunday inaugurated a landfill for the disposal of industrial waste at
Mavoco, in Boane district, about 20 kilometres from Maputo, to mark World Environment Day.
The facility covers 50 hectares, reports Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", but only
six will be used in the initial stage. The landfill is owned by the state, through the National
Environment Fund (FUNAB), but it was paid for by the aluminium smelter MOZAL. Naturally
enough, local residents were worried about possible contamination of their water supplies by
seepages from the landfill. The landfill had been built so as to minimize such risks.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200506061036.html
S. Africa makes govt buildings environment friendly
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa marked World Environment Day on Sunday
by "going green" - a concept that is ill afforded in a country where for many putting food on the
table is an everyday struggle. This year's celebration of the environment focused on "greening
the cities" and "planning for the planet", all very relevant in the South African context
especially in light of the country's current economic growth. While Cape Town's "green"
strategy is well-known, South Africa's other major centers require the blueprint for the green
plan to be used to bring a more environmentally friendly approach to the rest of the country.
The recent announcement of an Energy Efficiency Strategy by the Minister of Minerals and
Energy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, means that South Africans are indeed "planning for the
planet" and although it is not always easy to see the green light at the end of the tunnel, care for
the environment begins at home when it comes to energy saving. To become more energy
efficient, Mlambo-Ngcuka's Department has retrofitted three enormous buildings namely, the
Department of Minerals and Energy building, the National Electricity Regulator building and
the Union Buildings and the expected cost savings per annum amounts to approximately 640,
000 Rand. http://www.panapress.com/newslat.asp?code=eng083797&dte=06/06/2005

World Environment Day 2005: 'Green Cities, Plan for the Planet'                   Vanguard
(Lagos): The World Environment Day (WED), commemorated each year on 5th June is one of
the principal vehicles which the United Nations (UN) stimulates worldwide awareness of the
environment to enhance private, corporate and political attention and action. The theme for
2005 World Environment Day is " Green Cities" and the slogan " Plan for the Planet". The aim
of the theme is to give a human face to environmental issues, empower people to become active
agents to sustainable and equitable development, promote understanding that communities are
pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues and advocate partnership among
nations and people to enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. A critical analysis of this year's
theme will gladden the heart of anyone who has the interest of his environment at heart. But, the
problem which many nations of the world including the advanced countries face on issues that
has to do with the environment, continue to increase on daily basis. In Nigeria, one of the most
dreadful consequences of urbanization is the problem of waste (industrial, domestic etc)
management. As the world marks yet another World Environmental Day (WED), all
stakeholders starting from the government, the environmental protection agencies, environment
activists, should intensify the campaign for environmentally sound development through over
action, habits lifestyles and participation in nation building. The aim of the theme for 2005
World Environment Day must be achieved because we derive our existence from a healthy
environment. http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060683.html


Protect Nature Around Towns - Minister
The New Times (Kigali): The environment minister Drocella Mugorewera, this week launched



                                                                                                  41
the environmental week and urged all Rwandans to conserve nature around towns. The call was
made 31st May during her speech in Budaha, Muhanga district during the national celebration
to mark the World Environment Day. The function run under the theme: Green cities, a plan for
the planet. Many living things are being destroyed by carbon dioxide and other gases from
industries destroy air that humans and animals breathe, according to the minister. The part of
the environmental week will be dedicated to protecting areas around River Nyabarongo so that
soils are not washed off into the river. According to a recent expert report, few Rwandans are
practicing measures like terraces to protect the environment. "I call upon all leaders to protect
the environment," Mugorewera said and urged all Rwandans to respect the Environmental Law
already published in the official Gazette of 08/04/2005.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200506060621.html

Kenyan Nobel laureate Maathai urges G-8 support for conservation
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate, environmentalist Wangari Maathai,
Sunday appealed to G-8 countries to support initiatives that would sustain the world's
environment-friendly programmes. In a statement to mark the 2005 World Environment Day,
Maathai, Kenya's Environment assistant Minister and 2004 Nobel Prize winner, singled out the
Amazon and the Congo Basin as some of the forest ecosystems that required special attention
due to their valuable biodiversity and role in stabilizing the world climate. She challenged
researchers to seek environment-friendly alternatives, stressing the need for recycling of the
limited resources. Maathai expressed concern over the continued logging and deforestation
across the world, and appealed for vigilance in the protection and conservation of forests. She
said, this would go along way in safeguarding the earth's resources, including clean water and
fresh air which "are irreplaceable." Other challenges, Maathai added, included the loss of
biodiversity and top soil, pollution, climate change, unsustainable development and
consumption patterns, which impact negatively on the environment.
http://www.panapress.com/newslat.asp?code=eng083749&dte=05/06/2005

_____________________________________________________________________________


                              ROWA Media Update 7 June 2005


Bahrain
Water supplies 'in dire peril'
BAHRAIN'S natural resources are under immense threat due to rapid industrialization, high
population growth rate and restricted space, says a government minister.
There is no surface water in Bahrain and the groundwater has been declining in quality and
quantity due to over-abstraction from the aquifer, said Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al
Jowder.
"A high percentage of our water supply comes from the desalination of seawater," he said.
"This situation has caused deep concern over the sound management of water resources in
Bahrain."
Mr Al Jowder was speaking at a symposium titled Water management: European and regional
experience, which opened at the Bahrain Conference Centre, Crowne Plaza, yesterday.
The three-day event has been organised by Bahrain's Euro University, in conjunction with
Hannover University, Germany, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).




