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AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 7



 PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE HUMAN
 SETTLEMENT DEVELOPMENT





NOTE:	This is a final, advanced version of a chapter of Agenda 21, as adopted by 
the Plenary in Rio de Janeiro, on June 14, 1992.  This document will be 
further edited, translated into the official languages, and published by the 
United Nations for the General Assembly this autumn.





........../2




I.  INTRODUCTION


7.1   In industrialized countries, the consumption patterns of cities are severely stressing 
the global ecosystem while settlements in the developing world need more raw material, 
energy, and economic development simply to overcome basic economic and social 
problems.  Human settlement conditions in many parts of the world, particularly the 
developing countries are deteriorating mainly as a result of the low levels of investments in 
the sector attributable to the overall resource constraints in these countries.  In the 
low-income countries for which recent data are available, an average of only 5.6 per cent 
of central government expenditure went to housing, amenities, social security and welfare. 
1/  Expenditure by international support and finance organizations is equally low. For 
example, only 1 per cent of the United Nations system's total grant-financed expenditures 
in 1988 went to human settlements 2/ while in 1991, loans from the World Bank and the 
International Development Association (IDA) for urban development and water supply and 
sewerage amounted to 5.5 and 5.4 per cent, respectively, of their total lending. 3/

7.2    On the other hand, available information indicates that technical cooperation 
activities in the human settlement sector generate considerable public and private sector 
investment.  For example, every dollar of UNDP technical cooperation expenditure on 
human settlements in 1988 generated a follow-up investment of $ 122, the highest of all 
UNDP sectors of assistance. 4/

7.3    This is the foundation of the "enabling approach" advocated for the human settlement 
sector.  External assistance will help to generate the internal resources needed to improve 
the living and working environments of all people by the year 2000 and beyond, including 
the growing number of unemployed - the no-income group.  At the same time the 
environmental implications of urban development should be recognized and addressed in an 
integrated fashion by all countries with high priority being given to the needs of the urban 
and rural poor, the unemployed and the growing number of people without any source of 
income.

           Human settlement objective

7.4    The overall human settlement objective is to improve the social, economic and 
environmental quality of human settlements and the living and working environments of all 
people, in particular the urban and rural poor.  Such improvement should be based on 
technical cooperation activities, partnerships among the public, private and community 
sectors and participation in the decision making process from community groups and 
special interest groups such as women, indigenous people, the elderly and the disabled. 
These approaches should form the core principles of national settlement strategies.  In 
developing these strategies, countries will need to set priorities among the eight programme 
areas in this document in accordance with their national plans and objectives taking fully 
into account their social and cultural capabilities.  Furthermore, countries should make 
appropriate provision to monitor the impact of their strategies on marginalized and 
disenfranchised groups with particular reference to the needs of women.

7.5    The programme areas included in this chapter are:

      A.	Providing adequate shelter for all;

      B.	Improving human settlement management;

      C.	Promoting sustainable land use planning and management;

      D.	Promoting the integrated provision of environmental infrastructure: water, 
sanitation, drainage, hazardous and solid waste management;

      E.	Promoting sustainable energy and transport systems in human settlements;

      F.	Promoting human settlement planning and management in disaster-prone 
areas;

      G.	Promoting sustainable construction industry activities;

      H.	Promoting human resource development and capacity-building for human 
settlement development.


II.  PROGRAMME AREAS

	A.	Providing adequate shelter for all

Basis for action

7.6  Access to safe and healthy shelter is essential to a person's physical, psychological, 
social and economic well-being and should be a fundamental part to national and 
international action.  The right to adequate housing as a basic human right is enshrined in 
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, 
Social and Cultural Rights.  Despite this, it is estimated that at the present time, at least 1 
billion people do not have access to safe and healthy shelter and that if appropriate action is 
not taken, this number will increase dramatically by the end of the century and beyond.

7.7  A major global programme to address this problem is the Global Strategy for Shelter 
to the Year 2000, adopted by the General Assembly in December 1988 (resolution 43/181, 
annex).  Despite its widespread endorsement, the Strategy needs a much greater level of 
political and financial support to enable it to reach its goal of facilitating adequate shelter 
for all by the end of the century and beyond.

Objective

7.8   The objective is to achieve adequate shelter for rapidly growing populations and for 
the currently deprived urban and rural poor through an enabling approach to shelter 
development and improvement which is environmentally sound.

Activities

7.9   The following activities should be undertaken:

      (a)   As a first step towards the goal of "providing adequate shelter for all" all 
countries should take immediate measures to provide shelter to their homeless poor, while 
the international community and financial institutions should undertake actions to support 
the efforts of the developing countries to provide shelter to the poor;

      (b)   All countries should adopt and/or strengthen national shelter strategies with 
targets as appropriate based on the principles and recommendations contained in the Global 
Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000.  People should be protected by law against unfair 
eviction from their homes or land;

      (c)   All countries should, as appropriate, support the shelter efforts of the urban and 
rural poor, the unemployed and the no-income group by adopting and/or adapting existing 
codes and regulations, to facilitate their access to land, finance and low-cost building 
materials and by actively promoting the regularization and upgrading of informal 
settlements and urban slums as an expedient measure and pragmatic solution to the urban 
shelter deficit;

      (d)   All countries should, as appropriate, facilitate access of urban and rural poor to 
shelter by adopting and utilizing housing and finance schemes and new innovative 
mechanisms adapted to their circumstances;

      (e)   All countries should support and develop environmentally compatible shelter 
strategies at national, state/provincial, and municipal levels for through partnerships among 
the private, public, and community sectors and with the support of community-based 
organizations;

