Ensure Environmental Sustainability (MDG 7)

Overview

The impact of environmental degradation and climate change threatens the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals. The poor in developing countries are especially vulnerable and the least able to adapt to the effects of environmental degradation. There have been only modest improvements and many setbacks in meeting the targets of this goal. Progress on this MDG is extremely varied in terms of both geographic region, as well as individual targets. Global deforestation-mainly the conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land―is slowing but continues at a high rate in many countries.

While the target to halve the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water may be met by 2015, more than 2.5 billion individuals still lack sustainable access to basic sanitation. The world is ahead of schedule in meeting the 2015 drinking water target, yet 884 million individuals worldwide still rely on unimproved water sources. Of these, 84 percent (746 million) live in rural areas. In 2008, an estimated 2.6 billion individuals around the world lacked access to an improved sanitation facility. If the trend continues, that number will grow to 2.7 billion by 2015.

Deforestation continues relatively unabated, and biodiversity continues to decline. Emissions contributing to climate change continue to increase, and there is increased migration to urban areas, threatening the modest progress made in reducing the number of urban slums. Nevertheless, over the past 10 years the share of the urban population living in slums in the developing world has declined significantly: from 39 percent in 2000 to 33 percent in 2010.

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Canada's Contribution

Canada assesses all of its development assistance activities for potential risks and opportunities with respect to environmental sustainability and works with its partner countries to ensure that they have the capacity to do the same. This includes enhancing partners' abilities to manage natural resources and address issues like desertification and climate change. CIDA protects and enhances biodiversity through its food security programming by supporting sustainable seed banks and integrated pest management.

In 2008-2009, CIDA invested $175 million in environmental initiatives, of which 28 percent was through core funding of the Global Environment Facility. CIDA is working closely with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and other international partners to improve the integration of environmental considerations into development planning and decision making, especially through tools like strategic environmental assessments.

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Contributions from the Canadian International Development Agency and its Partners

Stronger capacity to address global environmental challenges: CIDA is assisting the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to develop and use their natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way. One project addresses coastal and marine resource management issues by strenthening the environmental management capacity of institutions and organizations within OECS member states, including non-government organizations, community-based organizations, and the private sector.

Improved community conservation and increased access to safe water and sanitation: In Peru, with CIDA funding, a new waste management facility processes some 25,000 tonnes of waste per week into recyclables and compost for community gardens. In Ghana, CIDA's support for the Northern Region Water Sanitation Project (NORWASP) has resulted in the construction of 577 water access points and 7,604 household latrines. The prevalence of diarrhea in children under the age of five has been reduced from 38 percent to 17 percent.

Cooperative management of shared resources: Environmental problems between countries are being solved peacefully and cooperatively through initiatives such as the establishment of a bilateral commission to manage shared rivers in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and initiatives to address pollution abatement in the Ferghana Valley between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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