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Earth Summit begins in Rio today

By Mahfuz UDah
With the growing concern for Mother Earth and actions to arrest the degradation of the environment, the nations of the world are meeting today In the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
Officially called United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the conference has taken on the popular name 'Earth Summit.
It has been 20 years since the world community met In Stockholm. Sweden, on Jun 5, 1972. under the watchful ban ncr Only One Earth.’ Over the last 20 years the cnvlronmen tai agenda has undergone remarkable progress.
Once viewed ns a secondary Issue, today. It has moved to
the forefront of political, economic and national security concerns.
Nevertheless, the Rio Conference begins with a big question on its outcome. Moves by developed countries, especially the United Stales have questioned the pious wishes of the organisers and the poverty stricken countries of the world are feeling hurt as the question of poverty Is being pushed Into backstage.
President Bush has already said no' to the bio-diversity agreement proposed for signature during the conference
Environmentalists are of the opinion that If the agreement Is not signed one-third of the species on earth will be
I . ..N.' •
extinct in another 40 years.
The audit report on the State of the Environment Just released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that ''efforts to improve the environment depend mainly on eliminating poverty and wasteful habits- of the very rich. The world's richest billion people consume the most resources and generate the most waste."
From 1970 to 1990, the population of the world increased by more than 40 per cent, about 1.6 billion people. In the coming two decades it Is expected to grow by another 1.7 billion people, bringing the total to seven billion.
Though the growth of population is slowing, during the current decade the world will have to support three more people every second, almost 97 million a year. Demographers arc of the opinion that this decade will sec the largest increase in population In human history.'
Increasing pressure of population creates pressure on meagre resources. The Invading population encroaches on lands and forests. This has already resulted In a telling effect on the natural environment and In the process women are facing more strains tn collecting fuel, food and wa ter for the family.
They are also facing difficulties tn conserving income and cutting expenditure.
There have been scientific and technological advance-
ments over the years contributing to the life span of people, specially in ensuring a better life.
Much of this progress has been in the rich industrial countries, where people now expect to live until 73 and where only nine children out of 1000 die before the age of five. As against this, a South Asian expects to live 57, a Latin American 66 and an African only 52.
Population level and disease arc linked. Besides, population Increase limits the access to primary health care, sanitation. education and so on.
When the survival of the poor has become difficult, so Is the case of many animals. Human activity is rapidly depleting the number of plant and animal species on the earth.
Industry and agriculture depend on this biological diversity for many of their needs.
Conservationists claim, over the next three decades the number of losses are likely to increase to 15000 to 50000 species per year, or about 40 lo 140 species per day.
The craze for development has also contributed lo speedy development of transport, a greedy consumer of both land and energy.
UNEP figures say There are 600 million bicycles In China and India. Unfortunately for the environment, th^re are almost as many vehicles in the world - roughly twice as many as there were in 1970. More than 80 per cent of all vehicle* arc produced and
owned in developed countries. In the United States every other person owns a vehicle, in Africa the figure Is 9 for every thousand Inhabitants. In India 2 and in China 0.4."
Against this background, the nations of the world would try to reach a consensus to save the earth. The conference is being held at a time when the world will be celebrating the World Environment Day June 5 with the slogan "Only one Earth, Care and Share."
The environment has no boundary and its degradation effects everybody. Justifying the slogan for this year s Environment Day. Mostafa K Tolba, Executive Director of UNEP has rightly said "We have only begun to fight to ensure Care and Share become the watchwords of the twenty-first century."
The Rio Conference is ex pected to end with a Charter ■ a document outlining the responsibilities of human beings for the coming years. There is nothing new in man defending his rights and survival.
Seven thousand years ago the Aryans of the Indus Civilization wanted to protect the five elements (earth, water, energy, air and the sky) essen tial for survival.
The concern is age-old but the world is yet to take a common Initiative.
The Earth Summit to likely to Initiate the actions despite the Intransigence of many of the developed countries.
(Editorial on Page 4)