ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL6.GCP/2021/TP.4
Country: Arab region, Arab Republic of Egypt, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Morocco
Publication Type: Information material
Cluster: Governance and Conflict Prevention
Focus Area: Climate change, Natural resource sustainability
Initiatives: Development challenges
SDGs: Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Keywords: Environment, Human development, Sustainable development
Environmental sustainability and human development: perspectives from the Arab region
July 2021
Environmental sustainability is an essential part of human development. The environment forms an integral part of our daily lives and its sustainability should be emphasized as using too little and humans cannot meet their needs and using too much leads to negative environmental effects. Frequent assessments are essential to evaluate whether countries are moving toward or away from environmental sustainability.
The aim of this paper is to provide an inclusive Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) focusing upon environmental facets most relevant to the region within a global context. After conducting consultations with environmental experts from the Arab region the ESI was established made up of the following 6 pillars: water and sanitation, energy sustainability and climate change, disaster risk reduction, waste management and material footprint, biodiversity and marine life and land sustainability.
Countries’ performance in each of the pillars vary widely. Among Arab States, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco signal a high ESI. In general, Arab States tend to exhibit lower environmental sustainability than other countries stemming principally from water scarcity and biodiversity threats.
Related content
Climate change
, Natural resource sustainability
,
Environmental sustainability is an essential part of human development. The environment forms an integral part of our daily lives and its sustainability should be emphasized as using too little and humans cannot meet their needs and using too much leads to negative environmental effects. Frequent assessments are essential to evaluate whether countries are moving toward or away from environmental sustainability.
The aim of this paper is to provide an inclusive Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) focusing upon environmental facets most relevant to the region within a global context. After conducting consultations with environmental experts from the Arab region the ESI was established made up of the following 6 pillars: water and sanitation, energy sustainability and climate change, disaster risk reduction, waste management and material footprint, biodiversity and marine life and land sustainability.
Countries’ performance in each of the pillars vary widely. Among Arab States, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco signal a high ESI. In general, Arab States tend to exhibit lower environmental sustainability than other countries stemming principally from water scarcity and biodiversity threats.
