Airline baggage systems
Table of Contents
- Definition of Mediterranean. 4
- Problems of the Mediterranean. 5
- Environmental Challenge. 5
- Demographic, economic, social and cultural challenges. 5
- Challenges of globalization, regional collaboration and governance. 6
- Transport & Sustainable Mobility. 6
- Role of the Mediterranean region. 7
Role 1: Adding to economic growth by improving resources. 7
Role 4: development of governance at all levels. 10
- The MSSD Seven Priority Fields of Action. 10
- Successful unified water resource and water demand organization. 11
- Meeting sustainable management of energy and controlling and acquisition of the effects of climate variation 11
- Ensuring sustainable mobility by use of relevant transport 12
- The development of tourism.. 12
- Developing sustainable agricultural and rural advancement 12
- Creating sustainable urban advancement 12
- Creation of a sustainable management of the sea and coastal areas and applying rapid steps to stop degradation in the coastal regions. 13
- Way forward. 13
Abstract
This paper looks into the sustainability of the Mediterranean region in varied aspects of economic, social and environmental aspects. The paper will first start by looking the definition of Mediterranean with regard to the varied aspects named, it will later focus on the problems that the Mediterranean region is affiliated to, and this will be handled with reference to the aspects of life. It will later look into the sustainability of the transport sector and its mobility. The Mediterranean region in attempt to meet a sustainable feature will have to undertake varied objectives which will be looked to as well as the seven priority fields of action. Lastly, the paper will end by looking at the way forward for maintaining sustainability for the region.
Mediterranean Sustainability
1. Definition of Mediterranean
The Mediterranean region is an economic body that encompasses a wide range of economic activities that lead to production and consumption of resources available in the region. These are mainly identified by the agricultural activities that take place in the region which is common in the rural areas. There is immense labor that the region is affiliated to which propels the regions development (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 1-2). The tourism sector plays a vital role in this aspect which many people come in to enjoy the environment and what it has to offer. In terms of the social enrichment of the region, it is known by a diverse group of people who live in both the urban and rural region; the composition of the population varied from the young to old. The environmental aspect of the region is quite immense; it is divided into two shores, it offers a ground that supports the agriculture of the region and it is known to have phenomenon landscape that contributes massively to the tourism of the region. It is through this that revenue is generated as well as employment for the youth.
2. Problems of the Mediterranean
The environmental issues of the Mediterranean create a basis for the advancement of the region and are vital to stop the degradation of the environment which would impact on the economic and social aspects. As a basis for creating a flexible regional process for sustainable growth, this section looks into the negative impacts faced by the Mediterranean.
a. Environmental Challenge
In the past period, the environmental degradation has increased; significant amount of land has grown as a result of urbanization and salinization. Over 80% of the dry and semi-dry areas are impacted by desertification and this is set to change due to climate change. There has been scarcity of water due to over-use hence threatening depletion. Pollution from the cities has found their way into the sea leading massive death of fish (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 3). There is similarly been a disruption of the landscapes and biodiversity of the Mediterranean region. The increased level of unsustainable production and consumption trends have led to a high level of environmental degradation which add up to about 5% of the GDP.
b. Demographic, economic, social and cultural challenges
The northern and southern part of the Mediterranean is impacted by demographic matters. The northern is faced by an ageing population while the southern and eastern, growth is a great matter. In terms of economic aspects, the Mediterranean region has lost flexibility and competitiveness. They lack a sense of innovation as they are keen on mining (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 4). In social aspects, the region lags behind in terms if literacy and gender sensitivity. Poverty is great in the rural regions which are attributed to unequal allocation of resources. Consequently, the cultural aspect is very irregular and may not be noticed due to the absence of indicators.
c. Challenges of globalization, regional collaboration and governance
The impact of globalization needs collaboration of the region, political firmness, competent governance and social safeguard. While at the same time the Mediterranean region finds it hard to put this to action. The combination to the EU has developed the political and economic aspect of the Mediterranean EU affiliate countries. An increased growth of the EU would add this tendencies and result to high convergence in respect to political, economic and environmental plan. These countries are impacted by globalization with the support of the EU.
The southern and eastern part of the Mediterranean region is impacted by the same impact of globalization. They do not have access to regional association (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 5). The whole region needs a united vision for sustainable advancement, in addition to relevant resources and obligations. The challenge has been constant conflict. The form of democracy is slow; governance is weak and intense need of change in the political and models as well as upholding human rights and gender sensitivity.
Instability may result if the tendencies of the political, social and economic as well as environmental aspects between the Mediterranean regions shores are not put to work. The north and southern part of the Mediterranean region should build a common logic of destiny for the region. It is through this that it will be able to face the challenges around it.
