THEME

The overall theme for the Working Wek 2024 is:

Your World, Our World: resilient Environment and Sustainable resource Management for All

The world bank group’s environment strategy developed for 2012 to 2022 and beyond, lays out, ambitious agenda to support green, clean and resilient paths for developed and developing countries as they pursue poverty reduction and development in an increasingly fragile environment. 

Natural resources use, relate to all three internationally accepted dimensions of sustainability: which are social justice, environmental health and economic development.

This environmental strategy recognizes that, while there has been significant progress in reducing global poverty, there has been significantly less progress in managing the environment sustainability while developing countries will still need rapid growth to reduce poverty over the next decade, the global environment has reached a critical state that could undermine livelihoods, productivity and global stability. 

It has been globally defined that Green refers to a world in which natural resources, including oceans, land and forest are sustainably managed and conserve to improve livelihoods and ensure food security. Green indicates a world in which healthy ecosystem increase all the economic returns from the activities they support under Green environment. Under Green environment growth strategy are focused on over all wealth rather than GDP as its currently measured. Governments should pursue regulations that encourage innovations, efficiency, sustainable budgeting and green growth. In a dream world, good policies enable the private sector to use resources sustainability as part of good business, creating jobs and contributing to long term growth.

Over the forty years’ forests has seen annual loses of over 5.2 million hectares over two decades from the year 2000 despite declines in deforestation rates and increase forest plantation. To achieve some green growth strategies, data is needed in real time and analysis made to inform decision makers and all stakeholders to be able to manage our natural resources sustainably. 

Clean is defined as a low-pollution, low emission world in which clean air, clean water and ocean enable people to live healthy, productive lives. It is a world where development structures put premium in low emission, climate change, smart agriculture, efficient transport, low emission energy and sound urban development. 

The poorest countries suffer directly from an increasing polluted and degraded environment. Air and water pollution are rising sharply in cities in lower and middle income countries. Water resources are under threat from waste from mineral resources extraction, as an example in Ghana, illegal mining (Galamsey). 

Resilient refers to being prepared for shocks and adapting effectively to climate change. In resilient world, countries are better prepared for more frequent natural disasters, more volatile weather pattern and long term consequence of climate change. 
Healthy and well-managed ecosystem are more resilient and so play a key role in reducing vulnerability to climate change impacts. Climatic resistance is integrated into urban planning and infrastructure development. Through effective social inclusion policies, countries and communities are better prepared to protect vulnerable groups and fully involve women in decision-making.  
The aim of united nation sustainable development goals is to end poverty, protect planet and to ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity now and in the future. 

Sustainable development is a broad term that describe policies, projects and investments that provide benefits today without sacrificing environmental, social and personal health in future. These policies are often described as green as they focused on linking the impact of development to the environment. 

The 17 SDG’S of the United Nations are summarized as  

No poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities. 

It is evidently clear that resilient environment and natural resource sustainable development are directly linked to all the UN SDGs mentioned above. 

The world accepts that a development model that is sustainable for this and future generations offer the best path forward for reducing poverty and improving the lives of people every day. At the same time, with polar ice caps melting leading to global sea levels rising, and calculating weather events increasing in ferocity, no country in the world is safe from climate change. It is critically important that the international community needs the UN sustainability Development Goals and also the target to reduce emissions. Sustainable development and climate action are linked and both are vital to the project and future well-being of humanity.  

Geospatial technology and policies play a key role in collection of data, analysis and dissemination of information to decision makers and stakeholders.  This technology combines earth observing data, photogrammetry and remote sensing, LAIDAR and other sensors and cloud computing as well as geographic information systems to provide real time information to investors and stakeholders to understand the benefits and risks of sustainable natural resource management.  

Geospatial technologies and innovations as well as connectivity become major tools in ensuring resilient environment and sustainable natural resource management for all.