                                                                                               42
It is being held under the patronage of Southern Governor and Public Commission for the
Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, who is also the honorary president of the Euro University.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113956&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28079

Reclamation threat to coral reef
LAND reclamation activities and pollution from factories are killing Bahrain's coral reef areas,
according to a series of environmental surveys.
Malkiya Rovers Abdulnabi Ahmed and Sami Abbas presented the findings of their group's
surveys in 2001, 2003 and last year to the Bahrain Natural History Society during a presentation
held at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical University in the Seef District last
night.
They said the Fasht Al Adham coral reef, located off Sitra island and which continues all the
way to Qatar, faces the greatest danger.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113974&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28079

Shura to vote on beach law
A VOTE on a tough new law to protect Bahrain's coastal areas will be taken by Shura Council
members at next Monday's weekly session.
The council has backed the law in principle, but could not take a vote yesterday, due to minor
amendments.
The proposed legislation would ban anyone from acquiring any coastal land or reclaiming land
from the sea, without His Majesty King Hamad's permission, except in cases of projects
approved by the government.
Even then, the government must ensure that people living in the area always have direct access
to the sea, says the proposed law.
Violators would face fines of up to BD5,000 or possibly jail, under the proposal, submitted to
the council by its public utilities and environment affairs committee.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113976&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28079

Bahrain spearheading 'green' drive
BAHRAIN is ushering in a new era of environmental awareness, the conference heard.
It is a pioneering step for the kingdom to invest in the concept of a Green City campus,
Southern Governor and Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources,
Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa said in a statement to
mark the event.
"Investment in Green City is aimed at helping our next generation to face globalisation with
confidence," said Shaikh Abdulla.
"Bahrain has always been a pioneering country in spearheading new initiatives in different
fields and in particular in the field of education.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113995&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28079

GREEN CITY
the first Green City in the Middle East, at a cost of more than BD80 million, it was revealed
yesterday. Several international consultants are bidding for the project which will be located in
A'ali, at the site of the new Euro University.




                                                                                                43
It will house students and staff from the university, but will serve as a model for
environmentally-friendly development.
The city is also expected to draw international environmental research and consultancy
companies.
The project is the brainchild of Southern Governor and Public Commission for the Protection of
Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who
is also the Euro University honorary president.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113817&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28077

187 companies break environmental rules
Inspectors caught 187 companies breaking environment rules last year, it was announced
yesterday. A total of 5,026 inspections were carried out at service and industrial companies,
according to Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and
Wildlife chemical and vocational pollution control director Mirza Khalaf.
Violations were reported at companies related to aluminium, electronics, mechanics, carpentry,
welding, fabrication and goldsmith workshops.
Meanwhile, the Commission blocked 12 applications for Commercial Registrations during the
course of the year after applicants failed to meet environmental specifications and conditions.
It approved 465 licences in co-operation with the Commercial Registration Directorate and the
Municipalities and Agriculture Ministry.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113820&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28077

Planning 'key to greener future'
BAHRAIN must start planning ahead if it is to preserve its natural environment and wealth of
biodiversity for future generations, says an environmentalist. The main threat to the country's
environment is lack of planning and allowing investors to carry out projects that have not gone
through substantial environmental checks, says Environment Friends Society president and
National Environment Committee president Khawla Al Muhannadi.
"Most projects in Bahrain are reclaiming land where there is rich biodiversity, said Ms Al
Muhannadi, who was speaking on the eve of World Environment Day, which falls today.
"We are losing our regional seas by reclaiming them and we are reclaiming the most important
areas for biodiversity which are the coral reefs.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=113824&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28077


Qatar
Environment Day marked by schools
MES Indian School yesterday held celebrations in association with the Supreme Council for
Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) and the Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC)
to mark the World Environment Day.
Nearly 7,000 students participated in the festivities. The highlight of the event was a landing of
a chopper at a specially laid helipad in the school grounds.
The Gulf Helicopters’ chopper was piloted by Captain Mic who was accompanied by
engineering manager Dave Uden.
Indian embassy second secretary Rajinder Jaiswal was the chief guest of the function.




                                                                                                44
Khalid Saleh, media co-ordinator, Fahd al-Miri and Misfer al-Hajri, head of public relations,
SCENR, and Abdulla Kutty (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture) also attended the
event.
MES teacher in charge of scientific affairs Shakil Ahmed Kakvi co-ordinated the event.
A WED-05 formation, signifying the World Environment Day 2005, was formed by the
students. School teacher P J Beilbey rendered the music score.
A 61-metre long scroll signed by the students was handed over to the guests. The scroll voiced
their concerns over the environment and called for its protection.
http://www.gulf-
times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=39468&version=1&template_id=36&pare
nt_id=16


Jordan
JCFC installs dust filter to curb emissions
The Jordan Cement Factories Company (JCFC) will inaugurate a $3.5 million new dust filter on
June 8, in an attempt to rectify the environmental situation of its Fuheis factory, according to a
JCFC official.
“The project seeks to conserve the environment, not only inside the factory but of the
surrounding areas as well,” JCFC Communications Manager Hana Attiga told The Jordan
Times.
The company is committed to eliminating dust emission at its plants, Attiga said, adding that the
project is part of the JCFC's efforts to protect the environment and comply with the ISO 14001
regulations.
The new filter, installed on one of the Fuheis production lines, will replace the old and
ineffective de-dusting system and utilise advanced technology to reduce dust emission.
The new filter will improve the environmental situation at the Fuheis plant and virtually
eliminate dust emission into the atmosphere, she added. The expected competence of the new
filter is more than 98 per cent.
http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/homenews/homenews3.htm

Cleanup campaign gets under way in Zarqa
Wearing the familiar orange uniform of the Kingdom's street cleaners, several ministers, EU
ambassadors, Zarqa deputies and senators, along with key officials, yesterday launched a
cleanup campaign in the Zarqa Governorate.
The weeklong campaign, organised by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with
concerned authorities, seeks to raise national awareness on the importance of environmental
conservation and encourage people visiting the country's picnic areas to refrain from littering, as
well as promoting voluntary and collective work, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said.
The officials, along with several schoolchildren, Zarqa Municipality employees, citizens and
youth clubs members kicked off the campaign on the banks of the Zarqa River.
The participation of several key officials and diplomats, Irani said, provides moral support for
street cleaners while encouraging citizens to stop littering the country.
http://www.jordantimes.com/sun/homenews/homenews5.htm

US environment official tours joint US-Jordanian cooperative projects in Zarqa
The US will strengthen its partnership with the Kingdom in the environment sector by helping
develop policies, roles and programmes, a senior American ecologist said on Wednesday.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific
Affairs John Turner made the remarks during a tour of Zarqa Governorate on Wednesday.