      (f)   All countries, especially developing ones, should, as appropriate, formulate and 
implement programmes to reduce the impact of the phenomenon of rural to urban drift by 
improving rural living conditions;

      (g)   All countries, where appropriate, should develop and implement resettlement 
programmes which address the specific problems of displaced populations in their 
respective countries;

      (h)   All countries should, as appropriate, document and monitor the implementation of 
their national shelter strategies by using, inter alia, the monitoring guidelines adopted by 
the Commission on Human Settlements and the shelter performance indicators being 
produced jointly by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the 
World Bank;

      (i)   Bilateral and multilateral cooperation should be strengthened in order to support 
the implementation of the national shelter strategies of developing countries;

      (j)   Global progress reports covering national action as well as support activities of 
international organizations and bilateral donors should be produced and disseminated on a 
biennial basis as requested by the Global Shelter Strategy for the Year 2000.


Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.10   The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000) 
of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $75 billion, including about 
$10 billion from the international community on grant or concessional terms.  These are 
indicative and order of magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by 
Governments.  Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, 
will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide 
upon for implementation;

(b)   Scientific and technological means

7.11   The requirements under this heading are addressed in each of the other programme 
areas included in the present chapter.

(c)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.12  Developed countries and funding agencies should provide specific assistance to 
developing countries in adopting an enabling approach to the provision of shelter for all, 
including the no-income group, and covering research institutions and training activities for 
government officials, professionals, communities and non-governmental organizations and 
by strengthening local capacity for the development of appropriate technologies.

	B.	Improving human settlement management

Basis for action

7.13   By the turn of the century, the majority of the world's population will be living in 
cities.  While urban settlements, particularly in developing countries, are showing many of 
the symptoms of the global environment and development crisis, they nevertheless generate 
60 per cent of gross national product and, if properly managed, can develop the capacity to 
sustain their productivity, improve the living conditions of their residents and manage 
natural resources in a sustainable way.

7.14   Some metropolitan areas extend over the boundaries of several political and/or 
administrative entities (counties and municipalities) even though they conform a continuous 
urban system.  In many cases this political heterogeneity hinders the implementation of 
comprehensive environmental management programmes.

Objectives

7.15   The objectives are to ensure sustainable management of all urban settlements, 
particularly in developing countries, in order to enhance their ability to improve living 
conditions of residents, especially the marginalized and disenfranchised, thereby 
contributing to the achievement of national economic development goals.

Activities

(a)   Improve urban management

7.16   One existing framework for strengthening management is in the United Nations 
Development Programme/World Bank/United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 
(Habitat) Urban Management Programme (UMP), a concerted global effort to assist 
developing countries in addressing urban management issues.  Its coverage should be 
extended to all interested countries during the period 1993-2000.  All countries should as 
appropriate, and in accordance with national plans, objectives and priorities and with the 
assistance of NGOs and representatives of local authorities, undertake the following 
activities at the national, state/provincial, and local levels with the assistance of relevant 
programmes and support agencies:

	(a)  Adopt and apply urban management guidelines in the areas of land 
management, urban environmental management, infrastructure management and municipal 
finance and administration;

	(b)  Accelerate efforts to reduce urban poverty through a number of actions, 
including:

	(i)	Generate employment for the urban poor, particularly women, 
through the provision, improvement and maintenance of urban infrastructure 
and services and the support of economic activities in the informal sector, 
such as repairs, recycling, services and small commerce;

	(ii)	Provide specific assistance to the poorest of the urban poor through, 
inter alia, the creation of social infrastructure in order to reduce hunger and 
homelessness, and the provision of adequate community services;
	(iii)	Encourage the organization of indigenous community-based organizations, 
private voluntary organizations, and other forms of non-governmental entities which can 
contribute efforts to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for low-income 
families;

	(c)  Adopt innovative city planning strategies to address environmental and social 
issues by:

	(i)	Reducing subsidies on, and recovering full costs of, high standard 
environmental and other services (e.g. water supply, sanitation, waste 
collection, roads, telecommunications) provided to higher income 
neighborhoods;

	(ii)	Improving the level of infrastructure and service provision in poorer 
urban areas;

	(d) Develop local strategies for the improvement of the quality of life and the 
environment, integrating decisions for land use and land management, investment in public 
and private sectors, as well as mobilize human and material resources, thereby promoting 
employment generation which is environmentally sound and protective of human health. 

(b)   Strengthen urban data systems

7.17   All countries should undertake during the period 1993-2000 with the active 
participation of the business sector as appropriate pilot projects in selected cities for the 
collection, analysis and subsequent dissemination of urban data including environmental 
impact analysis, at the local, state/provincial, national and international levels and the 
establishment of city data management capabilities. 5/  United Nations organizations such 
as Habitat, UNEP and UNDP could provide technical advice and model data management 
systems.

(c)   Encourage intermediate city development

7.18   In order to relieve pressure on large urban agglomerations of developing countries, 
policies and strategies should be implemented towards the development of intermediate 
cities which create employment opportunities for unemployed labour in the rural areas and 
support rural-based economic activities, although sound urban management is essential to 
ensure that "urban sprawl" does not expand resource degradation over an ever wider land 
area and increase pressures to convert open space and agricultural/buffer lands for 
development.

7.19   For this purpose, all countries should, as appropriate, conduct reviews of 
urbanization processes and policies in order to assess environmental impacts of growth and 
apply urban planning and management approaches specifically suited to the needs, resource 
capabilities and characteristics of their growing intermediate-sized cities.  As appropriate, 
they should also concentrate on activities aimed at facilitating the transition from rural to 
urban lifestyles and settlement patterns and at promoting the development of small-scale 
economic activities, particularly the production of food, to support local income generation 
and the production of intermediate goods and services for rural hinterlands.

