1992- The Brundtland report provided the momentum for the landmark 1992 Rio Summit

that laid the foundations for the global institutionalization of sustainable development.
Marking the twentieth anniversary of the Stockholm Conference, the Earth Summit adopted:

Agenda 21, a global plan of action for sustainable development. Agenda 21 included 40
separate chapters, setting out actions in regard to the social and economic dimensions of
sustainable development, conservation and management of natural resources, the role of
major groups, and means of implementation. In Agenda 21, developed countries reaffirmed
their previous commitments to reach the accepted UN target of contributing 0.7 percent of
their annual gross national product (GNP) to official development assistance, and to provide
favorable access to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to
developing countries.

Agenda 21 lays down and identifies in detail various propositions to protect the oceans and
marine biodiversity. This was again emphasised int he Outcome Document during the Earth
Summit

Agenda 21
Systematic Action Plan laid down
Section: social economic dimensions
1. International cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing
countries and related domestic policies
2. Combating poverty and laying down policies and regulating activities to do the same
3. Changing consumption pattern
4. Demographic dynamics and sustainability: regulation population and maintaining
statistical data of population to determine parameters like number of populations,
gender ratio, consumption, age groups
5. Protecting and promoting Human health conditions
6. Promoting sustainable human settlement development
7. Integrating environment and development in decision making

Programme areas that constitute Agenda 21 are described in in terms of basis of action
A. Promoting Sd through trade basis for action
B. Making trade and env mutually supportive basis for action
C. Providing adequate financial resource to developing countries
D. encouraging

Section 1: Social and Economic Dimensions:

1. International Cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing
countries and related domestic policies. (They want to strengthen international and
domestic economic policies). 
2. Combating poverty: by raising standards of developing and increasing accessibility
for necessities. 
3. Changing consumption patterns: (done previously under 15 principles of SD and
Natural Step).
4. Demographic dynamics and sustainability: based on the statistics and data of
populations, the consumption and production ratios should be calculated and the
differentiation between genders and age groups. 
 5. Protecting and promoting human health conditions
6. Promoting sustainable human settlement development: AGAIN AND AGAIN SAME
THING^2 (done previously under Natural Step)
7. Integrating environment and development in decision making: involvement by
national and international bodies in SD.

The Programme areas that constitute Agenda 21 are described in terms of the basis for action,
activities and means of implementation. 

1. International Cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing

countries and related domestic policies:

 Programme areas: 

a.  Promoting SD through trade basis for action:  discussed under Article XX (b) and (g)
of the GATT. In the pursuit of accelerating economic policies, you should not destroy
or harm the environment. They want to promote sustainable development through
trade but also want to apply the trade policies in a way that it is not destroying the
environment. 
b. Making trade and environment mutually supportive basis for action:   the entire
contribution should be to design a structure in which you can give priority to
economic development but due concern is to be given to the environment. Hence,
they should be mutually supportive.
c. Providing adequate financial resources to developing countries: 
o Micro and Macro Economics makes a big difference in the policies. Macro is
studied at a wider angle in terms of national income, gross domestic product.
You see the level of inflation, pricing etc under Macro. They focus on national
output, unemployment and inflation. Hence, they should focus on policies that
will solve these problems. Developing countries should focus on Macro
economic policies. When a country stabilizes their monetary and fiscal
policies with a view of structuring their economy, then it will help them. 
o Micro economic policies deal with decisions on a narrow scale w.r.t.
Individual actors. This could be in terms of how local businesses are handled,
subsidies given to them and controlling the domestic market. How fairly and
efficiently are the local governments spending on these sectors will fall under
the ambit of micro economic policies. 
o There should be more trade facilitation activities and programmes for
environmental development in developing areas. This will help in giving them
the required assistance and financial resources for transitioning to sustainable
development policies. This will create a healthy investment infrastructure in
order to reduce the burden for developing and least developed countries to
transition. 
o There should also be infusion of capital from international entities. 
d. Encouraging economic policies conducive to SD. 
o How well you have identified the macro and microeconomic policies with a
view of achieving SD. Particularly Micro level development. 
o Allocation of funds by the government, defining and structuring development
etc will help towards achieving social, economic and cultural development. 

