News and Analysis • Volume 2 • Number 2 • May 2008

Commission on Sustainable Development: CSD-16 2008 Review Session

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The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established in 1992 to report on implementation of the Earth Summit Agreements – Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests. The CSD meets annually as part of two-year cycles that focus on specific themes and cross-sector issues. The 2008/2009 cycle focuses on Africa, agriculture, rural development, land, drought, and desertification. Each theme, while independent, presents a number of cross-sector issues that policymakers must understand and consider in order to advance global sustainability objectives.

Africa is included as a CSD thematic cluster because of the particular relevance of agriculture, rural development, land, drought and desertification to African economies and economic well-being.

Agriculture and rural development

Most African economies continue to rely on rural agricultural production. Therefore, any effort to eradicate poverty will require increased agricultural productivity and rural development. As such, Agenda 21, Chapter 14 identifies programme areas such as education initiatives, economic incentives, technological development, resource management and environmental protection, to advance sustainable agriculture and rural development (SARD) objectives – the goals of which are to enhance food security, meet the growing demand for food, and increase the production of land already in use, while not encroaching upon land unsuitable for food production.

Land, drought and desertification

Much of the land in Africa is drylands – land which is characterised by its aridity and inadequate and variable rainfall. Land degradation damages soil structure and leads to the loss of soil nutrients through processes such as water or wind erosion, waterlogging, salinisation and soil compaction. The direct causes of land degradation are inappropriate land use – mainly unsustainable agricultural practices – overgrasing and deforestation, ultimately leading to a reduction in the productive capacity of the land.

Part of any effort to improve resource management and environmental protection in agriculture and rural development therefore must include land resource management initiatives. The basis of Agenda 21, Chapter 10 provides a holistic approach to land resource management, as it considers the land’s soils, minerals, water and biota. By linking environmental protection and economic development, policymakers and stakeholders are able to utilise the land’s resources in a more efficient manner, advancing the goals of sustainable development. These issues are all up for review at this year’s CSD session.