7.20   All cities, particularly those characterized by severe sustainable development 
problems, should in accordance with national laws, rules and regulations develop and 
strengthen programmes aimed at addressing such problems and guiding their development 
along a sustainable path.  Some international initiatives in support of such efforts as in the 
Sustainable Cities Programme of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 
(Habitat) and the Healthy Cities Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) 
should be intensified.  Additional initiatives involving the World Bank, the regional 
development banks and bilateral agencies as well as other interested stakeholders, 
particularly international and national representatives of local authorities should be 
strengthened and coordinated. Individual cities should, as appropriate:

      (a)	Institutionalize a participatory approach to sustainable urban development, based on 
a continuous dialogue between the actors involved in urban development (public sector, 
private sector and communities), especially women and indigenous people;

      (b)	Improve the urban environment by promoting social organization and environmental 
awareness through the participation of local communities in the identification of public 
services needs, the provision of urban infrastructure, the enhancement of public amenities 
and the protection and/or rehabilitation of older buildings, historic precincts and other 
cultural artifacts.  In addition, "green works" programmes should be activated to create 
self-sustaining human development activities and both formal and informal employment 
opportunities for low-income urban residents;

      (c)   Strengthen the capacities of their local governing bodies to deal more effectively 
with the broad range of developmental and environmental challenges associated with rapid 
and sound urban growth through comprehensive approaches to planning which recognize 
the individual needs of cities and which are based on ecologically sound urban design 
practices; 

      (d)   Participate in international "sustainable city networks" to exchange experiences 
and mobilize national and international technical and financial support;

      (e)   Promote the formulation of environmentally sound and culturally sensitive tourism 
programmes as a strategy of sustainable development of urban and rural settlements and as 
a way of decentralizing urban development, and of reducing discrepancies among regions;

      (f)   Establish mechanisms with the assistance of relevant international agencies to 
mobilize resources for local initiatives for improvements in environmental quality;

      (g)   Empower community groups, non-governmental organizations and individuals to 
assume the authority and responsibility for managing and enhancing their immediate 
environment through participatory tools, techniques and approaches embodied in the 
concept of environmental care.

7.21  Cities of all countries should reinforce cooperation among themselves and cities of 
the developed countries, under the aegis of non-governmental organizations active in this 
field, such as the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), the International 
Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the World Federation of Twin 
Cities.

Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.22  The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000) of 
implementing the activities of this programme to be about $100 billion, including about 
$15 billion from the international community on grant or concessional terms.  These are 
indicative and order of magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by 
Governments.  Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, 
will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide 
upon for implementation;
  
(b)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.23   Developing countries should, with appropriate international assistance, consider 
focusing on training and developing a cadre of urban managers, technicians, administrators 
and other relevant stakeholders needed to successfully manage environmentally sound 
urban development and growth and equipped with the skills necessary to analyze and adapt 
innovative experiences of other cities.  For this purpose, the full range of training methods 
- from formal education to the use of the mass media - should be utilized, as well as the 
"learning by doing" option.

7.24   Developing countries should also encourage technological training and research 
through joint efforts by donors, non-governmental organizations and private business in 
such area4 as the reduction of waste, water quality, saving of energy, safe production of 
chemicals and less polluting transportation.

7.25   Capacity-building activities carried out by all countries, assisted as suggested above, 
should go beyond the training of individuals and functional groups to include institutional 
arrangements, administrative routines, inter-agency linkages, information flows and 
consultative processes.

7.26   In addition, international efforts such as the Urban Management Programme, in 
cooperation with multilateral and bilateral agencies, should continue to assist the 
developing countries in their efforts to develop a participatory structure by mobilizing the 
human resources of the private sector, non-governmental organizations and the poor, 
particularly women and the disadvantaged. 

	C.	Promoting sustainable land use planning and management

Basis for action

7.27   Access to land resources is an essential component of sustainable low impact 
lifestyles. Land resources are the basis for (human) living systems and provide soil, 
energy, water and the opportunity for all human activity.  In rapidly growing urban areas, 
access to land is rendered increasingly difficult by the conflicting demands of industry, 
housing, commerce, agriculture, land tenure structures and the need for open spaces.  
Furthermore, the rising costs of urban land prevent the poor from gaining access to suitable 
land.  In rural areas, unsustainable practices, such as the exploitation of marginal lands and 
the encroachment on forests and ecologically fragile areas by commercial interests and 
landless rural populations, result in environmental degradation as well as in diminishing 
returns for impoverished rural settlers. 

Objective

7.28   The objective is to provide for the land requirements of human settlement 
development through environmentally sound physical planning and land use so as to ensure 
access to land to all households and where appropriate, the encouragement of communally 
and collectively owned and managed land. Particular attention should be paid to the needs 
of women, and indigenous people for economic and cultural reasons.  

Activities

7.29   All countries should consider, as appropriate, undertaking a comprehensive national 
inventory of their land resources in order to establish a land information system in which 
land resources will be classified according to their most appropriate uses and 
environmentally fragile or disaster-prone areas will be identified for special protection 
measures.

