Running Head: PUBLIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

PUBLIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Name of the Student

Name of the University

Author Note
 PUBLIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 1

Since the United nation conference on the Development and environment of Rio in

the year 1992, sustainable development has been an encompassing goal for the international

community. The conference drew the attention of governments all over the world to

emphasize developing strategies and action plans comprehensively towards sustainable

development incorporation to goals of the Rio Declaration (Hens, 2005). Man-made

constructions such as huge dams, oil pipelines, industries have raised hue and cry all over the

world, particularly in the last few decades. Lack of adequate planning in the case of Aswan

dam (Egypt) has caused major problems like silting of reservoirs; reduction of plankton in the

lower course of River Nile has adversely affected species like sardine, mackerel, lobster, etc.

Reservoirs and canals are affected heavily by snails" which cause deadly diseases. Reservoirs

have increased the occurrence of diseases like malaria; they have also increased soil salinity

which has led to reduced soil fertility. Trans-Alaska project was implemented after adequate

planning. Therefore, the pipeline route carefully avoided the seismic active zone of Alaska as

well as the delicate marine environment of the Pacific Ocean. Without proper planning, the

project could have caused disasters like the discharge of effluents, thawing of permafrost

regions, loss of valuable flora and fauna, etc. For the development of agriculture, agro-

climatic planning has been advocated by experts belonging to various disciplines. The

application of chemical fertilizers is gradually being replaced by bio-manures in different

parts of the world. Another example of the same is the innovative approach and application of

Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as part of the

regional level planning and practice in the United Kingdom as well as other European

countries (Fischer, & Gazzola, 2007).

 PUBLIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2

Reference

Fischer, T., & Gazzola, P. (2007). Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and strategic environmental

assessment (SEA). The Town Planning Review, 78(4), 531-537.

Hens, L. (2005). The rio declaration on environment and development. Regional sustainable

development review: Africa. Oxford, UK, Eolss Publishers.