• Goals
• Activities
  1. Environment and Transport/EST
     • Goals
     • Achievements to date
     • Activities
  2. Waste Management/3R
     • Goals
     • Activities
• Future Direction

Goals

The overall goal of the Environment Unit is to address and mainstream environmental considerations in the overall policy-making, planning, and development process at local, regional, and national levels. In this regard, the specific goals of the Environment Unit are:

1. Building capacity of local and national governments in addressing specific environmental issues and concerns in areas (e.g., transport, waste management, agriculture, and freshwater) that have significant relevance and implications in the context of sustainable regional development;
2. Responding to emerging issues of concern, such as climate change and human health impacts; and
3. Fostering community-based natural resource/environment management to achieve the MDGs.

Strategy

The strategy of UNCRD's Environment Unit is to address the environment in the context of sustainable development. While the actions and/or policies at the national level have regional (development) implications (top down), the awareness or responses and actions at the local and regional levels also have significant implications at the national level (bottom up) in achieving the goals under national development agenda or action plans. Yet regional disparities continue to persist in and among many of the developing countries.

In line with the environmental priorities and international commitments reflected in the MDGs as well as in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), UNCRD's Environment Unit is currently focusing on two emerging urban issues--transport and waste management--that have significant impacts on the socioeconomic and bio-physical environment. UNCRD has been providing the needed technical assistance to developing countries in effectively addressing integrated EST (environmentally sustainability transport) and 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle of waste) measures at the local and national levels.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Environment Unit are: (a) address key environmental priorities based on the real needs of the developing countries; (b) provide advisory services and policy advice to decision makers at the local and national levels in integrating and mainstreaming EST and 3R into the overall policy-making, planning and development process; and (c) build capacity of relevant government agencies and key stakeholders to effectively address issues, critical challenges, and strategic measures in the transportation and waste management sectors.