Water is a Key to Sustainable Development

The theme of World Water Week 2015, (August 23-28) is "Water for Development." This year's theme is crucially important issue as water is central to development issues around the world. There can be no sustainable development, nor can we hope to eradicate poverty in the absence of a keen focus on water.

Climate Change and Biofuels on World Food Day 2012

October 16 is a special day for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Each year at this time food becomes the center of attention and this year agricultural cooperatives are the focus of World Food Day 2012. The day is intended to raise awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger. The 2012 theme was chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger. Interest in cooperatives and rural organizations is also reflected in the decision of the UN General Assembly to designate 2012 “International Year of Cooperatives.”

Two major issues that directly impact World Food Day are climate change and biofuels. In 2012 climate change induced extreme weather has wreaked havoc on world food prices and threatens to increase global hunger. The use of agricultural lands for Biofuels have also increased the likelihood of global hunger. In the US, 40 percent of maize yields are converted to ethanol to power vehicles. The UN estimates that 1 in 8 people on the planet are now living in chronic hunger conditions.

Education References in the Rio+20 The Future We Want Text

Education was a key issue at the Rio+20 conference last June. Education is referenced six different times in the Rio+20 draft text known as "The Future We Want." Here is a summary of those references:

11. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening international cooperation to address the persistent challenges related to sustainable development for all, in particular in developing countries. In this regard, we reaffirm the need to achieve economic stability and sustained economic growth, promotion of social equity, and protection of the environment, while enhancing gender equality and women's empowerment, and equal opportunities for all, and the protection, survival and development of children to their full potential, including through education.

RIO + 20 Supported Education for Sustainable Development

Education was an important part of the Rio+20 conference in June 2012. Although many felt that the outcome did not go far enough, education was frequently mentioned as an important area of sustainable development. Despite tepid results, participants at the conference did manage to agree that education has a crucial role to play, in particular Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The Rio+20 conference prompted UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to say, “We resolve to promote education for sustainable development and to integrate sustainable development more actively into education beyond the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.”

UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development

UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) promotes the widespread access of all people everywhere to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. ESD incorporates key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behavior and take action for sustainable development. ESD consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way.