Among typical problems in environmental managent and associated socio-economic developments are: how up-stream and down-stream countries, or even communities, develop win-win solutions for certain conflicts arising from the use of joint water-land resources; also how polluting industries and water-management organizations can develop joint solutions to protect land-water resources; also how agriculture, agro-industries and end-users can sustain good levels of trust. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are of increasing political interest as this approach helps preserve ecosystems and the goods and services they provide. For proper synthesis of a functioning concept, certain prerequisites should be embodied such as legislation and institutional framework, property rights, contract designs etc.

Even though this concept has been in practice since the 80s, it is still a relatively new instrument for many parts of the world. For beneficial participation from ecosystem markets, awareness is important about what ecosystem services and how payment and compensation schemes work. There must be, also, sufficient local capacity of communities and other rural landowners to identify, approach and close deals with buyers of ecosystem services.

http://www.grida.no/news/default/5821.aspx

GRID, a Centre collaborating with UNEP, is engaged in promoting high-level environmental policies. The following has initiated important information for building the necessary infra-structure for policy-making to improve the socio-economic developments in Rwanda. During the preparation of the first Rwanda State of Environment and Outlook in 2009, it became evident that there is a lack of reliable core datasets and indicators on the environment. As such there is need for improved collaboration between institutions dealing with environmental information management. All institutions working in the natural resources sector will benefit from the creation of an infrastructure for sharing environmental data. An environmental information network that improves data access at all levels of society will in turn support the country’s sustainable development objectives.

http://www.grida.no/publications/rwanda-ein/ebook.aspx

GRID-Arendal is a centre collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Established in 1989 by the Government of Norway as a Norwegian Foundation. Its mission is to communicate environmental information to policy-makers and facilitate environmental decision-making for change. This is achieved by organizing and transforming available environmental data into credible, science-based information products, delivered through innovative communication tools and capacity-building services targeting relevant stakeholders.

Below, an example is given on Uganda’s Environment and Natural Resources: Enhancing Parliament’s Oversight. Other publications can be down-loaded (PDF) free of charge, or directly viewed on-line.

http://www.grida.no/publications/uganda-handbook/

In his Blog “mickjennings” says “I cannot quite believe the current violence in Egypt. I spent some time in the 1980′s travelling around much of the country and found everywhere, warm and generous people.” It is true, but that is exactly what is happening now. It is a very interesting reflection by “mickjennings” and of course, any changes have reasons. The demography of Egyptian population has changed considerably in the past five-six decades. Going back in time in the 1950’s and 1960’s Egypt, the Egyptian population was even more softer, warmer and more generous. However, for many reasons things changed to what we are experiencing now. The population increased dramatically from 20 million during the 1950’5 to currently over 80 millions. Meanwhile, the water resources and agricultural land are relatively more less the same, the industrial and economic sectors were/are mainly dominated by private players with little participation in promoting public services and associated baic infra-structures necessary for achieving major socio-economic developments (water, energy, health, education and food). Two other main reasons are, huge investiment and spending in the military because of regional wars after independence and the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the failure of building constructive interactions between “liberal-muslim” political groups.

EGYPT

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q68w5a5xudopov0/2013-10-08%2013.32.52.png

Cape Peninsula, South Africa, gives an excellent example on “sustainable tourism” with the well-preserved nature of its bays, parks, mountain, beach and sea animals, Ostrich farms, recreation activities, open sea views, well-managed roads, shanty towns and most important high environmental standards. It has one of the most beautiful coastal mountain formations architected by historical evolution and successive carving of sea-level variations alternated by coastal depositions. The amazing action of nature and the strict rules of natural conservation and environmental protection policies sustained its biological hot-spots and made it home for diverse and rare animal, plant and bird (including penguin) and fish species though the harsh and delicate environments. Including the so-called Fynbos “fine bush” because of its many fine leafed plants, adapted to the extreme wet/dry climate and nutrient poor sandy soils. With the city of Cape Town, Table Mountains provide striking visual images of world famous flat top and steep falls. The geological diversity is enormous with most scenic oceanscapes in the world. At the southernmost point, Cape Agulhas, the two current from the Atlatic and Indian Oceans meets, where the warm-water Agulhas current meets the cold water Benguela current and turns back on itself.

Your engagement can make a difference. It is about raising awareness and transfer-of-knowledge. Join us now, tomorrow can be too late!

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/water/

http://www.sustainabilitylabs.org/page/sustainability-five-core-principles

As a consequence of the Egyptian revolution a “political divorce” is taking place between liberal and religious parties. Currently, the revolution is going through an episode of depression after divorce that is likely to bring the revolution back to a more sustainable route. The conflics taking place in Egypt and the obstacles facing the “Arab Spring” have the same classical nature as in any “divorce process” where the legal rights need to exist for protecting innocent victims. A revolution is not an overnight process and no revolution in history brough democracy to success overnight. A revolution is an instrument for changing the life conditions of a population, to halt fear, mistrust and conflicts between the political players and finaly to bring about true democracy. Security and safety will be achieved when reasonable solutions are found to settle the legal rights of the third party “the population” and take the revolution to a mature democracy.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2013/07/11/ElBaradei-s-skewed-role-in-Egypt-s-transition.html

The importance of rural communities and their engagement in promoting sustainable socio-economic developments is gaining an increasing attention. Improving the quality of life in rural regions and integrating them in the ongoing urbanization is imperative for achieving sustainability goals on the global scale. Initiatives similar to “World Bank Helps Communities Adapt to Climate Change Risks” (see the given link) can be taken in other region that suffer high risks for severe impacts from climate and environmental changes.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/10/04/world-bank-helps-communities-adapt-to-climate-change-risks#!