                                                                                                 45
Accompanied by Environment Minister Khalid Irani, and other senior officials, Turner visited
the new Khirbet Al Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Turner was briefed on construction work on the plant, which will replace the current overloaded
facility, and treat up to 267,000 million cubic metres of wastewater per day. This project alone
will benefit 2 million residents of Amman and Zarqa, nearly 40 per cent of the total population
of the Kingdom, by increasing the amount of potable water available to them.
The process frees up drinking water by reusing treated water and reducing agricultural and
industrial use of potable water resources.
http://www.jordantimes.com/fri/homenews/homenews5.htm


UAE
Global firms eye soil survey deal
Environmental officials discussed details of a tender to select a specialised international
company to carry out a comprehensive soil survey of Abu Dhabi.
The survey is being jointly implemented and managed by the Environmental Research and
Wildlife Development Agency (Erwda) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture
(ICBA).
The project was recently approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and will be tendered in
the near future. It is expected to attract bids from many international contractors with expertise
in soil surveys.
The officials discussed the project's details at a workshop on the project held in Abu Dhabi
recently.
Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of Erwda, and Mohammed Al Attar, ICBA Director-
General and Chairman, Board of Directors addressed the opening session of the workshop. The
identification of the different land uses will be jointly determined by the technical committee of
the project which includes the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Municipalities and
Agriculture Departments, UAE University, the Planning and Economic Department, and Adnoc.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2005/june/t
heuae_june180.xml

Experts debate coastal management at forum
Experts from around the world have converged on the capital to discuss the establishment of an
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) programme in the UAE to achieve coordinated
planning and integration with regards to coastal and marine area development and use in the
country.
The experts are taking part in a four-day symposium organised by the Environmental Research
and Wildlife Development Agency (Erwda). It is being held at Beach Rotana Hotels and
Towers, Abu Dhabi.
With the UAE being a coastal state where its people have depended on the sea for sustenance
and survival for generations, this symposium comes as a great opportunity to provide a forum
for the establishment of a national ICZM programme.
Once established, this programme should facilitate arrangements towards developing integrated
decision-making based up on a dynamic process of cooperation and coordination between the
different sectors and across various levels involved in the exploitation and management of
coastal and marine areas and resources.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2005/june/t
heuae_june179.xml




                                                                                                46
HCT student’s tour falconers' club
In cooperation with the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (Erwda),
the Emirates Falconers' Club in Abu Dhabi hosted a group of female students from the Higher
Colleges of Technology (HCT) Dubai.
Hamad Salim Al Hameli, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Club, accompanied the
students in their tour, explaining to them the Club's objectives of disseminating awareness of
sustainable hunting methods and falconry ethics, and developing this sport in the UAE and the
entire Gulf region in order to preserve this deep-rooted Arabian hobby, which is a legacy from
ancestors and integral part of their lives.
The students had a tour in the Club facilities, and paid particular attention to Al Saggar
magazine, the scientific periodical that seeks to develop the sport of falconry, which is deeply
rooted in the UAE tradition, in a way that preserves the ancestors' skills side by side with the
hard work of the present-day generation.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2005/june/t
heuae_june176.xml

Workshop on indoor air quality
The Federal Environmental Agency (FEA) is organising a workshop on indoor air quality in the
UAE today in Dubai. The two-day event coincides with the World Environment Day, which
will be observed by UAE along with other countries of the world tomorrow, according to Dr
Salim Masri Al Dhahiri, Director-General of the FEA. He said the workshop will discuss
several topics related to air quality, pollution and its sources as well as ways of fighting
pollution. The focus of this years World Environment Day for 2005 is on the urban environment
with the theme of “greening cities.”
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2005/june/t
heuae_june131.xml

IAHV plants the seeds of environment awareness
A non-profit organisation is distributing free plants as a part of “World Environment Week” in a
bid to enhance environmental awareness among residents.
The “Adopt-A-Plant” project, launched by the International Association for Human Values
(IAHV), makes you do just that — care for a plant like your own for the next three months.
Distributed free of charge by volunteers, the tissue cultured plants in innovative glass tubes
have been designed to require no water or care for the summer months.
“All that is required is love,” said Prabhakar Rao, Chief Operating Officer (COO), IAHV.
“These plants just have to be kept in air-conditioned environment near a window. The
greenhouse effect within the test-tube provides the plants with all the water and nutrition it
requires,” said Rao.
After three months, when the weather turns better, the plants can be taken out of the test-tube,
planted in a pot and kept indoors for a month till it settles and then it can be planted outside.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2005/june/t
heuae_june126.xml


Saudi Arabia
Riyadh launches cleanliness drive
A campaign for a cleaner capital and a cleaner Kingdom has been launched in Riyadh.
Those littering the streets will have to pay fines ranging from SR100 to SR300.




                                                                                               47
Gen. Fahd Al Bishr, director general of traffic control, told a news conference here on Saturday
that Regulation No. 18, which calls for the imposition of such fines, had been in existence for
the last 35 years. But it would now be effectively implemented.
The traffic department is also launching a cleanliness drive in the Kingdom through an
awareness campaign.
The campaign is being organised by Al Safi Environment Friends Club in cooperation with the
traffic department. More than 16 cities in the Kingdom are observing the event, which will also
see a million brochures in Arabic and English distributed among motorists.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/20
05/june/middleeast_june147.xml


Yemen
A plan of action to control vehicle pollution in Yemen
Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental evils. The air we breathe has not only life
supporting properties but also life damaging properties. Under ideal conditions, the air we
inhale would have a qualitative and quantitative balance that preserves the health of society.
When the balance between the components is disturbed or polluted, it affects human health.
The major cities of Yemen, particularly Sana'a, are suffering from many environmental
problems like water pollution, solid waste, traffic congestion and air pollution. Among them, air
pollution poses a great threat to public health. Vehicle air pollution is a major source of air
pollution in Sana'a. Although the total number of vehicles in the city of Sana'a is not large in
proportion to the population, vehicle and fuel quality is still a major concern.
The high and ambient levels of total suspended particulates (TSP) and particulate matter
(PM10) as well as the moderately high level of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide suggest
that Sana'a is facing a serious air quality problem.
The problem lies in the increasing number of vehicles and other manifold issues ranging from
political commitment to the proper management of transportation.
Air quality management in Sana'a is at an early stage of development. It is only limited to
surveys of ambient air quality in Sana'a at a very few locations.
http://www.yobserver.com/news_7038.php




                                                                                               48
                           UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
                                   DAILY NEWS

6 June, 2005
====================================================================

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO DARFUR

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has decided
to open an investigation into the situation in Darfur, Sudan, following
the United Nations Security Council’s referral of 51 names of people
blamed for war crimes in the conflict between the Khartoum Government,
allied militia and rebels in the region.

