september 2008 Issue
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
The United Nations Needs You
Engineering Federation Taps Canadian Know-How to Address International Environmental Issues
Alberta innovation, smarts and technology have a new conduit to the international stage, thanks to an effort by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. In fact a past president of APEGGA is seeking ideas and solutions from engineers across the country to help the WFEO influence the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.
Darrel Danyluk, P.Eng., who’s also a past president of Engineers Canada, said in a recent backgrounder: “The role of engineers through WFEO is to help developing countries devise (climate change) adaptation strategies through financial assistance, technology transfer and capacity building. Much of the needed knowledge already exists within scientific and engineering communities.
“However, the knowledge often does not reach those that could benefit the most. Capacity building, focused on sharing the existing knowledge effectively, must be a priority.”
Mr. Danyluk, a vice-president of the WFEO, chairs its steering committee on the environment. One of his roles is to represent the organization and Canada as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.
In New York last May, the commission held its 16th meeting, attracting about 1,300 people including ministers of environment, infrastructure and agriculture from about 25 countries. About 100 countries all together were represented.
The commission’s key areas in 2008 and 2009 are agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa. The 2008 meeting was dedicated to understanding the issues — but next year’s will look at solutions.
That’s where Canadian engineers can help, said Mr. Danyluk. He wants the member associations of Engineers Canada — and their individual members — to forward ideas and solutions that address 11 key issues arrived at by the commission. Engineers Canada will compile and consolidate the submissions, before they move through the federation and on to the United Nations commission.
Following are the key issues listed in the backgrounder.
1. To achieve sustainable development in these key areas, there will need to be an enabling environment, good governance and institutional structure that encourage and assist, as well as capacity building. There is a strong need for strengthening science research and education focused on solutions. There must be mechanisms for facilitating dialogue between scientists and technologists, decision makers and farmers. WFEO will work with these groups to improve extension services so that information and solutions get into the hands of farmers, particularly small-scale farmers. An example of the problem is that half of the food grown is wasted before it can get to the consumer. This happens through poor harvesting techniques and incorrect storage, allowing vermin to attack and product to rot.
2. Productivity and competitiveness in most sectors are low, inhibiting the potential of Africa to move into higher-value-added activities beyond bulk commodities. Low levels of private sector investment, weak domestic financial markets, lack of technological capacity and limited transfer of technologies are among the obstacles to economic diversification and industrial upgrading.
3. Efficient water resources development and management as well as reusing safe wastewater can be a key factor in increasing resilience to climate changes and ensuring food security. Also, improved irrigation efficiencies and on-farm management practices could contribute towards overcoming water shortages and enhancing food security.
4. The use of food crops for producing biofuels has been a source of concern for many countries. However, biofuels can help overcome fossil fuel dependency and provide employment opportunities if their production meets sustainability criteria. Focusing efforts on those biofuels that do not compete with food production can offer promising results to mitigate climate change and to stimulate economic and rural development.
5. Increased interaction among scientists, policy-makers and local communities can accelerate the dissemination and adaptation of new and emerging technologies
and corresponding knowledge
from laboratories to field application in developing
countries, with assistance from development partners.
6. Investments in research and development, particularly in innovative and sustainable agricultural technologies and infrastructure, are urgently required. The international community should step up support to investments in agriculture, and substantially increase official development assistance in support of international research and on-the-ground outreach, training and extension services in agriculture.
7. Capacity building, transfer of technologies in accordance with the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building, technical cooperation and partnership are needed.
8. Scientific solutions are critical to increasing agricultural productivity. Investment in science and technology, training, capacity building and information sharing are important for addressing long-term constraints.
9. Climate change was identified as a major challenge for many countries in terms of its potential impact on water and food security, contributing in particular to an increase in extreme hydrological events such as floods and drought.
10. The absence of water treatment facilities in certain areas poses an obstacle for environmental management and for providing safe drinking water. This obstacle could be overcome by developing and implementing sustainable water and sanitation plans that take into account wastewater management. In this regard, it is important to use technologies suitable to local conditions.
11. Response to the current food crisis requires an increase in agricultural productivity, while ensuring that natural resources are managed in a suitable manner, and ecosystems are preserved. Reducing pre- and post-harvest losses, which average around 50 per cent globally and are highest in developing countries, demands transfer and dissemination of existing technologies and management practices, including risk management tools, and provision of good science to small-scale farmers in rural areas. The response to the food crisis should look at both causes and symptoms, but disaggregated statistics of natural, human, social and physical capital are often missing. Further studies should help to increase understanding of the impacts of biotechnology and biofuels in relation to food security with a view to developing a balance between biofuels and production.
More Info
Members who want to take part in this process are encouraged to read the backgrounder. Full instructions on how to submit ideas and information appear in the backgrounder.