7.30   Subsequently, all countries should consider developing national land-resource 
management plans to guide land-resource development and utilization as follows:

      (a)   Establish, as appropriate, national legislation to guide the implementation of 
public policies for environmentally sound urban development, land utilization, housing and 
for the improved management of urban expansion;

      (b)   Create, where appropriate, efficient and accessible land markets which meet 
community development needs by, inter alia, improving land registry systems and 
streamlining procedures in land transactions;

      (c)   Develop fiscal incentives and land-use control measures, including land-use 
planning solutions for a more rational and environmentally sound use of limited land 
resources;

      (d)   Encourage partnerships among the public, private and community sectors in 
managing land resources for human settlements development;

      (e)   Strengthen community-based land-resource protection practices in existing urban 
and rural settlements;

      (f)   Establish appropriate forms of land tenure which provide security of tenure for all 
land-users, especially indigenous people, women, local communities, the low-income urban 
dwellers and the rural poor;

      (g)   Accelerate efforts to promote access to land by the urban and rural poor, 
including credit schemes for the purchase of land and for building/acquiring or improving 
safe and healthy shelter and infrastructure services;

      (h)   Develop and support the implementation of improved land management practices 
which deal comprehensively with potentially competing land requirements for agriculture, 
industry, transport, urban development, green spaces, preserves and other vital needs;

      (i)   Promote understanding among the policy makers of the adverse consequences of 
unplanned settlements in environmentally vulnerable areas and of the appropriate national 
and local land use and settlements policies required for this purpose.

7.31   At the international level, global coordination of land resource management activities 
should be strengthened by the various bilateral and multilateral agencies and programmes 
such as UNDP, FAO, the World Bank, the regional development banks, other interested 
organizations and the UNDP/World Bank/United Nations Centre for Human Settlements 
(Habitat) Urban Management Programme, and action taken to promote the transfer of 
applicable experience on sustainable land-management practices to and among developing 
countries.



Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.32  The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000) of 
implementing the activities of this programme to be about $3 billion, including about 
$300 million from the international community on grant or concessional terms.  These are 
indicative and order of magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by 
Governments.  Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, 
will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide 
upon for implementation;

(b)   Scientific and technological means

7.33   All countries, particularly developing countries, alone or in regional or subregional 
groupings, should be given access to modern techniques of land-resource management, 
such as geographical information systems, satellite photography/imagery and other 
remote-sensing technologies.

(c)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.34   Environmentally focused training activities in sustainable land resources planning 
and management should be undertaken in all countries with developing countries being 
given assistance through international support and funding agencies in order to:

      (a)   Strengthen the capacity of national, state/provincial, and local educational 
research and training institutions to provide formal training of land management technicians 
and professionals;

      (b)   Facilitate the organizational review of government ministries and agencies 
responsible for land questions, in order to devise more efficient mechanisms of 
land-resource management, and carry out periodic in-service refresher courses for their 
managers and staff in order to familiarize them with up-to-date land-resource management 
technologies;

      (c)   Where appropriate, equip those agencies with modern equipment, such as 
computer hardware and software and survey equipment;

      (d)   Strengthen existing programmes and promote an international and interregional 
exchange of information and experience in land management through the establishment of 
professional associations in land management sciences and related activities, such as 
workshops and seminars.

	D.	Promoting the integrated provision of environmental infrastructure: 
water, sanitation, drainage and solid waste management

Basis for action

7.35   The sustainability of urban development is defined by many parameters relating to 
the availability of water supplies, air quality and the provision of environmental 
infrastructure for sanitation and waste management.  As a result of the density of users, 
urbanization, if properly managed, offers unique opportunities for the supply of sustainable 
environmental infrastructure through adequate pricing policies, educational programmes 
and equitable access mechanisms which are economically and environmentally sound.  In 
most developing countries, however, the inadequacy and lack of environmental 
infrastructure is responsible for widespread ill-health, and a large number of preventable 
deaths each year.  In those countries conditions are set to worsen due to growing needs 
beyond governments' capability to respond adequately.

7.36   An integrated approach to the provision of environmentally sound infrastructure in 
human settlements, in particular for the urban and rural poor, is an investment in 
sustainable development which can result in improvement to the quality of life, increase 
productivity, improve health and reduce the burden of investments in curative medicine and 
poverty alleviation.

7.37   Most of the activities whose management would be improved by an integrated 
approach, are covered in Agenda 21 as follows:  chapters 6 (Protection and promotion of 
human health conditions), 9 (Protecting the atmosphere), 18 (Protection of the quality and 
supply of freshwater resources) and 21 (Environmentally sound management of solid 
wastes and sewage-related issues).

Objective

7.38   The objective is to ensure the provision of adequate environmental infrastructure 
facilities in all settlements by the year 2025.  The achievement of this objective would 
require that all developing countries incorporate in their national strategies programmes to 
build the necessary technical, financial and human resource capacity aimed at ensuring 
better integration of infrastructure and environmental planning by the year 2000.


Activities

7.39   All countries should assess the environmental suitability of infrastructure in human 
settlements, develop national goals for sustainable management of waste, and implement 
environmentally sound technology to ensure that the environment, human health and 
quality of life are protected.  Settlement infrastructure and environmental programmes 
designed to promote an integrated human settlements approach to the planning, 
development, maintenance and management of environmental infrastructure (water supply, 
sanitation, drainage, solid waste management) should be strengthened with the assistance of 
bilateral and multilateral agencies.  Coordination among these agencies and with 
collaboration from international and national representatives of local authorities, the private 
sector, and community groups should also be strengthened.  The activities of all agencies 
engaged in providing environmental infrastructure should, where possible, reflect an 
ecosystem or metropolitan area approach to settlements and should include monitoring, 
applied research, capacity-building, transfer of appropriate technology and technical 
cooperation among the range of programme activities.