 2.              Combating Poverty programme Area: 

  Enabling the poor to achieve sustainable livelihoods. (Discussed before, in light of
developing and least developed countries, read from there). They considered that the
movement towards eradication of poverty is a shared responsibility by all states.
Hence, assistance should be provided to the states that are in need of it. (Basically the
same concept as common but differentiated responsibility)

 3.              Changing Consumption Patterns. 

Programme Areas
a. Focusing on unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. 
·   We should not put heavy burden or accelerate our use of the non-renewable resources.
Hence, we should pay attention to this aspect during our process of development. 
·   We should adopt material that will work as a substitute to the non-renewable material
that will minimize the human interaction with the environment. 
b. Developing national policies and strategies to encourage changes in unsustainable
consumption patterns. 

·   Developing countries should not put certain legislations/notifications/circulars in

place that makes it mandatory to follow sustainable development.

 4. Demographic dynamics and sustainability.  

a. Developing and disseminating knowledge concerning the links between demographic
trends and factors and SD. 
·   There should be knowledge shared between the countries where they can share
statistics and data with regard to demographic factors such as the level of population,
unemployment etc. 
b. Formulating integrated national policies for environment and development, taking
into account demographic trends and factors. 
·   There should be national facilities that will focus on the needs and necessity of the
population.  
c. Implementing integrated environment and development programmes at the local level,
taking into account demographic trends and factors. 
·   At a city/town/rural level, it is difficult to streamline administration. 
·   In this aspect, the national authorities should take into account the demographic
factors at each and every level and policies should be formulated in a way that it will
be beneficial to the level. 
·   Information should be compiled and provided to all citizens in order to make them
more informed. 

 5. Protecting and promoting human health: 

a.  Meeting primary health care needs, particularly in rural areas basis for action: 
·   There should be focus on public health particularly in the rural areas. This will help
strengthen the primary health care services.

b. Control of communicable diseases:

·   There should be Research and development to come up with scientific and technical
input which is required to develop a policy to reduce the spread of communicable
diseases. 
·   Developing and Least developed countries should undertake such activity. 
c. Protecting vulnerable groups 
·   Old age people, women and children should be protected from health crisis as they are
identified as vulnerable groups. 
·   You should identify and have accurate statistics of these groups at a local, regional
and national level. 
·   Then there should be counselling, sensitizing, discussion with these groups so that it
will make them more aware. 
·   This activity should be undertaken at domestic level. 
·   Random trivial: In India there was the Integrated Child Development Scheme that
helped with health protection for children.  

d. Meeting the urban health challenge: 

·   At the urban level, a health crisis is also prevalent. 

·   There should be coordination between different agencies and institutions to
disseminate information to keep people more informed. 
·   There should be more deliberation to come up with missions and policies to devise
better strategies. 

e. Reducing health risks from environmental pollution and hazards: 

·   National governments and agencies should identify the problems.
·   There should be schemes to protect the masses from pollution and other hazardous
problems.   
·   The Air Act, Water Act, Radioactive Waste management Act etc is already in place in
India
·   There is a need for well-trained doctors who are ready to work in rural areas. 
 India’s rank in the HDI Report 2018 (130/189 countries) issued by the UNDP
depicts the level of ignorance of the health sector in a country like India which is
growing heavily in other sectors. 
 India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. There is a need for
essential components of primary health care, promotion of food supply, proper
nutrition, safe water and basic sanitation and provision for proper health
information. (Refer to PPT). 
 India spends 1.4% of GDP on health, less than Nepal, Sri Lanka. Source : India
Spend, January 2018.
 70% of the overall household expenditure on health in the country is on
medicines. This is very high.
 An estimated 469 million people in India do not have regular access to essential
medicines. 
 While 63% of primary health centres did not have an operation theatre and 29%
lacked a labour room, community health centres were short of 81.5% specialists,
surgeons, gynaecologists, and pediatricians. 
 In 2014, 58% of Indians in rural areas and 68% in urban areas said they use
private facilities for patient care, according to the 71st round of the National
Sample Survey. 
 Various studies have shown the rising out of pocket expenditure on healthcare is
pushing around 32-39 million Indians below the poverty line annually. 
 Heart diseases (¼ people) and stoke is the biggest killer of men and women in
India. 
  7% of Indians fall below the poverty line just because of indebtedness due to this
expenditure, as well as that this figure hasn't changed much in a decade. About
23% of the sick can't afford healthcare because of these payments. 
 55 million Indians were pushed into poverty in a single year due to unaffordable
healthcare.
 33 out of 55 million fell under the poverty line due to expenditure on medicines
alone. 

