Environmental Planning

Urban planners & Managers play a critical role in ensuring that urban areas are able to function sustainably. Since resources are finite, addressing environmental issues insufficiently has severe consequences: health hazards, loss of biodiversity, and ultimately, a lower quality of life. Internationally UN  recognizes this issue and conduct following important conference / commission on environmentally sensitive urban planning & development. 

Environmental planning is a process that involves the identification, evaluation, and management of natural and human-made resources in a given area. Its goal is to promote sustainable development by balancing economic, social, and environmental factors.

Environmental planning involves several steps, including:

1. Assessing the current state of the environment, including natural resources, land use, and infrastructure.
2. Developing plans and policies to guide the use and management of resources in the area.
3. Engaging stakeholders and the public in the planning process to ensure that diverse perspectives are considered.
4. Implementing the plans through various regulatory mechanisms and incentives.
5. Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the plans and making adjustments as needed.

Environmental planning is crucial for ensuring that communities develop in a sustainable and equitable manner. It helps to protect the environment, promote economic growth, and improve the quality of life for residents.

Milestones of environmental planning

Here are some of the milestones of environmental planning in the world:

1. Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment: In 1972, the United Nations hosted the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, which marked the first time that environmental issues were addressed at an international level. The conference led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the establishment of the World Environment Day.
2. Brundtland Commission: In 1983, the World Commission on Environment and Development (also known as the Brundtland Commission) was established by the United Nations to address sustainable development. The commission produced the landmark report “Our Common Future” in 1987, which defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
3. Rio Earth Summit: In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development  (UNCED) hosted the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which resulted in the adoption of the Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action to address environmental, social, and economic issues. The summit also led to the creation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 25 principles of Rio Declaration
4. Kyoto Protocol: In 1997, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Kyoto Protocol, which set binding targets for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol was the first international agreement to address climate change.
5. Millennium Summit of the UN, 2000, 8 MDG
6. Paris Agreement: In 2015, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement has been ratified by 189 countries as of 2021.
7. United Nations Sustainable Development Summit New York 2015 17 SDG

UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) 1972

United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) was an international conference convened under United Nations auspices held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5-16, 1972. It was the UN’s first major conference on international environmental issues, and marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics.

26 Principles of the Stockholm Declaration:

1. Human rights must be asserted, apartheid and colonialism condemned
2. Natural resources must be safeguarded
3. The Earth’s capacity to produce renewable resources must be maintained
4. Wildlife must be safeguarded
5. Non-renewable resources must be shared and not exhausted
6. Pollution must not exceed the environment’s capacity to clean itself
7. Damaging oceanic pollution must be prevented
8. Development is needed to improve the environment

World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) Our Common Future

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), also called the Brundtland Commission was an international commission that discussed and devised strategies for protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.

The Brundtland Commission published its final report, Our Common Future, in 1987. Our Common Future stated that governments could not address environmental protection separately from related crises, such as economic development and energy production. 

Our Common Future also outlined a blueprint for dealing with these interlocking crises simultaneously. It define Sustainable Development as:

“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

The findings and proposals of Our Common Future have shaped international environmental policy for the last two decades.

UNCED Earth Summit- AGENDA 21 ,1992

United Nations Conference on Environment & Development Earth Summit held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, in 1992

Agenda 21 addresses the pressing problems of today and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges of the next century. objectives of Agenda 21 will require a substantial flow of new and additional financial resources to developing countries, in order to cover the incremental costs for the actions they have to undertake to deal with global environmental problems and to accelerate sustainable development. In the implementation of the relevant programme areas identified in Agenda 21, special attention should be given to the particular circumstances facing the economies in transition.

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development is a set of 25 principles that recognize the importance of preserving the environment and set forth international guidelines for doing so.

Rio Declaration  1992

Goal: Establishing a new and equitable global partnership through the creation of new levels of cooperation among States, key societies and people, Working towards international agreements which respect the interests of all and protect the integrity of the global environment and developmental system.

25 principles of Rio Declaration

PRINCIPLE 1 : Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature

PRINCIPLE 2 : States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

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