In a press release, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that he
concluded that the statutory requirements for initiating an investigation
were satisfied after analyzing thousands of documents and interviewing
over 50 independent experts.

He adds that the investigation will be impartial and independent, and will
focus on the individuals who bear the greatest responsibility for crimes
committee in Darfur.

In February, a UN inquiry into whether genocide occurred in Darfur – a
region located on Sudan's western flank and about the size of France –
found the Government responsible for crimes under international law and
strongly recommended referring the dossier to the ICC.

The probe also found credible evidence that rebel forces were responsible
for possible war crimes, including murder of civilians and pillage. The
Security Council referred the matter to the ICC on 31 March 2005.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo called on all partners to provide his office with the
information, evidence and practical support needed to carry out his
mandate.

“The investigation will require sustained cooperation from national and
international authorities,” Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said in the press release.
“It will form part of a collective effot, complementing African Union and
other initiatives to end the violence in Darfur and to promote justice.”

Fighting in Darfur flared in early 2003 after rebels took up arms, partly
in protest over the distribution of resources. The UN says some 180,000
people have died as a result of the conflict, while another 1.8 million
have been forced from their homes, including about 200,000 who fled across
the border to neighbouring Chad.

***




                                                                             49
UN ENVOY ON LEBANON TO TRAVEL TO SYRIA

The United Nations special envoy overseeing Syria’s withdrawal from
Lebanon will travel to Syria “as soon as possible” for talks with the
country's President, a UN spokesman said today.

“The Secretary-General has instructed his Special Envoy for the
 implementation of Security Council resolution 1559, Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen,
 to travel as soon as possible to Syria to meet with President Bashar
 Al-Assad,” Stephane Dujarric told journalists at UN Headquarters daily
 briefing.

“The Secretary-General expects that the United Nations and the Government
of Syria will continue to work closely together to ensure the full
implementation of Security Council resolution 1559,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Resolution 1559 calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from
Lebanon, the disarmament of militia, the extension of Government control
over all Lebanese territory and the holding of free elections.

The Government of Syria notified Mr. Annan and the Council on 26 April
that it had repatriated its troops, military assets and intelligence
apparatus after 30 years in Lebanon. A UN verification mission confirmed
this, except for the Syrian intelligence apparatus, which they said was,
by its clandestine nature, not verifiable.

***

UN APPEAL FOR DROUGHT-STRICKEN DJIBOUTI SEVERELY UNDER-FUNDED

Donors have provided only 5 per cent of an emergency $7.5 million appeal
for drought-stricken Djibouti, leaving the agricultural, food and
coordination sectors of the appeal wholly unfunded, the United Nations
humanitarian coordination office said today.

Germany would support the UN Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) water and
sanitation sector, while the United States promised $100,000 to the
children’s organization for health services, the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Still, those
contributions amount to only 5.3 per cent of total needs.

“Delayed rains and erratic rainfall have been insufficient to allow the
replenishment of water catchments or the regeneration of pastures.
Meanwhile, pastoralists from Djibouti and neighbouring areas in Somalia,
Ethiopia and Eritrea have been forced to continue seasonal grazing in
coastal Djibouti areas, which has exhausted most rural grazing areas,”
said OCHA.

In the combined Flash Appeal for Djibouti, launched on 27 April, the UN
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) asked for just under $4 million




                                                                              50
for emergency livestock feeding and animal health projects; the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) for $350,000 for emergency coordination;
UNICEF for $300,000 for water and sanitation projects; and the UN World
Food Programme (WFP) for $2.6 million for emergency feeding, it said.

UNICEF and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) together also requested
$295,000 for particular emergency health care, OCHA said.

This was the latest in a line of disappointing responses to emergency
appeals.

As nearly 4 million people faced a famine last week in arid, landlocked,
least developed (LDC) Niger, OCHA said, “To date, not a single dollar has
been pledged to the Flash Appeal” launched the week before for the West
African country.

Late last month, too, WFP said it would have to stop distributing rations
to nearly 4 million people in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
(DPRK) over the next two months, after receiving only 230,000 tons out of
the requested 504,000 tons of commodities.

About a week earlier, it said that with global food aid declining, lack of
donor support was threatening humanitarian supplies. The agency urgently
needed $315 million to meet the needs of 2.2 million refugees living in
camps, with 75 per cent of the sum required for Africa alone, it said.

***

ANNAN MOURNS DEATH OF FORMER MEXICAN AMBASSADOR TO UN

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed his deep sadness
following the death of Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, who served as Mexico’s
Permanent Representative to the UN from February 2002 until November 2003.

In a statement the Secretary-General extended his profound condolences to
Mr. Aguilar Zinser’s family, as well as to the Government of Mexico.

“[Mr. Annan] notes that Mr. Aguilar Zinser served his country with
dedication, wit and independence of spirit at a crucial time for the
multilateral system,” the statement continued, “and will be remembered
with respect and affection by many colleagues and friends around the
world.”

According to Mexico’s UN Mission, Mr. Zinser, who was 55, died Sunday in a
car crash near Mexico City.

***

BURUNDI ORDERS RE-VOTE IN SIX DISTRICTS AFTER VIOLENCE MARS
ELECTIONS – UN




                                                                             51
Burundi will hold fresh ballots in six districts where landmark local
elections were disrupted by violence, the United Nations envoy for
peacekeeping in the Great Lakes country said today.