7.40   Developing countries should be assisted at the national and local levels in adopting 
an integrated approach to the provision of water supply, energy, sanitation, drainage and 
solid waste management and external funding agencies should ensure that this approach is 
applied in particular to environmental infrastructure improvement in informal settlements 
based on regulations and standards that take into account the living conditions and 
resources of the communities to be served. 

7.41   All countries should, as appropriate, adopt the following principles for the provision 
of environmental infrastructure:

      (a)   Adopt policies that minimize if not altogether avoid environmental damage, 
whenever possible;

      (b)   Ensure that relevant decisions are preceded by environmental impact assessments 
and also take into account the costs of any ecological consequences;

      (c)   Promote development in accordance with indigenous practices and adopt 
technologies appropriate to local conditions;

      (d)   Promote policies aimed at recovering the actual cost of infrastructure services, 
while at the same time recognizing the need to find suitable approaches (including 
subsidies) to extend basic services to all households;

      (e)   Seek joint solutions to environmental problems which affect several localities. 

7.42   The dissemination of information from existing programmes should be facilitated 
and encouraged among interested countries and local institutions.

Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.43   The Conference secretariat has estimated most of the costs of implementing the 
activities of this programme in other chapters.  The secretariat estimates the average total 
annual cost (1993-2000) of technical assistance from the international community on grant 
or concessional terms to be about $50 million.  These are indicative and order of 
magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments.  Actual costs and 
financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the 
specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation;

(b)   Scientific and technological means

7.44   Scientific and technological means within the existing programmes should be 
coordinated wherever possible and should:

      (a)   Accelerate research in the area of integrated policies of environmental 
infrastructure programmes and projects based on cost-benefit analysis and overall 
environmental impact;

      (b)   Promote methods of assessing "effective demand", utilizing environmental and 
developmental data as criteria for technology choice.

(c)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.45   With the assistance and support of funding agencies, all countries should, as 
appropriate, undertake training and popular participation programmes aimed at:

      (a)   Raising awareness of the means, approaches and benefits of the provision of 
environmental infrastructure facilities, especially among indigenous people, women,
low-income groups and the poor;

      (b)   Developing a cadre of professionals with adequate skills in integrated 
infrastructural service planning and maintenance of resource efficient, environmentally 
sound and socially acceptable systems;

      (c)   Strengthening the institutional capacity of local authorities and administrators in 
the integrated provision of adequate infrastructure services in partnership with local 
communities and the private sector;

      (d)   Adopting appropriate legal and regulatory instruments, including cross-subsidy 
arrangements, to extend the benefits of adequate and affordable environmental 
infrastructure to unserved population groups, especially the poor.


	E.	Promoting sustainable energy and transport systems in human 
settlements

Basis for action

7.46   Most of the commercial and non-commercial energy produced today is used in, and 
for, human settlements and a substantial percentage of it is used by the household sector. 
Developing countries are presently faced with the need to increase their energy production 
to accelerate development and raise the living standards of their populations, while at the 
same time reducing energy production costs and energy-related pollution.  Increasing the 
efficiency of energy use to reduce its polluting effects and to promote the use of renewable 
energies must be a priority in any action taken to protect the urban environment.

7.47   Developed countries, as the largest consumers of energy, are faced with the need for 
energy planning and management, promoting renewable and alternate sources of energy, 
and evaluating the life-cycle costs of current systems and practices as a result of which 
many metropolitan areas are suffering from pervasive air quality problems related to 
ozone, particulate matters and carbon monoxide.  The causes have much to do with 
technological inadequacies and with an increasing fuel consumption generated by 
inefficiencies, high demographic and industrial concentrations and a rapid expansion in the 
number of motor vehicles. 

7.48   Transport accounts for about 30 per cent of commercial energy consumption and for 
about 60 per cent of total global consumption of liquid petroleum.  In developing countries, 
rapid motorization and insufficient investments in urban transport planning, traffic 
management and infrastructure, are creating increasing problems in terms of accidents and 
injury, health, noise, congestion and loss of productivity similar to those occurring in many 
developed countries.  All of these problems have a severe impact on urban populations, 
particularly the low-income and no-income groups.

Objectives

7.49   The objectives are to extend the provision of more energy-efficient technology and 
alternative/renewable energy for human settlements and to reduce negative impacts of 
energy production and use on human health and on the environment.

Activities

7.50   The principal activities relevant to this programme area are included in Agenda 21 
as follows:  chapter 9 (Protecting the atmosphere), programme area B, sub-programme 1, 
Energy development, efficiency, and consumption and sub-programme 2, transportation.

7.51   A comprehensive approach to human settlements development should include the 
promotion of sustainable energy development in all countries, as follows:

	(a)	Developing countries, in particular and bilateral donors should:
 
	(i)		Formulate national action programmes to promote and 
support reafforestation and national forest regeneration with a view to 
achieve sustained provision of the biomass energy needs of the 
low-income groups in urban areas and the rural poor, in particular 
women and children;

	(ii)		Formulate national action programmes to promote 
integrated development of energy saving and renewable energy 
technologies particularly for the use of solar, hydro, wind and 
biomass sources;
	(iii)		Promote wide dissemination and commercialization of renewable 
energy technologies through suitable measures, inter alia, fiscal and technology transfer 
mechanisms;

	(iv)		Carry out information and training programmes 
directed at manufacturers and users in order to promote energy 
saving techniques and energy efficient appliances;

	(b)	International organizations should:              

	(i)		Support developing countries in implementing national 
energy programmes in order to achieve widespread use of energy 
saving and renewable energy technologies, particularly the use of 
solar, wind, biomass and hydro sources;

	(ii)		Provide access to research and development results to 
increase energy use efficiency levels in human settlements.