Healthcare Schemes in India: 

 Reproductive, Maternam, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH +
A) programme essentially looks to address the major causes of mortality among
women and children as well as the delays in accessing and utilizing health care and
services. 
 Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): is an important initiative aiming at
early identification and early intervention for children from birth to 18 years to cover
the 4 D’s viz. Defects at birth, deficiencies, diseases and developmental delays
(including disability).
 Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram: The key principles of this programme is
adolescent participation and leadership. Equity and inclusion, gender equity and
strategic partnership with other sectors and stakeholders. The programme enables all
adolescents in India to realize their full potential by making informed and responsible
decisions related to health and well being by creating access. 
 The government of India has launched the “Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram”
to motivate those who will still choose to deliver at homes to opt for institutional
deliveries. 
 National AIDS Control Organization was set up so that every person living with
HIV has access to quality care and is treated with dignity
 Revised National TB Control Programme is a state run TB control initiative of
Govt. of India with a vision of achieving a TB free India. 
 Pulse Polio is an immunization campaign established by the Govt. of India to
eliminate polio in India By vaccinating all children under the age of 5 years against
polio virus. 
 National leprosy eradication programme: for early detection through active
surveillance and to provide appropriate medical rehabilitation
 Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
 National Tobacco Control Programme: was launched with the objective to bring
about greater awareness about the harmful effect of tobacco and use and about the
Tobacco control laws and to facilitate the effective implementation of the laws. 
 Integrated Child Development Service: was launched to improve the nutrition and
health status of children in the age group of 0-6 years, lay the foundation for proper
psychological, physical and social development of the child. Effective coordination
and implementation of policy among the various departments and to enhance the
capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutrition needs through
proper nutrition and health education 
 Rashtriya Swasthta Bima Yojana: is a government run health insurance program
for the Indian poor. It aims to provide health insurance coverage to the unorganized
sector workers belonging to the below poverty line and their family members shall be
beneficiaries under this scheme. 
 Ayushman Bharat was recently launched by Indian Gov. 
 6. Promoting Sustainable Human Development: 
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 and solid waste management
E. Promoting sustainable energy and transport system in human settlement; 
F. Promoting human settlement planning and management in disaster prone areas
G. Promoting sustainable construction industry activities
H. Promoting human resources development and capacity building for human settlement
development. 

 Random note:
 You must focus on the budget allocation and exploitation of resources as far as
planning and SD is concerned. 

 Indian position: 
 NITI Aayog report: Make Cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable
 Half of the human population- 3.5. Billion people live in cities today. By 2030, almost
60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. 
 828 million people live in slums today and the number keeps rising
 The world's cities occupy just 2% of the Earth's land but account for 60-80% of the
energy consumptions; 75 % of carbon emission. Rapid urbanization is exerting
pressure on fresh water supplied, sewage, the living environment and public health.
But the high density of cities can bring efficiency gains and technological innovation
while reducing resources and energy consumption.
 Cities have the population to either dissipate the distribution of energy or optimise
their efficiency by reducing energy consumption and adopting green- energy systems.
For eg. Rizhao, China has turned itself into a solar powered city; in its central
districts, 99% of households already use solar heaters. 
 68% of India’s total population lives in rural areas. 
 By 2030, India is expected to be home to 6 mega - cities with populations above 10
million. Currently 17% of India’s urban population lives in slums. 

 7. Integrating environment and developing in decision making: 

Programme areas: 
A. Integrating environment and development at the policy, planning and management
levels; 
B. Providing an effective legal and regulatory framework
C. Making effective use of economic instruments and market and other incentives
D. Established systems for integrated environmental and economic accounting. 
Following a recommendation in Agenda 21, the UN General Assembly officially created the
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) The Rio Summit was very successful from
a political standpoint: it had the world’s attention and active engagement and attendance by
virtually every national leader. Its challenges lay in two areas: 

 firstly, too much of an emphasis on the “environment pillar” in the negotiations 

 secondly, all too little implementation of goals established under Agenda 21,
particularly those related to development aid and cooperation