Hydro-electric power is classified among Renewable Energy Sources where no contributions to man-made global warming. But what how friendly is hydro-electric power? and what are the environmental threats associated with this source of energy?. So far, our accumulated knowledge demonstrates that the environmental threats were under-estimated. The hydropower seems to be viewed more favorably, despite historical concerns over biodiversity loss, long-term environmental impact and the social repercussions of massive community resettlement. Natural erossion at upstream lands that deliver fertile soils to low laying-land downstream has long-term impacts on soil quality with consequences for continuous use of fertilization, e.g. the case of the Nile delta. Inceasing of evaporation at the water-bodies behind dam constructions which is dominant in arid and regions, e.g. Lake Naser on the Nile. Dam building is expected to give rise to changes in local and regional hydrology of groundwater with risks for increasing salination, if this takes place in combination with increased use of groundwater. Also, power plants at upstream countries are usually associated with increasing waste and pollution from the industries, urbanization activities and household. Such emissions in many cases do not follow strict environmental protection recoomendations.

See more at:
http://chinawaterrisk.org/resources/analysis-reviews/hydropower-environmental-disaster-or-climate-saver/

Achieving sustainable socio-economic developments world-over depends on our understanding of the “Water-Energy nexus”, I call it WE-nexus. This is by no means the most important nexus for promoting golbal sustainability with considerable saving of WE-resources in terms of quality and quatity. How to use this nexus to get the magic-mix for best “quality and quantity” savings has no universal solution, it is dependent on how such resources can be managed through different levels of cooperation and shared responsibilty, e.g. on local, national, regional and global levels. Also, through adapting appropriate practices with consideration the geo-climatic conditions.

http://www.fmlink.com/article.cgi?type=Magazine&pub=AFE&id=30077&mode=source

SHAI OSTER in his article “China: New Dam Builder for the World” says: “African and Asian delegations visiting China are taken each year to see the Three Gorges Dam as a model project even though it has been dogged by problems ranging from spiraling costs and unrest caused by forced relocation of more than a million citizens to rapid land erosion and increased pollution. Criticism of the dam — which is the largest in the world by many measures — has become so persistent that the Chinese government has recently begun to acknowledge the issues. But environmentalists and human-rights activists fret that China will repeat many of the same mistakes it has made with dams at home as it leads a dam revival abroad.”

Follow the story and join the discussion on how to improve achieving sustainable socio-economic developments around the world, in particular in the developing countries with very limited knowledge on environmental and climatic impacts and the how the ongoing manipulations in major transboundary water-bodies may mean for future generations.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119880902773554655.html

Without access to water resources no country on the earth can survive and provide its population with the basic needs for life and development. Sovereignty of nations or populations over geographically existing natural resources in their territories did not exist duing the era of colonialism, phrases such as “equitable rights” were not recognized by colonialism who held control over the global natural resources through military power. Our understanding of equitable rights for sharing transboundary water resources, by being common natural resources, has emerged through centures and intensified in the past decades with the complete transformation of the world form colonialism to sovereign nations.

Emerging Voices: International Water Law – Preventing Conflict on the Nile

This world most powerful hydro-electric dam on our planet has faced several challenges and difficulties before and during its construction. However, when completed it remains to be among the most successful trabsboundary projects with minimum negative consequence on all involved partners.

Follow the story at:

eLearning Africa 2014 is to take place in Kampala, Uganda! Famously called “the Pearl of Africa” for its tall, snowy mountains, emerald valleys and crystal-clear lakes, Uganda is making the most of the African tech boom. The mobile phone market has seen an extraordinary upsurge over the last fifteen years, led mostly by the 88% of the population that live outside of urban areas; while well-connected Kampala is well known for its internet café culture and friendly, outgoing atmosphere.

The conference will take place from May 28 – 30, 2014, Kampala, see more at:

http://www.elearning-africa.com/conference_preview_uganda_2014.php

Conferences about education in Africa 2011-2014, to learn more visit the site below.

http://www.africaeducation.org/conferences_in_africa.htm

POWER-GIN Africa will consist of a conference and exhibition dedicated to the needs, resources and issues facing the power generation sector across sub-Saharan Africa.

See more at:
http://www.powergenafrica.com/index.html

The shift in energy demand to growth economies and the increasing competition from unconventional production represent both opportunities and threats for oil and gas producers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

As new geopolitical realities emerge, policymakers and producers in the MENA region have the task of meeting growing domestic energy demand while maintaining export prices at a level that can sustain national economic goals and aspirations.

See more at:
http://www.chathamhouse.org/Mena_energy14

Middle East Rail is a huge rail exhibition and conference. It’s designed to help operators build and operate brand new rail infrastructure, as well as upgrading legacy networks.

The event brings together rail developers, transport operators, government, contractors and suppliers to talk strategy, technology and innovation.

http://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/middle-east-rail/index.stm