About the data
3.15
Definitions
National environmental strategies and participation
Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) in
• Environmental strategies or action plans pro-
in international treaties on environmental issues pro-
Rio de Janeiro, which produced Agenda 21—an array
vide a comprehensive analysis of conservation and
vide some evidence of government commitment to
of actions to address environmental challenges:
resource management issues that integrate envi-
sound environmental management. But the signing
• The Framework Convention on Climate Change
ronmental concerns with development. They include
of these treaties does not always imply ratification,
aims to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of
national conservation strategies, environmental
nor does it guarantee that governments will comply
greenhouse gases at levels that will prevent human
action plans, environmental management strategies,
with treaty obligations.
activities from interfering dangerously with the
and sustainable development strategies. The date
global climate.
is the year a country adopted a strategy or action
In many countries efforts to halt environmental degradation have failed, primarily because govern-
• The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the
plan. • Biodiversity assessments, strategies, or
ments have neglected to make this issue a priority, a
Ozone Layer aims to protect human health and the
action plans include biodiversity profiles (see About
reflection of competing claims on scarce resources.
environment by promoting research on the effects
the data). • Participation in treaties covers nine
To address this problem, many countries are prepar-
of changes in the ozone layer and on alternative
international treaties (see About the data). • Cli-
ing national environmental strategies—some focus-
substances (such as substitutes for chlorofluoro-
mate change refers to the Framework Convention
ing narrowly on environmental issues, and others
carbon) and technologies, monitoring the ozone
on Climate Change (signed in 1992). • Ozone layer
integrating environmental, economic, and social
layer, and taking measures to control the activities
refers to the Vienna Convention for the Protection
concerns. Among such initiatives are conservation
that produce adverse effects.
of the Ozone Layer (signed in 1985). • CFC control
strategies and environmental action plans. Some
• The Montreal Protocol for Chlorofluorocarbon
refers to the Protocol on Substances That Deplete
countries have also prepared country environmen-
Control requires that countries help protect the
the Ozone Layer (the Montreal Protocol for Chloro-
tal profiles and biodiversity strategies and profiles.
earth from excessive ultraviolet radiation by cut-
fluorocarbon Control) (signed in 1987). • Law of
National conservation strategies—promoted by
ting chlorofluorocarbon consumption by 20 percent
the Sea refers to the United Nations Convention on
the World Conservation Union (IUCN)—provide a
over their 1986 level by 1994 and by 50 percent
the Law of the Sea (signed in 1982). • Biological
comprehensive, cross-sectoral analysis of conser-
over their 1986 level by 1999, with allowances for
diversity refers to the Convention on Biological Diver-
vation and resource management issues to help inte-
increases in consumption by developing countries.
sity (signed at the Earth Summit in 1992). • Kyoto
grate environmental concerns with the development
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Protocol refers to the protocol on climate change
process. Such strategies discuss current and future
Sea, which became effective in November 1994,
adopted at the third conference of the parties to the
needs, institutional capabilities, prevailing technical
establishes a comprehensive legal regime for seas
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
conditions, and the status of natural resources in
and oceans, establishes rules for environmental
Change in December 1997. • CITES is the Conven-
a country.
standards and enforcement provisions, and devel-
tion on International Trade in Endangered Species of
ops international rules and national legislation to
Wild Fauna and Flora, an agreement among govern-
prevent and control marine pollution.
ments to ensure that the survival of wild animals
National environmental action plans, supported by the World Bank and other development agencies, describe a country’s main environmental concerns,
• The Convention on Biological Diversity promotes
and plants is not threatened by uncontrolled exploita-
identify the principal causes of environmental prob-
conservation of biodiversity through scientific
tion. Adopted in 1973, it entered into force in 1975.
lems, and formulate policies and actions to deal with
and technological cooperation among countries,
• CCD is the United Nations Convention to Combat
them. These plans are a continuing process in which
access to financial and genetic resources, and
Desertification, an international convention address-
governments develop comprehensive environmental
transfer of ecologically sound technologies.
ing the problems of land degradation in the world’s
policies, recommend specific actions, and outline
But 10 years after the Earth Summit in Rio de
drylands. Adopted in 1994, it entered into force in
the investment strategies, legislation, and institu-
Janeiro the World Summit on Sustainable Develop-
1996. • Stockholm Convention is an international
tional arrangements required to implement them.
ment in Johannesburg recognized that many of the
legally binding instrument to protect human health
Biodiversity profiles—prepared by the World Con-
proposed actions had yet to materialize. To help
and the environment from persistent organic pollut-
servation Monitoring Centre and the IUCN—provide
developing countries comply with their obligations
ants. Adopted in 2001, it entered into force in 2004.
basic background on species diversity, protected
under these agreements, the Global Environment
areas, major ecosystems and habitat types, and
Facility (GEF) was created to focus on global improve-
legislative and administrative support. In an effort
ment in biodiversity, climate change, international
to establish a scientific baseline for measuring prog-
waters, and ozone layer depletion. The UNEP, United
Data on environmental strategies and participa-
ress in biodiversity conservation, the United Nations
Nations Development Programme, and World Bank
tion in international environmental treaties are
Environment Programme (UNEP) coordinates global
manage the GEF according to the policies of its gov-
from the Secretariat of the United Nations Frame-
biodiversity assessments.
erning body of country representatives. The World
work Convention on Climate Change, the Ozone
Bank is responsible for the GEF Trust Fund and chairs
Secretariat of the UNEP, the World Resources
the GEF.
Institute, the UNEP, the Center for International
To address global issues, many governments have also signed international treaties and agreements
Data sources
launched in the wake of the 1972 United Nations
Earth Science Information Network, and the
Conference on the Human Environment in Stock-
United Nations Treaty Series.
holm and the 1992 United Nations Conference on
2011 World Development Indicators
183
environment
Government commitment