3. Transport & Sustainable Mobility
The passenger and freight transport is developing at a high rate with regard to the speed of economic and population growth. It is due to this that the transport systems are already unsustainable. The application of long-haul maritime transport and ships is growing fast leading to high pollution and threat misfortunes. The interface between the shores of the Mediterranean is not enough and quite competitive. The land transport is taken over by road congestion; 90% of passenger and 83% of freight. The traffic pile up is growing. The tendencies in transport are the southern part has the same problem (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 13). They are increased by the public investment, subsidies and taxation which uphold mobility with reliance on private cars and roads as opposed to collective transport systems.
For sustainable development, the Mediterranean region and national undertakings should advance competitive and sustainable systems so as to increase the transport interfaces and networks. There should be a reinforcement of a more integrate transit system which brings about an advanced complementary of the roads, rail and sea transport. There should be a combination of the transport policies in the economic planning to meet the ongoing development in car transport from the GDP progress. Consequently, there ought to be a reinforcement of a cleaner and a reduced amount of contaminating fuel.
4. Role of the Mediterranean region
There are four significant roles which are geared towards stimulating development for a sustainable economic, social and environmental region and the aspect of governance.
Role 1: Adding to economic growth by improving resources.
With regard to the belief that safeguarding the environment and economic development is associative, the aim is to bring about economic advancement while at the same time limiting on the impact of the natural resources (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp.7). This ought to bring about a balance between fulfilling the desire of people, the economic advancement and environmental safeguard, hence acting on the desire for job creation and social requirements, limiting the distance between income of developing and developed states and advancing growth.
To acquire the objective of job creation and income creation, the regional and national undertakings are to be upheld and should be intended at strengthening international and private investment in addition to public advancement in the Mediterranean region with regard to the southern and eastern part.
So as to meet these objectives, there has to be a cumulative growth of the added value to be acquired from the cultural and natural resources while looking for the areas for the development of skills and innovation. New undertakings ought to be advanced that would result to intake of natural resources. An equitable allocation of resources and undertakings would do away with brain drain.
Role 2: Decline of social variation by application of the MDGs and establishing cultural identities.
The advancement of human wealth and creation of the ability to the participants is vital. The safeguard of the environment, economic advancement and sustainable development may not be acquired while there is a great difference in population illiteracy and limitation of access to relevant services (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 7). It is vital to make strong the measures to bring about gender balance, advancement of the role of women, upholding the growth of the rural regions which are not considered and creation of a strategy that would bring about sustainable urban advancement. For this to be made there has to be a regard of the Millennium Development Goals for the objective of increasing the level of living and gender balance.
The social instance and tendencies are a great part of the creation and application of the sustainable advancement policies. The national plan has to be in composition of proposals that would handle job creation and poverty. There ought to be an application of the MDGs and followed up with relevant indicators. The Mediterranean region would be set for better development.
As for the cultural diversity advancement in the Mediterranean region, the values and local knowledge would be necessary. More important are the certain aspects of the cultural aspects, among them education, cultural interchange, incentives to meet the Mediterranean labels, the advancement of the new models of the cultural tourism and collaboration for the development of the cultural legacy.
Role 3: Modification of the unsustainable production and consumption trends and ensure the sustainable management of natural resources.
There ought to be measures taken that would impact the common benefits so as to bring about sustainable development. Consideration has to be offered to the safeguard of the sea, shore, climate and terrain with a limitation of the contact to natural impacts like floods, and droughts among others (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 8). These negative impacts have to come to an end by putting to work the tasks of the Earth Summit.
It is necessary to do away with the reliance of economic advancement on the exploration of resources and hence to stop economic growth through environmental harm hence meeting the MDGs. There has to be a development of consumption and production trends by application of renewable bases of energy, clean machineries, better infrastructure and transport means. There similarly has to be a better contact to information, and training so as to safeguard culture. The organization of water, energy and coastal assets has to be developed and decline in wastes. This would lead to a benefit of the organizations and environment.
Role 4: development of governance at all levels
Sustainable development is acquired by relevant governance that needs the practice of power to be undertaken in an environment of openness, involvement, responsibility, usefulness and consistency. The Mediterranean region plan ought to have strong environmental, social and economic policies which handle the desires of the individuals, the law of the land, gender balance and environmental investment (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 8). It is through proper governance and active involvement of the participations that the role would be acquired. The regional and national undertakings for proper governance, involvement of the local government, society, NGOs and the private sector will be upheld.