7.52   Promoting efficient and environmentally sound urban transport systems in all 
countries should be a comprehensive approach to urban transport planning and 
management.  For this all countries should:

      (a)   Integrate land-use and transportation planning to encourage development patterns 
which reduce transport demand;

      (b)   Adopt urban transport programmes favoring high-occupancy public transport in 
countries as appropriate;

      (c)   Encourage non-motorized modes of transport by providing safe cycleways and 
footways in urban and suburban centres in countries as appropriate;

      (d)   Devote particular attention to effective traffic management, to efficient operation 
of public transport and to maintenance of transport infrastructure;

      (e)   Promote the exchange of information among countries and representatives of local 
and metropolitan areas;

      (f)   Re-evaluate the present consumption and production patterns in order to reduce 
energy and national resources use.

Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.53  The Conference secretariat has estimated the costs of implementing the activities of 
this programme in chapter 9 (Protection of the atmosphere);


(b)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.54   In order to enhance the skills of energy service and transport professionals and 
institutions, all countries should, as appropriate:

      (a)   Provide on-the-job and other training of government officials, planners, traffic 
engineers, and managers involved in the energy service and transport section;

      (b)   Raise public awareness about the environmental impacts of transport and travel 
behavior through mass media campaigns and support for non-governmental and community 
initiatives promoting the use of non-motorized transport, shared driving and improved 
traffic safety measures;

      (c)   Strengthen regional, national, state/provincial, and private sector institutions that 
provide education and training on energy service and urban transport planning and 
management.



	F.	Promoting human settlement planning and management in disaster-prone 
areas

Basis for action

7.55   Natural disasters cause loss of life, disruption of economic activities and urban 
productivity - particularly for highly susceptible low-income groups, and environmental 
damage, such as loss of fertile agricultural land and contamination of water resources, and 
can lead to major resettlement of populations.  Over the past two decades they are 
estimated to have caused some 3 million deaths and affected 800 million people.  Global 
economic losses have been estimated by the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief 
Coordinator to be in the range of $ 30-50 billion per year. 7/

7.56  The General Assembly, in resolution 44/236, proclaimed the 1990s as the 
International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.  The goals of the Decade 8/ bear 
relevance to the objectives of the present programme area.

7.57  In addition, there is an urgent need to address the prevention and reduction of 
man-made disasters and/or disasters caused by, inter alia, industries, unsafe nuclear power 
generation and toxic wastes (see chapter 6 of Agenda 21 - Protection and Promotion of 
Human Health conditions).

Objective

7.58  The objective is to enable all countries, in particular those that are disaster-prone, to 
mitigate the negative impact of natural and man-made disasters on human settlements, 
national economies and the environment.

Activities

7.59  Three distinct areas of activity are foreseen under this programme area, namely the 
development of a "culture of safety", pre-disaster planning and post-disaster reconstruction.

(a)   Develop a culture of safety

7.60  To promote a "culture of safety" in all countries, especially those that are 
disaster-prone, the following activities should be carried out:

      (a)   Complete national and local studies on the nature and occurrence of natural 
disasters, their impact on people and economic activities, the effects of inadequate 
construction and land use in hazard-prone areas, and the social and economic advantages of 
adequate pre-disaster planning;

      (b)   Implement nationwide and local awareness campaigns through all available media, 
translating the above knowledge into information easily comprehensible to the general 
public and to the populations directly exposed to hazards;
      (c)   Strengthen, and/or develop global, regional, national and local early warning 
systems to alert populations to impending disasters;

      (d)   Identify industrially based environmental disaster areas at the national and 
international levels and implement strategies aimed at the rehabilitation of these areas 
through, inter alia:

	(i)	Restructuring of the economic activities and promoting new job 
opportunities in environmentally sound sectors; 

	(ii)	Promoting close collaboration between governmental and local 
authorities, local communities and non-governmental organizations and 
private business;

	(iii)	Developing and enforcing strict environmental control standards.
      
(b)   Develop pre-disaster planning

7.61  Pre-disaster planning should form an integral part of human settlement planning in all 
countries.  The following should be included:

      (a)   Complete multi-hazard research into risk and vulnerability of human settlements 
and settlement infrastructure, including water and sewerage, communication and 
transportation networks, as one type of risk reduction may increase vulnerability to another 
(e.g., an earthquake resistant house made of wood will be more vulnerable to wind 
storms);

      (b)   Develop methodologies for determining risk and vulnerability within specific 
human settlements and incorporate risk and vulnerability reduction into the human 
settlement planning and management process;

      (c)   Redirect inappropriate new development and human settlements to areas not prone 
to hazards;

      (d)   Prepare guidelines on location, design and operation of potentially hazardous 
industries and activities;

      (e)   Develop tools (legal, economic etc.) to encourage disaster-sensitive development, 
including means of ensuring that limitations on development options are not punitive to 
owners, or incorporate alternative means of compensation;

      (f)   Further develop and disseminate information on disaster-resistant building 
materials and construction technologies for buildings and public works in general;

      (g)   Develop training programmes for contractors and builders on disaster-resistant 
construction methods.  Some programmes should be directed particularly to small 
enterprises, which build the great majority of housing and other small buildings in the 
developing countries as well as for the rural populations which build their own houses;

      (h)   Develop training programmes for emergency site managers, non-governmental 
organizations and community groups which cover all aspects of disaster mitigation, 
including urban search and rescue, emergency communications, early warning techniques, 
and pre-disaster planning;

      (i)   Develop procedures and practices to enable local communities to receive 
information about hazardous installations or situations in these areas, and facilitate their 
participation in early warning and disaster abatement and response procedures and plans;

      (j)   Prepare action plans for the reconstruction of settlements, especially the 
reconstruction of community life-lines.

