Agenda 21 is a United Nations (UN) sustainable development
programme agreed at the various Earth summits. Governments
are obliged o formulate national plans or straggles for
sustainable development.
What does Agenda 21 specify?
Agenda 21 states that it is people, not
governments, who engage in development,
and therefore sustainable development is
essentially a local activity.
Everyone, however poor or rich, has some ability to
change what they do in a small or big way
Implementation of Agenda 21
Local authorities in many parts of the
world are being to translate Agenda 21
into local action.
Suggested strategies by local authorities:
(All of these strategies are applied to the
local area)
Effectively monitoring air and water
quality
Promoting energy efficiency
Establishing an effective
recycling system
Introducing efficient forms of
public transport
Placing population management at
the heat of any activity
Just as global sustainability cannot exist
without national sustainability polices,
national Agenda 21 is incomplete without
a local Agenda 21
Authorities in developing countries, such as
most sub-Saharan African countries, can
introduce local population management by:
Training community nurses to be responsible for all elements of care
Prenatal
Midwifery
Childcare
Inoculations and care for elderly people
Educating adolescents about AIDS and HIV
Increasing levels of female literacy, thereby raising
aspirations and improving levels of prevention and care
within families
Authorities in developed countries can:
Trying sufficient medical care workers to look after the
rising numbers of elderly people, especially those too old or
infirm to look after themselves.
This would reduce the need to recruit medical workers from oversea.
Recognise that birth rates are falling and
consider the issue that may arise from having
smaller numbers of children and eventually a
reduced workforce