The re-vote, which will be held tomorrow, will not affect the electoral
calendar, UN Operation in Burundi (UNOB) chief Carolyn McAskie said.

Friday’s vote to choose councils for 129 districts – or communes – was
marred by outbreaks of violence. Unidentified armed elements assailed
potential voters with gunshots and other forms of intimidation, and the
Independent National Electoral Commission decided that the elections would
be run again in the six communes, located in two provinces.

Addressing the people registered to vote in those six communes in
particular, Ms. McAskie added, “The votes of those who cast them on Friday
won’t be counted. They must return to the polling stations and vote
again.”

The voter turnout on Friday across the other 123 communes was 72 per cent,
she said, congratulating the voters of Burundi.

The six communes were Kanyosha, Nyabiraba, Muhuta and Isale in Bujumbura
Rural Province and Rugazi and Mpanda in Bubanza Province, UNOB said.

Force Commander Derick Ngwebi said a security force of 2,000 peacekeepers
would be deployed and 31 civilian teams would oversee the repeat voting.

UNOB said on Saturday that the shooting attacks on polling stations had
resulted in the death of at least one Burundian civilian and the very
serious head injury of a South African peacekeeper, who had been evacuated
to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, for medical attention.

The municipal elections are the first on the electoral calendar, with the
parliamentary poll on 4 July, senatorial elections on 19 July,
presidential polls on 19 August and district level elections on 23
September.

***

KURDISH LAWMAKERS ‘CAN SET AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL OF IRAQ’ – UN ENVOY

The senior United Nations envoy for Iraq has told Kurdish lawmakers that
they, and the people of Kurdistan, had the opportunity and capability to
provide a beacon and example for the rest of Iraq.

“[The Kurdish people] suffered political isolation, economic deprivation
and brutal repression including genocidal onslaughts during the era of the
previous regime…yet remained determined to assert their freedom and
dignity, and valiantly struggled for their basic human rights,” said




                                                                             52
Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in a speech
delivered on Saturday at the inaugural session of the Kurdistan National
Assembly.

The elections to the Kurdistan National Assembly, represented “an
important milestone in Iraq’s political transition,” Mr. Qazi also said,
adding that the extraordinary diversity of people living in Kurdistan is a
priceless national asset.

The role played by the Kurdish Alliance in the formation of the new
government following general elections held on January 30 demonstrated
that the people of this region have a vital role to play in shaping the
destiny of their country, Mr. Qazi said.

***

UN ENVOY TO MEET WITH AFRICAN UNION MEDIATOR ON DARFUR PEACE
TALKS

The United Nations top envoy in Sudan is headed to Dar-es-Salaam,
Tanzania, for a one-day meeting with the newly-appointed African Union
(AU) mediator for the Darfur peace talks.

Jan Pronk, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, will
discuss preparations for the forthcoming round of talks with AU mediator
Salim Ahmed Salim.

The talks, between the Government of Sudan and Darfur’s two rebel groups,
are scheduled to start on 10 June in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. A previous
round of talks there stalled in December, and since then the AU has been
working to revive negotiations.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), meanwhile, has reported a number of
security related incidents over the past week in Darfur and in southern
and eastern Sudan.

In one incident on 31 May, suspected members of the rebel Sudan Liberation
Army (SLA) detained members conducting a UN mortality survey near Nyala in
South Darfur. Their vehicles were searched and staff were interrogated.
They were released after three hours, the mission said.

***

LEBANESE MUSICIAN AND WRITER NAMED UN ‘ARTIST FOR PEACE’

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (
UNESCO) cultural agency is set to appoint Lebanese musician and writer
Marcel Khalifé one of its artists for peace, saying his original musical
compositions make him a “cultural ambassador”.




                                                                             53
Mr. Khalifé, born in 1950, first studied then taught the oud, or Arabic
lute, at the Beirut National Conservatory. After a solo career, in 1972 he
founded the Al Mayadine musical group in his home village, Amchit, Mount
Lebanon, with the mission of using the oud to preserve the Arabic musical
heritage. The group has toured extensively, UNESCO says.

He also has composed dance and film music, inspired by contemporary Arab
poets, and has written several books on music. UNESCO will officially
appoint Mr. Khalifé tomorrow.

UNESCO also recently appointed Prince Twins Seven Seven of Nigeria,
considered the foremost exponent of the Oshogbo School of Painting,
representing the cosmology and mythology of the Yoruba people. Their
culture spread as captives from among them were enslaved and transported
across the Atlantic to Cuba, Brazil and the southern United States. Prince
Twins Seven Seven, appointed late last month, is also a musician, actor
and writer.

The agency created the Artist for Peace award in 1995, the International
Year for Tolerance, using the artists’ influence, charisma and prestige to
"sensitize public opinion about issues relating to peace, justice,
children in need, the struggle against illiteracy, the environment and
tolerance."

Among them are Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, French-born “Gypsy King”
composer and singer Chico Bouchikhi, Japanese ballet dancer Miyako Yoshida
and violinist Eijin Nimura, U.S. Native American writer and painter N.
Scott Momaday, Chinese actress Gong Li, Mozambican painter Malangatana,
Brazilian cultural minister, composer and singer Gilberto Gil and
Venezuelan actress Patricia Velasquez.

***

AFGHANISTAN: UN MISSION CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST ELECTION
WORKERS

With parliamentary, provincial and district elections in Afghanistan just
months away, the United Nations mission in the country has condemned any
type of violence aimed at derailing the electoral process.

An Afghan election worker was killed last Friday in the province of
Uruzgan – the first deadly incident involving such workers this year,
according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

“By voting massively last year,” a UNAMA spokesman said, referring to
2004’s national elections, “the Afghan people have demonstrated how
important it is for all of them to go and vote to rebuild – through
elections – a democratic Afghanistan. This is the will of the people.”

With UNAMA facilitation, Afghans are currently making preparations for




                                                                             54
parliamentary, provincial and district elections, scheduled for 18
September.