(c)   Initiate post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation planning

7.62  The international community as a major partner in post-reconstruction and 
rehabilitation should ensure that the countries involved derive the greatest benefits from the 
funds allocated by undertaking the following activities:
 
      (a)   Carry out research on past experiences on the social and economic aspects of 
post-disaster reconstruction and adopt effective strategies and guidelines for post-disaster 
reconstruction with particular focus on development focused strategies in the allocation of 
scarce reconstruction resources, and on the opportunities which post-disaster reconstruction 
provides to introduce sustainable settlement patterns; 

      (b)   Prepare and disseminate international guidelines for adaptation to national and 
local needs;

      (c)   Support efforts of national governments to initiate contingency planning, with 
participation of affected communities, for post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation. 


Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.63  	The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000) 
of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $50 million from the 
international community on grant or concessional terms.  These are indicative and order of 
magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments.  
Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend 
upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for 
implementation;

(b)   Scientific and technological means

7.64  Scientists and engineers specializing in this field in both developing and developed 
countries should collaborate with urban and regional planners in order to provide the basic 
knowledge and means to mitigate losses due to disasters as well as environmentally 
inappropriate development.

(c)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.65  Developing countries should conduct training programmes on disaster-resistant 
construction methods for contractors and builders, who build the majority of housing in the 
developing countries.  This should focus on the small business enterprises, which build the 
majority of housing in the developing countries. 

7.66  Training programmes should be extended to government officials and planners and 
community and non-governmental organizations to cover all aspects of disaster mitigation, 
such as early warning techniques, pre-disaster planning and construction, post-disaster 
construction and rehabilitation.

	G.	Promoting sustainable construction industry activities

Basis for action

7.67   The activities of the construction sector are vital to the achievement of the national 
socio-economic development goals of providing shelter, infrastructure and employment. 
However, they can be a major source of environmental damage through depletion of the 
natural resource base, degradation of fragile eco-zones, chemical pollution and the use of 
building materials harmful to human health.

Objectives

7.68  The objectives are first, to adopt policies and technologies and to exchange 
information on them in order to enable the construction sector to meet human settlement 
development goals while avoiding harmful side-effects on human health and on the 
biosphere and, second, to enhance the employment-generation capacity of the construction 
sector.  Governments should work in close collaboration with the private sector in 
achieving these objectives. 

Activities

7.69  All countries should, as appropriate and in accordance with national plans, objectives 
and priorities:

      (a)   Establish and strengthen indigenous building materials industry, based as much as 
possible, on inputs of locally available natural resources;

      (b)   Formulate programmes to enhance the utilization of local materials by the 
construction sector by expanding technical support and incentive schemes for, increasing 
the capabilities and economic viability of small-scale and informal operatives who make use 
of these materials and traditional construction techniques;

      (c)   Adopt standards and other regulatory measures which promote the increased use 
of energy-efficient designs and technologies and sustainable utilization of natural resources 
in an economically and environmentally appropriate way;

      (d)   Formulate appropriate land-use policies and introduce planning regulations 
specially aimed at protection of eco-sensitive zones against physical disruption by 
construction and construction-related activities;

       (e)   Promote the use of labour-intensive construction and maintenance technologies 
which generate employment in the construction sector for the underemployed labour force 
found in most large cities while at the same time promoting the development of skills in the 
construction sector;

      (f)   Develop policies and practices to reach informal sector and self-help housing 
builders by adopting measures to increase the affordability of building materials on the part 
of the urban and rural poor, through, inter alia, credit schemes and bulk procurement of 
building materials for sale to small-scale builders and communities.

7.70  All countries should:

      (a)   Promote the free exchange of information on the whole range of environmental 
and health aspects of construction including the development and dissemination of 
databases on the adverse environmental effects of building materials through the 
collaborative efforts of the private and public sectors; 

      (b)   Promote the development and dissemination of databases on the adverse 
environmental and health effects of building materials and introduce legislation and 
financial incentives to promote recycling of energy-intensive materials in the construction 
industry and conservation of waste energy in building-materials production methods;

      (c)   Promote the use of economic instruments, such as product charges, to discourage 
the use of construction materials and products which create pollution during their 
life-cycle;

      (d)   Promote information exchange and appropriate technology transfer among all 
countries, with particular attention to developing countries, for resource management in 
construction, particularly for non-renewable resources; 

      (e)   Promote research in construction industries and related activities, and establish 
and strengthen institutions in this sector.

Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.71 	The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000) 
of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $40 billion, including about 
$4 billion from the international community on grant or concessional terms.  These are 
indicative and order of magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by 
Governments.  Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, 
will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide 
upon for implementation;


(b)   Human resource development and capacity-building

7.72  Developing countries should be assisted by international support and funding 
agencies in upgrading the technical and managerial capacities of the small entrepreneur and 
the vocational skills of operatives and supervisors in the building materials industry, using 
a variety of training methods.  These countries should also be assisted in developing 
programmes to encourage the use of non-waste and clean technologies through appropriate 
transfer of technology.

7.73  General education programmes should be developed in all countries, as appropriate, 
to increase builder awareness of available sustainable technologies. 

7.74  Local authorities are called upon to play a pioneering role in promoting the increased 
use of environmentally sound building materials and construction technologies, e.g., by 
pursuing an innovative procurement policy.