Emphasis has to be accorded to the relevance of the environment organization for territorial organization in a mode that shares duties. This needs the advancement of networking and interaction between the participants, spread of information in management instances. Regional interaction would be advanced between the states in the Mediterranean by advancement of a proper and defined mode of involvement and working sets.
5. The MSSD Seven Priority Fields of Action
The main objective of the seven fields of action is supposed to be applicable in the entire region in the Mediterranean region. These fields of priority are vital since they are affected by unsustainable tendencies. Some of these priorities are keen regard to the matters relating to the sea and coastal places, which involve common goods of the individuals in the Mediterranean. They are similarly relevant in economic and social sections, bringing about a rigid set of development. It is though attributed that some steps have been made in other sections to resolve the challenges impacting the region. The priority fields are good for action and practice of the problems in governance and combination that have to be rectified if the Mediterranean is to be involved in undertakings that would lead to sustainable advancement.
The seven priority fields include;
a. Successful unified water resource and water demand organization.
Water is scarce and a delicate resource which is unequally allocated in time and space and the variation of the climate is expected to result to more irregular and limited rainfall. The plan ought to look into the construction of dams and boreholes (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 10). Several states in the Mediterranean region are impacted by problems of water resource sustainability; mode of safe access to drinking water, modes that would save water. For the first issue, there has to be policies that would manage water need. So as to limit wastage, advancement of more added values through water effectiveness in irrigation and application of it as well as acquiring economic and social needs at a limited price.
b. Meeting sustainable management of energy and controlling and acquisition of the effects of climate variation
Energy use of the states in the Mediterranean region is reliant on the fossil fuels. Several states have acquired pricing and tax framework that are not workable to save energy (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 12). For proper sustainability, there has to be an application of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate, this would bring about the proper use and conservation of energy.
c. Ensuring sustainable mobility by use of relevant transport
The transport of passenger and freight affects the speed of the economic and population development. The application of the maritime and coastal shipping is similarly growing (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 13). Though with certain issues, the cultural and social matters could be sorted out better with regional and national policies were used that would foster advancement.
d. The development of tourism
The tourism industry in the Mediterranean region brings about job creation and income. There is high competition by the undertakings of the tour operators (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 14). This has brought about standardization in the size of tourisms facilities. This has been attributed to public policies which insist on the size of tourism rather than the value of tourism.
e. Developing sustainable agricultural and rural advancement
The agricultural advancement in the Mediterranean region is dense in the plains and foothills and to some extent on irrigation. Water irrigation is not appropriately used, it is over used. Good land is lost due to urban encroachment hence impacting on modern agriculture (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 15). This calls for the development of technical and commercial use in sustaining the resource and limiting land degradation by familiarizing agriculture to the climate.
f. Creating sustainable urban advancement
The urban development is intended to be made stable. Other issues that ought to be controlled are the excess growth of the urban centers, waste production, high energy use and lack of social association (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 18). This is brought about by creating a sustainable urban economy which would bring about development, combination of economic and spatial strategies and the increase of the quality of life by extending the green regions and limiting the bad aspects.
g. Creation of a sustainable management of the sea and coastal areas and applying rapid steps to stop degradation in the coastal regions
There have been diverse forms of land deterioration, heritage sites and standards of life (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 20). There has been a high sense of human and economic loss. For this to work there has to be a strong regional cooperation in the programs, limitation of pollution and application of working policies.
6. Way forward
For the sustainability of the Mediterranean region there has to be the acquisition of a working system if they are observed in a better way with regard to a keen follow up of the development in the application of the MSSD and the interchange of familiarity (UNEP/MAP, 2005 pp. 29). There ought to be constant assessment of the eco-region commitment for purpose of being standard in this area. This additionally means the comparison of the Mediterranean accomplishments with holistic objectives and contribution to the global evaluation and analyses and deliberations.
The best model to be used is the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development with was established in 1995 as a part of the UNEP/MAP. This model is of significance as it has collaborations and follow-up. Mobilization will be elevated by a rigid commitment from its associates; MAP upholds centers and programs, which undertake operations that are transparent and strong networks.
For this to work, there has to be maintenance of a great form of participation of the environmental persons and elevate the ones of the environmental participants in the MCSD processes and development of the strategy. The mobilization of the participants has to be strong so as to be able send far the knowledge and ownership of the strategies processes. There similarly has to be a monitoring cycle so as to assess the development in the application of the strategy and undertake a deep evaluation. The follow up calls into play every participants to be committed and efficient in the application, evaluation of the strategy so as to create a sustainable Mediterranean region.
Reference
UNEP/MAP. (2005). A Framework for Environmental Sustainability and Shared Prosperity. Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development, 1-29.