***

ANNAN CONDEMNS ‘SENSELESS DEATHS’ IN NEPAL BLAST

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today condemned the “senseless
deaths” of dozens of people in the explosion that tore through a passenger
bus in southern Nepal, and called for an immediate end to “such utterly
reprehensible tactics” that expose civilians to danger in the conflict
there.

In a statement released in New York today, the Secretary General also
expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and those injured in
the incident.

***

GREENING REFUGEE CAMPS FOR WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL DAY – UN

The United Nations refugee agency observed World Environmental Day with
worldwide activities that focused on minimizing the environmental damage
caused by refugee camps.

The theme of the UN environmental day this year is “Green Cities – Plan
for the Planet.”

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has adapted it to: “Green your Camps
– Improve Natural Resource Management and Plan for the Planet.” The Day
was celebrated yesterday, 5 June, in San Francisco, California and around
the world.

“Refugees’ impact on the environment can have an important bearing on the
willingness of host states to continue to grant asylum,” Assistant High
Commissioner Kamel Morjane said. “In extreme cases, the competition for
natural resources can turn local communities or governments against
refugees and threaten the very institution of asylum.”

To prevent this from happening, UNHCR has been running a wide range of
projects in its camps worldwide to mitigate the impact of refugees on the
environment, Mr. Morjane said.

For example, in eastern Chad, which hosts over 200,000 refugees from
Darfur, tree seedlings are being distributed for refugees to plant. In
many camps, stoves are being distributed that reduce the use of firewood.
In others, clean-ups are being instituted.

To highlight such programs, UNHCR offices around the world yesterday held
demonstrations of sound environmental practices, camp clean-ups, games,




                                                                             55
competitions and cultural events.

***

KYRGYZSTAN: GOVERNMENT PLEDGES NOT TO DEPORT UN-ASSISTED
ASYLUM-SEEKERS

Despite rumours of forced repatriation, the government of Kyrgyzstan has
reassured the United Nations refugee agency that it would meet its
international obligations to shelter refugees who fled the violence in
neighbouring Uzbekistan.

Announcing the renewed commitment, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
also thanked the Kyrgyz Government for its efforts to find a new location
for the camp housing the asylum-seekers, which is considered to be too
close to the border.

There are presently 482 individuals registered by UNHCR in the Barash camp
in Kyrgyzstan.

Hundreds of people fled across the border last month after bloody
confrontations between protesters and security forces in the Uzbek city of
Andijan. After initially issuing 10-day “asylum certificates,” the
government of Kyrgyzstan has since given asylum-seekers permission to
remain for a month.

With its assurances to UNHCR, the government reiterated its commitment to
observe the ban on refoulement – the forcible return of asylum-seekers –
that is an essential part of the 1951 Convention on refugees.

***

FLOODS PLAGUE HORN OF AFRICA, WASH AWAY REFUGEE SHELTERS – UN

Flooding continues to plague the Horn of Africa, with the number of dead
and missing in Ethiopia rising and heavy rains washing away shelter for
25,000 Somali refugees in Kenya.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a 4-year-old
boy was killed and his three siblings injured when their shelter collapsed
in heavy rains that pounded north-eastern Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp last
Thursday.

Most of the refugees’ shelters in Ifo – one of the three camps in Dadaab –
collapsed or were swept away by torrential rains on the same day. Ifo
hosts more than 53,000 refugees, mainly from neighbouring Somalia. There
are fears of an outbreak of water-borne diseases as large numbers of pit
latrines in the camp have also collapsed.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (




                                                                             56
OCHA) reported that the number of confirmed dead and missing in Ethiopia
continued to grow in the week since the Wabe Shebelle river burst its
banks and devastated crops, property, wells and roads.

More than 100 people have been reported dead while many more remain
missing. OCHA said initial assessments confirmed about 21,000 households,
or over 100,000 people, have lost houses or property. Some areas have been
unable to report damage because of communications problems.

Although the emergency response has been largely hindered as roads leading
to the affected areas have either been washed away or are still under
water, UN agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
and a host of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the ground in the
affected areas immediately offered limited assistance to the victims that
could be reached.

***

For more details go to UN News Centre




                                                                             57
  DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE
                        SECRETARY-GENERAL
       6 June 2005
       Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric,
Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
       **Secretary-General/1559
       The Secretary-General has instructed his Special Envoy for the implementation of
Security Council resolution 1559, Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen, to travel as soon as possible to Syria
to meet with President Bashar Al-Assad.
       The Secretary-General expects that the United Nations and the Government of Syria will
continue to work closely together to ensure the full implementation of Security Council
Resolution 1559. The full statement is available upstairs.
       **Secretary-General/Nepal
       I have another statement on Nepal:
       “The Secretary-General condemns the senseless deaths of dozens of people in the
explosion that tore through a passenger bus travelling on a road in southern Nepal on Monday.
The Secretary-General calls for an immediate end to such utterly reprehensible tactics that
expose civilians to danger in the conflict in Nepal. He expresses his condolences to the
bereaved families and to those injured in the incident.”
       **Secretary-General/Mexican Diplomat’s Death
       I also have a statement on the death of the former Mexican Permanent Representative,
Adolfo Aguilar Zinser:
        “The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Adolfo Aguilar
Zinser, who served as Mexico’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from February
2002 through November 2003. The Secretary-General extends his profound condolences to Mr.
Aguilar Zinser’s family, as well as to the Government of Mexico.
         “He notes that Mr. Aguilar Zinser served his country with dedication, wit and
independence of spirit at a crucial time for the multilateral system. He will be remembered with
respect and affection by many colleagues and friends around the world.” And we have the full
text of the statement upstairs.
       **Sudan/ICC
        Turning to the Sudan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis
Moreno-Ocampo, has decided to open an investigation into the situation in Darfur. The
investigation will be impartial and independent, and will focus on the individuals who bear the
greatest criminal responsibility for crimes committed in Darfur. Moreno-Ocampo said that the
investigation will require sustained cooperation from national and international authorities. He
added that traditional African mechanisms can be an important tool to complement these
efforts. And, we have a full press release from the ICC available upstairs.
       **Sudan