	H.	Promoting human resource development and capacity-building for 
human settlements development

Basis for action

7.75  Most countries, in addition to shortcomings in the availability of specialized expertise 
in the areas of housing, settlement management, land management, infrastructure, 
construction, energy, transport, and pre-disaster planning and reconstruction, face three 
cross-sectoral human resource development and capacity-building shortfalls.  First is the 
absence of an enabling policy environment capable of integrating the resources and 
activities of the public sector, the private sector and the community, or social sector; 
second is the weakness of specialized training and research institutions; and third is the 
insufficient capacity for technical training and assistance for low-income communities, both 
urban and rural. 

Objective

7.76  The objective is to improve human resource development and capacity-building in all 
countries by enhancing the personal and institutional capacity of all actors, particularly 
indigenous people and women, involved in human settlement development.  In this regard, 
account should be taken of traditional cultural practices of indigenous people and their 
relationship to the environment.

Activities

7.77  Specific human resource development and capacity-building activities have been built 
into each of the programme areas of this chapter.  More generally, however, additional 
steps should be taken to reinforce those activities.  In order to do so, all countries, as 
appropriate should take the following action:

      (a)   Strengthen the development of the human resources and of capacities of public 
sector institutions through technical assistance and international cooperation so as to 
achieve by the year 2000 substantial improvement in the efficiency of governmental 
activities;

      (b)   Create an enabling policy environment supportive of the partnership between the 
public, private and community sectors;

      (c)   Provide enhanced training and technical assistance to institutions providing 
training for technicians, professionals and administrators, and appointed, elected, and 
professional members of local governments and strengthen their capacity to address priority 
training 
needs, particularly in regard to social, economic and environmental aspects of human 
settlements development;

      (d)   Provide direct assistance for human settlement development at the community 
level, inter alia, by: 

	(i)		Strengthening and promoting programmes for social 
mobilization and awareness raising of the potential of women and 
youth in human settlements activities;

	(ii)		Facilitating coordination of the activities of women, 
youth, community groups, and non-governmental organizations in 
human settlements development;

	(iii)	Promoting research on women's programmes and other groups, and 
evaluate progress made with a view to identifying bottlenecks and needed 
assistance;

	(e) Promote the inclusion of integrated environmental management into general 
local government activities.

7.78  Both international organizations and non-governmental organizations should support 
the above activities by, inter alia, strengthening subregional training institutions, providing 
updated training materials and disseminating the results of successful human resource and 
capacity-building activities, programmes and projects.

Means of implementation

(a)   Financing and cost evaluation

7.79  	The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000) 
of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $65 million from the 
international community on grant or concessional terms.  These are indicative and order of 
magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments.  Actual costs and 
financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the 
specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.

(b)   Scientific and technological means

7.80  Both formal training and non-formal types of human resource development and 
capacity-building programmes should be combined, and use should be made of 
user-oriented training methods, up-to-date training materials and modern audio-visual 
communication systems.


Notes

      1/    No aggregate figures are available on internal expenditure or official development 
assistance on human settlements.  However, data available in the World Development 
Report, 1991, for 16 low-income developing countries show that the percentage of central 
government expenditure on housing, amenities, and social security and welfare for 1989 
averaged 5.6 per cent, with a high of 15.1 per cent in the case of Sri Lanka, which has 
embarked on a vigorous housing programme.  In OECD industrialized countries, during 
the same year, the percentage of central government expenditure on housing, amenities and 
social security and welfare ranged from a minimum of 29.3 per cent to a maximum of 49.4 
per cent, with an average of 39 per cent (World Bank, World Development Report, 1991, 
World Development Indicators, table 11 (Washington, D.C., 1991).

      2/    See the report of the Director-General for Development and International 
Economic Cooperation, containing preliminary statistical data on operational activities of 
the United Nations system for 1988 (A/44/324-E/1989/106/Add.4, annex).

      3/    World Bank Annual Report, 1991 (Washington, D.C., 1991).

      4/    UNDP, "Reported investment commitments related to UNDP-assisted projects, 
1988", table 1, "Sectoral distribution of investment commitment in 1988-1989".
      5/    A pilot programme of this type, the City Data Programme (CDP), is already in 
operation in the United Nations Centre on Human Settlements (Habitat) aimed at the 
production and dissemination to participating cities of micro-computer application software 
designed to store, process and retrieve city data for local, national and international 
exchange and dissemination.

      6/    This calls for integrated land-resource management policies, which are also 
addressed in, chapter 10 of Agenda 21 (Integrated Approach to Planning and Management 
of Land Resources).

      7/    Estimates of the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator.

      8/    The goals of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, set out in 
the annex to General Assembly resolution 44/236 are as follows:

      (a)   To improve the capacity of each country to mitigate the effects of natural disasters 
expeditiously and effectively, paying special attention to assisting developing countries in 
the assessment of disaster damage potential and in the establishment of early warning 
systems and disaster-resistant structures when and where needed;

      (b)   To devise appropriate guidelines and strategies for applying existing scientific and 
technical knowledge, taking into account the cultural and economic diversity among 
nations;

      (c)   To foster scientific and engineering endeavours aimed at closing critical gaps in 
knowledge in order to reduce loss of life and property;

      (d)   To disseminate existing and new technical information related to measures for the 
assessment, prediction and mitigation of natural disasters;

      (e)   To develop measures for the assessment, prediction, prevention and mitigation of 
natural disasters through programmes of technical assistance and technology transfer, 
demonstration projects, and education and training, tailored to specific disasters and 
locations, and to evaluate the effectiveness of those programmes.

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