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Working Group: EDUCATION TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY CONCERNS OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM
Partner: CONCEPT NOTE : Background Fragile ecosystems are important for their unique features and resources. These include mountains, deserts, semi-arid lands, wetlands and certain coastal areas. Many of the Protected Areas and islands can also be considered as fragile, and their concerns are important. Fragility is defined by the vulnerability of the ecosystems to external stresses either natural or man-made. A fragile ecosystem is at a very critical level of degradation. These are prone to irreversible damage due to anthropogenic pressures and stresses beyond their tolerance. Human beings are inseparable part of all ecosystems – they act both as the sustainer and the destroyer. Most of the fragile ecosystems that render invaluable services are exposed to various threats today. Mountains are a global resource, important source of water, energy, biological diversity, minerals, forest, agricultural products recreation and spiritual aspiration. They represent complex and interrelated ecology of our planet, and are essential for the survival of the global ecosystem for their ecological services. These include varied ecosystems of dry lands, the cold deserts, wetlands etc. most of which are at a critical level of survival. The fragile ecosystems around the world are exposed to vast degradation due to anthropological reasons. In addition the impacts of climate change in terms of glacier recessions and other ecological disturbances are expected to affect a wide range of human population in the mountains and the down stream as well. Melting glaciers of the Himalayas are of immense concern because of their fragility and the dependence of above 4 billion people on the rivers that originate from it. Climate change is further predicted to have unexpected metrological deviations affecting the cropping patterns, biodiversity, the demography and may also lead to other unknown consequences. Increasing population, changing lifestyles and unplanned development is putting these systems on the verge of natural resource degradation. The frequency of droughts is increased because of degrading environmental conditions. Mining, intensive agriculture of unsuitable and exotic/cash crops resulting lowering the ground water table, degradation/loss of grazing area due to various development needs- buildings, fuel wood, loss of traditional water conservation practices etc are some of the environmental concerns for these areas. Desertification, the land degradation resulting due to climatic variations and human activities is the major ecological concerns for these fragile ecosystems. Desertification affects about one sixth of the world's population. While celebrating year 2006 as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) the dry lands were recognized as the most magnificent ecosystems of this world. A campaign was launched to raise global public awareness of the advancing deserts, of ways to safeguard the biological diversity of arid lands covering one-third of the planet and protecting the knowledge and traditions of the 2 billion people affected by desertification. Communities inhabiting these areas are endowed with rich indigenous traditional knowledge and technologies evolved over the years through their experience. In spite of these areas being the repositories of immense natural wealth, people are marginalized and poor. Environmental deterioration is adding to the difficulties of the indigenous people. Soil erosion and increasing population pressure is causing a shortage of agricultural lands. Basic infrastructure in many instances is inadequate to provide education, health and other necessary facilities. Need for addressing the sustainability concerns of these fragile ecosystems through education was expressed in Agenda 21 – Chapter 12 (for deserts and desertification) and Chapter 13 (for mountains). United Nations Conference on Environment & Development in 1992 emphasized upon raising public awareness and ensuring adequate political, institutional and financial commitment for concrete action towards implementation of sustainable development. Year 2002 was declared as International Year of Mountains to raise adequate awareness on the fragility of mountains. We have come a long way since the efforts of addressing sustainability concerns through education began. In view of existing and possible impacts of climate change on sustainability and the alarming rate of natural resource depletion, it is felt that these need to be considered explicitly in any education programme for sustainable development. This would include the scientific, social, economic, cultural and environmental dimensions – causes, effects and actions, which ultimately is what education for sustainable development (ESD) is all about. The proposed workshop envisages looking at the progress achieved through environmental education over these years. It is expected to review the role of education for sustainable development in today’s context when there is a global concern on climate change and its impact on the ecosystems. It is to focus upon defining the ways for sustainable utilization of natural resources by creating mass awareness, through individual education, towards a sustainable use of resources. This can be effectively achieved by strategically evolving a layout for future education based on experiences of best practices to safeguard the fragile ecosystems from the different parts of the world. Objectives
Themes to be discussed
Expected Outcomes
Workshop Schedule Workshop is to cover sustainability issues from fragile areas like mountain, deserts, wetlands etc. It is proposed to have selected resource persons for the panel discussions followed by an open house discussion. November 25, 2007 (7 hrs) Pre-lunch Impact of Climate Change on Fragile Ecosystems 9:30-11:00 (Keynote Presentations) Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development 11:30-13:00 (Panel discussions) Sustainability concerns in Fragile Mountain Ecosystems Post-lunch
Panel discussions 14:00-15:30 Potential Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable NRM & livelihoods in response to environmental change 16:00-18:00 Knowledge management and dissemination strategies November 26, 2007 (3.5 hrs) 14:00-15:30 Working Groups on above themes 16:00-18:00 Towards developing the roadmap for ESD for the decade November 27, 2007 (1.5 hrs) 14:00-15:30 Workshop recommendations _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24 - 28 November, 2007
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