                                                                                                58
       Also on Sudan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk,
left Khartoum for Dar es Salaam today to meet with the newly appointed African Union
mediator for the Abuja peace talks on Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim.
       Mr. Pronk will discuss with the AU mediators preparations for the forthcoming round of
Abuja talks between the Government of Sudan and the two rebel groups for Darfur, which is
scheduled to start on June 10th.
        The UN mission, meanwhile, reported a number of security related incidents over the
past week in the Darfurs, as well as in Southern and Eastern Sudan. In one incident on May
31st, suspected members of the rebel SLA detained members conducting a UN mortality survey
near Nyala in South Darfur. Their vehicles were searched and staff were interrogated and
released three hours later. And, there’s an update from the UN Mission available upstairs.
       **Security Council
        The Security Council has scheduled a morning meeting of its working group on
peacekeeping operations. Otherwise, there are no consultations or open meetings on its agenda
for today.
       **General Assembly
        Turning to the General Assembly, the Assembly will elect next Monday on June 13th
the President of its sixtieth session. The other members of the Bureau, the Assembly’s General
Committee -- which include the Assembly’s 21 Vice-Presidents and the Chairpersons of its six
Main Committees -- will also be elected on that day.
       And also, on Friday afternoon, we released a statement on behalf of the Secretary-
General concerning the draft outcome document released by the General Assembly President.
The statement read, as follows:
       “The draft outcome produced by the President of the General Assembly is an important
step towards decisive action for halving poverty by 2015, reducing the threat of war, terrorism,
and proliferation, and promoting human dignity in every corner of the world.
      “The document, which captures important points raised by Member States during
months of deliberations, is a valuable guidepost for advancing development, security, and
human rights.
        “The world’s leaders will need to move forward on all fronts to ensure an outcome that
reflects the needs of all Member States. In the coming weeks, under the leadership of the
President of the General Assembly, Member States will begin the next round of discussions.
       “Much is at stake, and I am confident that when world leaders will meet in New York
this coming September, they will agree on the most far-ranging and ambitious reforms of the
United Nations in its 60-year history.
        “I pledge my best efforts to assist the membership and the President in reaching that
goal”, said the Secretary-General. And, the statement is also upstairs.
       **Iraq
       Turning to Iraq, on Saturday, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq,
Ashraf Qazi, addressed the inaugural session of the Kurdish National Assembly. He




                                                                                                59
congratulated the lawmakers and told them that they, and the people of Kurdistan, should be
proud of their achievements in the face of great adversity. He added that the extraordinary
diversity of people living in Kurdistan is a priceless national asset. The Assembly, Qazi said,
has an opportunity and capability of providing a beacon and example to the rest of Iraq.
        His full speech is available upstairs, as is a press release on a meeting between the
Deputy Special Representative, Steffan di Mistura, and Kurdish leaders, which took place in
Erbil, yesterday.
       **Burundi
        Turning to Burundi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Burundi,
Carolyn McAskie, announced that a decision had been made by the Independent National
Electoral Commission to organize a re-vote in six communes, where violence disrupted the
elections last Friday.
        Tight security measures have been taken to secure the areas around the communes where
the re-vote will take place Tuesday. More than 2,000 UN peacekeepers will be deployed. With
a rate of participation around 72 per cent in last Friday’s election, Ms. McAskie congratulated
Burundians, saying they had shown the world they were ready for democracy and peace.
       **Afghanistan
        From Afghanistan, the UN Mission in that country today condemned any type of
violence that aims to derail the electoral process in Afghanistan. Last Friday, an Afghan
election worker was killed in the province of Uruzgan. Responding to that killing, the first to
involve election workers this year, the UN Mission noted that the Afghan people demonstrated
last year the importance of voting and rebuilding a democratic Afghanistan through elections.
We have details in the press release available from Kabul.
       **SG Remarks to Staff Unions
        The Secretary-General met earlier today with the Coordinating Committee for the UN
staff unions, thanking them for their unflagging commitment to the United Nations. During the
private meeting, the Secretary-General had a chance to take questions from staff representatives
on management issues.
       **Deputy Secretary-General
      Turning to the Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, she arrived today in
Kosovo, where she is meeting with senior officials and peacekeepers to reinforce the Secretary-
General’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse for UN personnel.
       While outlining guidelines for UN staff members in Kosovo during a town hall meeting
this morning, she stressed that the demanding standards regarding sexual exploitation and abuse
to which UN peacekeepers were required to adhere were a necessity because of the fragile
conditions of the countries to which they are deployed. Those standards, she said, often are in
excess of legislation in the countries in which UN peacekeepers are deployed, she added.
       **SG Launches MDG Progress Report
       On Thursday, the Secretary-General will launch the progress report on reaching the
Millennium Development Goals. Prepared by 25 UN agencies and international organizations,




                                                                                                  60
the report presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date statistics available on all eight of the
MDGs.
        The Secretary-General will speak to you this Thursday at 11:45 a.m. in this room,
followed by a briefing from Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, José
Antonio Ocampo, and possibly a number of other UN agency chiefs. And, the report will be
under embargo until noon Thursday. And, it will be circulated to UN correspondents, ahead of
the embargo, obviously, along with a press release. Due to the timing of that launch, the regular
briefing will take place at 12:30 on Thursday.
       **ECOSOC Meeting
        Also look ahead, an event on the “Critical Role of Nutrition for Reaching the
Millennium Development Goals” will be held in the ECOSOC Chamber tomorrow, between 10
a.m. to 12 noon. It’s co-sponsored by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and
the UN System Standing Committee on Nutrition. And, we have a press release available
upstairs.
       **US Senator Leahy
        Also, this afternoon at 1:15, at the UN Security stakeout, US Senator Patrick Leahy will
be available to take some of your questions, following his meeting with the Secretary-General.
       **Upcoming Press Conferences
       And tomorrow, two press conferences. At 11 in this room, the UN Environment
Programme will be sponsoring a press conference by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition of
the General Assembly.
      And, at 3:30, Ambassador Aldo Mantovani, the Deputy Representative of Italy, and
Rima Salah, the UN Children’s Fund Deputy Executive Director will be here to brief you on the
World Youth Orchestra Concert, taking place in the GA Hall tomorrow evening.
        And, lastly, in the GA Hall, tomorrow afternoon, will also be the graduation ceremonies
for the UN International School, and the programme is available there for any of you who are
interested. And I think that is it for me. Any questions?
       **Questions and Answers
      Question: Steph, two questions. On Terje Roed-Larsen’s trip to Syria, why the urgency
and which part of 1559 specifically is he going to talk to the President of Syria about?
        Associate Spokesman: The implementation of 1559 in its many facets is still ongoing,
and there are bound to be regular contacts between the UN and the Syrian leadership on this, but
I have no other, no further details on what’s on the agenda, more specific details on their
agenda.
      Question: And, on another issue, on the Secretary-General’s meeting with the staff this
morning, did he have any prepared remarks, and if he did, is it possible to get hold of them?
        Associate Spokesman: I’ll check. Yes, Warren? [The Associate Spokesman later said
that the remarks would not be made public.]




