URBAN ENVIRONMENT | sustainability and ecological footprints Supporting sustainable cities and the notion of ecological footprint: this cluster includes new policy and programme initiatives in global-local linkages, economic- environmental trade-offs, priorities and strategies for ecological conservation, responsibilising the use of resources and minimising unsustainable consumption. .

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local level

Budhya, Gururaja & Solomon Benjamin (2000) -"The politics of sustainable cities: the case of Bengare, Mangalore in coastal India"- Environment & Urbanization, Vol 12 No 2, October 2000 - IIED [pdf] This paper describes a local-national conflict over a powergeneration scheme in Mangalore (India) in order to highlight two important issues. The first is that the planning of large projects by national and state governments in India often bypasses local government and, as such, avoids accountability to local populations. The second is that the politics of sustainable cities is in the institutional domain; in this instance, the conflict was between what was perceived locally as being sustainable as opposed to external interests that sought to exploit resources in response to larger markets. The paper describes the political organizations in a fishing settlement (Bengare) that falls within the boundaries of the city of Mangalore and how they worked with elected city corporation representatives to halt a scheme for barge-mounted power generation. It also describes how the city government of Mangalore has become more committed to participation. .

Hernández, Orlando; Barbara Rawlins & Reva Schwartz (1999) - "Voluntary recycling in Quito: factors associated with participation in a pilot programme" - Environment & Urbanization, Vol 11 No 2, October 1999 - IIED [pdf] Ecuador - This paper describes a pilot recycling programme in Quito and the factors associated with residents’ participation in separating their wastes. This municipal programme extended garbage collection to previously unserved neighbourhoods through micro-enterprises formed by residents which provided separate collection services (on different days) for organic (compostable), recyclable and non-recyclable wastes, and delivered these to municipal depots. The revenues from the sale of recyclables went to funds to support neighbourhood improvements. .

Hobson, Jane (2000) -"Sustainable sanitation: experiences in Pune with a municipal-NGO-community partnership", Environment & Urbanization, Vol 12 No 2, October 2000 - IIED [pdf] India - This paper describes a communal toilet construction programme in the city of Pune (India) undertaken through a partnership between the municipal corporation and eight NGOs. It focuses on the 13 toilet blocks that are the responsibility of one of these NGOs, Shelter Associates, and includes details of how they have been working with local residents with regard to design, construction, provision for maintenance and incorporation of space for community activities. It highlights the positive aspects, especially the municipal corporation’s willingness to try a new approach, while also describing the difficulties that NGOs face in having to meet official implementation schedules and cope with bureaucratic delays while delivering for, and remaining accountable to, low-income groups. .

UN-Habitat (2002) - Best Practice - Neighborhood Participation in the District of Santiago de Surco - [pdf] Peru - The rehabilitation of our environment is not only a responsibility of developed countries but also our own. The financial crisis in Surco has made us look for ways of maximizing the use of our resources. In a quest to do so, we have sought to sensitize the inhabitants of Surco on the importance of environment conservation. People have come up with various ideas on how best to achieve this end. These ideas have been incorporated into the district environmental management programme. This has in turn created a close link between the municipality and the Surco community. .

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city level

UN-Habitat (2002) - Best Practice - Ciechanow, Sustainable Town [pdf] Poland - Development of the town of Ciechanow is a very unique case in the worldwide scale. The main goal of the project was the improvement of living conditions by means of comprehensive sustainable development of the town. We defined a sustainable town as a town having well developed economic and social sector, unpolluted environment, a town taking care of both health and intellectual, inward development of its inhabitants and visitors. Our detailed objectives were: improvement of drinking water quality, Lydynia river water and ground water quality, air quality, land surface protection, improvement of health, physical culture and intellectual, inward development of people, improvement of likeness of the town and ecological education especially in the field of EU compliance. .

UN-Habitat (2002) - Best Practice - Activities that Promote Conservation Policies and Protect the Environment, Panama [pdf] Panama - ANCON was created to protect and conserve the natural resources of the Republic of Panama. This organization is a private non-profit association that includes among its personnel biologists, zoologists, ecologists, geographers, botanicals, forestry engineers, data and general management professionals who dedicate their intellectual efforts, capacities and skills in accomplishing the association's objectives. To ensure this commitment, ANCON has promoted the creation of policies and programs oriented to environmental protection and community education.

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international level

Bartone, Carl (2001) - Urban Environmental Priorities. Environment Strategy Background Paper - World Bank [pdf] The World Bank Group has embarked on a comprehensive effort to develop a corporate environment strategy. The initial phase of the preparation of the environment strategy has mobilised a large number of World Bank Group staff who work in various Regions and a wide range of sectors. This phase included the preparation of thematic background papers to describe emerging issues for discussion. This report is one of those background papers. It is intended as a vehicle to help a stocktaking process and stimulate a dialogue within the World Bank Group, as well as with its client countries, partners, and other interested stakeholders. .

Bretton Woods Project (2003) - Managing Sustainability World Bank-Style, An Evaluation of the World Development Report 2003 - Bretton Woods Project / Heinrich Böll Foundation [pdf] The World Bank’s annual World Development Report (WDR) is the Bank’s flagship publication. This year’s WDR 2003 entitled Dynamic Development in a Sustainable World – Given the importance of the World Bank as both major global development agency and major development financier, the Bank’s most “up-to-date” thinking about an ecologically, socially and economically- balanced development deserves scrutiny, attention and critical vigilance by an engaged civil society. .

Centro de Estudios para la Sustentabilidad (1997) - Ecological Footprint of Nations How Much Nature Do They Use? How Much Nature do They Have? [pdf] This "Footprints of Nations" report compares the ecological impact of 52 large nations, inhabited by 80 percent of the world population. It also shows to what extent their consumption can be supported by their local ecological capacity. One key finding is that today, humanity as a whole uses over one third more resources and eco-services than what nature can regenerate. In 1992, this ecological deficit was only one quarter. After introducing the rationale and assessment method for this study, the report explains how such biophysical analyses can help build a sustainable future. .

Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) (2003) - Power to the People-Sustainable energy solutions for the world’s poor [pdf] Two billion people have no access to electricity and up to three billion depend on bio-mass (wood, charcoal and dung) to meet their household energy needs. Energy services have a critical role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The UN Commission on Sustainable Development has called access to sustainable energy a “prerequisite” for halving poverty by 2015. .

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