                                                                                                61
        Question: Stéphane, AFP is reporting out of Sofia today that the UN has asked Bulgaria
to send 120 troops, infantry troops, to Iraq to protect one of the UN’s offices there -- it doesn’t
say which one. Couple of questions. One is, can you confirm that, and the second question is,
where does the effort to get individual countries to offer troops to protect UN offices stand?
The last time we checked, which is now months ago, the Secretary-General was having no
success in persuading anybody.
         Associate Spokesman: I cannot confirm the Bulgarian report, but I will check and get
you an update early this afternoon on where we stand on the different requests to protect UN
staff in Iraq.
       Question: And just one last question on that same point. Is it the UN that’s seeking to
persuade countries, or is it, in fact, the US?
        Associate Spokesman: There are different rings of protection for the UN staff in Iraq.
There are close protection units and static guard units provided directly by Member States, in
this case, Fiji, which we’ve acknowledged, protect the UN premises in Baghdad. And, there are
also, to be on a more outer ring, dedicated units of the Multinational Force, which are there to
protect UN personnel as they move about the country, where more protection is required.
       And those discussions are being led by the Multinational Force, obviously in
consultation with the UN. But, these will be dedicated units serving under the Multinational
Force. Yes, Richard?
        Question: The Secretary-General spoke recently about the dangers of nuclear war.
Does he feel that it would be a good idea for the issue to be referred to the Security Council
regarding North Korea? Now, how does he feel about comments made over the weekend that
that process may finally come here?
       Associate Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General has spoken quite a bit on this issue
and six-party talks are to be supported by the United Nations. And, that’s it.
        Question: Senator Leahy, is there any particular reason for him to come –- I think it’s
the second time in the last month or so...?
       Associate Spokesman: He’s had a number of contacts with the Secretary-General. He
requested this meeting, and I know he’ll be happy to answer your questions.
        Question: I just want to ask two questions on the ICC investigation in Darfur. The first
thing is, it says that the prosecutor received a document archive. Were those the names that
Annan, the sealed names that the Secretary-General had? Is that what they’re referring to here?
       Associate Spokesman: He did receive from the Secretary-General, at the request of the
Security Council, the sealed list. And, this announcement is as a result of studying those
documents.
        Question: And, the second thing is –- do you have any sort of time frame when Moreno
is going to ... does he have a staff already?
        Associate Spokesman: They have a staff in The Hague, and I can give you the number
for their spokesman in The Hague.




                                                                                                  62
       Question: Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the elections in southern
Lebanon? And also, what specific issues have the representatives of the Staff Union raised
concerning management, with the Secretary-General?
        Associate Spokesman: On the Staff Union, it was a private meeting. It was a chance for
the Secretary-General to exchange views with the Staff Union representatives, and for them to
speak directly to him. But, it was a private meeting, and I don’t have more of a read-out on it.
As for the elections in Lebanon, we’re obviously pleased that this latest round took place in a
peaceful atmosphere. And, as we’ve said in the past, the elections constitute a major
opportunity for the Lebanese people to shape their own future. And, we stand by and support
them. In fact, as you know, we have an electoral unit in Lebanon doing just that.
       Question: It wasn’t clear to me whether you’re going to try and find out why the
Secretary-General asked Terje Roed-Larsen to go to meet with the Syrian President?
       Associate Spokesman: No, I said I had nothing further to add, that the Secretary,
obviously Mr. Roed-Larsen remains his Special Representative on 1559 and it would only be
normal that he would travel to the region.
       Question: My impression was that he was dispatched to the region...
      Associate Spokesman: He was sent to the region. I have nothing further. If I can get
something further, I will.
        Question: What was your first and second reaction to the US call to widen the
investigation from Hariri to the journalist assassinated last week?
        Associate Spokesman: It’s obviously a decision for the Council to make. They decided
on the terms of reference of Mr. Mehlis’ investigation, and it would be for them to change those
orders.
        Question: I would like to repeat the North Korea question because the audio, as we
heard it here, went out. So, if you could perform as well as you did and even expand on your
answer about the issue coming here... unless you want to cite technical difficulties. What does
the SG think about the issue coming here? Obviously he always favours diplomacy, but it may
be too late to get something going, should things get out of control.
        Associate Spokesman: I don’t want to say whether or not it’s too late. I think the
important thing for the Secretary-General is for the international community to support the six-
party talks, which are currently, he feels, a very good way of trying to solve this issue.
       Question: What’s up with the UN and Brooklyn? Wasn’t that supposed to come in a
matter of days or weeks?
        Associate Spokesman: I haven’t sold my apartment in Manhattan yet. That discussion...
the Fifth Committee continues its discussions on the issue of the loan and the Capital Master
Plan, and it has not been resolved. Yes?
       Question: If there’s nothing else, I have a housekeeping matter. The Security Council
wing on the third floor -- no one has turned on the air conditioning yet, and it’s about 95 in that
area. Several of us had made personal pleas to the engineering department, without result.
       Associate Spokesman: We will check, but if we’re making you sweat, it’s not a bad
thing. Thank you.



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