Environment Strategy 2010 Consultations - Online Feedback

Comments submitted online on the Strategy Concept Note

The feedback posted below was provided in response to the following questions included in the feedback form:

1. What should be the World Bank Group's role in helping developing countries to address the challenges and opportunities to achieve environmentally sustainable development?

2. What should be the balance in the WBG's role between addressing country-specific priorities and the global public goods agendas?

3. What should be the role of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in helping private sector stakeholders to achieve higher levels of performance in pursuing environmental sustainability?

4. How can the WBG put in place a systematic approach to assess environmental sustainability in sector portfolios?

5. How should short term and long term trade-offs between development and environmental sustainability be balanced?

6. Any other issues or comments?

Submitted by Ladd Connell (Conservation International, Washington DC, USA) on Thu 06/15/2010 - 07:25 PM

1. - Although it’s true that the Bank is a relatively small source of finance for major economic transformation in developing countries, its global scope and leadership role among donors give it the opportunity to play a catalytic role using knowledge (technical assistance) to improve policy and operations (investment loans) to implement best practices.  In light of its global mandate and the trans-boundary nature of most public goods, a top Bank priority should be to integrate environmental sustainability considerations across the full range of development support; infuse innovation and best practices throughout the WBG portfolio. 
- WB comparative advantage:  The Bank has access/relations with governments and NGOs, has technical and resource economics expertise, can initiate bridges among disparate parties, e.g. finance, development, & environment ministries and related stakeholders.  WB can pair intellectual resources with financial resources to support long-term land use planning that optimizes sustainable development outcomes by measuring and incorporating ecosystem service values.
- Key to the strategy must be conserving, recognizing, and valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) and the link between them.

The Bank should:
- Help countries assess, and provide incentives for the conservation of natures assets and services.
- Mainstream systems of payments of carbon storage and other ES, in laws as well as accounting systems.  Help countries set up payment schemes (PES or ES-related conditional cash transfers).
- Scale up country dialogues about the implication of ecosystems and biodiversity losses in economic terms and life quality terms (increased health risks, etc.). 
- Continue to support protected areas as the backbones of functioning ecosystems and of biodiversity conservation especially. 
- Extend WB capacity building beyond the government to all levels, possibly including civil society.  Involve indigenous communities; the Resource Framework (RF) must capture local circumstances.
- To mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem services in Bank-supported infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, and climate change activities, invest in innovation and testing new approaches that combine spatial and economic analysis and actions on the ground.

2. - WBG should highlight synergies between global public goods and development and not focus on the tradeoffs or assumed dichotomy between the two.  They are not mutually exclusive; valuing ES supports both sustainable country development and the global goods. 
       - Some 70-75% of the world’s poor live in rural areas, and rural societies in particular depend on ecosystem services- watersheds, soils, etc.  Thus, to achieve sustainable poverty reduction, the Bank must support policies and practices that conserve such services and provide appropriate incentives to their stewards.
       - Biodiversity also underpins successful agriculture and food security: genetic biodiversity improves productivity.  Ecosystem resilience sustains productivity. 
       - Biodiversity and ecosystems loss exacerbates global climate risks.
- WBG should address Green Development so that it incorporates spatial planning and other cross- sectoral, trans-boundary  aspects to produce a more innovative approach to development (does not just refer to job market/creation). 
- Ecosystem services valuation/ green accounting: WBG Environment Strategy recognizes the enormous opportunity/potential in tools of valuation/prioritization of ES; Conservation International, along with its partners, could help in this arena.
- WBG Strategy should incorporate system of strategic environmental assessment that takes into account the values of global public goods, including biodiversity.
- ES valuation is important, but the issue is how to bring it to scale – getting national Ministries (of Environment or Energy etc.) to actually look at them and reflect the valuation in policies and strategies.  Also, capacity building in WBG could be done through partnerships with civil society or bilaterals.
- Consolidate biodiversity with other important natural resource management-related issues which are recognized as important among Bank and government officials, including forestry/forest management, soil fertility maintenance, sustainable agriculture, land use and land tenure, rural development and tourism development.  This will both serve to highlight the importance of the contribution of biodiversity to these production-oriented objectives, and to minimize the number of “separate and compartmentalized initiatives”, often regarded as supply-driven by governments and Bank operational staff. 

3. - WBG is a potential standards setter. Others look to WBG; it should not underestimate its influence both in public and private sectors. 
- WBG has potential to be a market maker in public goods by matching producers and consumers of public goods.  Create incentives to opt for environmental policies, etc.  IFC and MIGA can ensure that these markets are liquid and viable.
- The ability of the Bank to create economies of scale and market flows can be critical – the WBG can use its purchasing power to send signals to the market to innovate and bring market prices in line with environmental sustainability.
- Problems such as overfishing and deforestation often result from environmentally and economically harmful (perverse) subsidies- so these policies are raising costs of effective protection; just eliminating subsidies could have both fiscal and environmental benefits.  Redirect subsidies towards environmentally beneficial initiatives.
- WBG should scale up investments for protected areas and ecosystem services linked to sector lending, such as infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, water supply, fisheries, and forestry as these, when well-managed, bring multiple economic benefits to countries.

4. - Measurement and metrics of WB Environment Strategy should be reviewed to result in new outcomes that can influence policy or create incentives to ensure that environmental goods and services are appropriately valued. The Environmental Strategy should also pay attention to spatial analysis and optimization of the strategy.  Because benefits of environmental protection don’t always show up in GDP statistics, benefits of conservation continue to be undervalued.  The WBG Environment Strategy’s work to operationalize an overall metric of “genuine savings” for ES  is commended.
- Partnerships, collaboration, and sharing of data with other organizations can be mutually beneficial.  Conservation International may have the capability to assist with biodiversity assessments in particular.
- Utilization of modern tools (such as the internet) can be used to expand and expedite data processes.

5. - There is no need for the Bank to put itself in the position of making trade-offs or choices between environmental protection and other development goals.  To optimize development outcomes, ES should be included systematically (mainstreamed) in country assistance strategies; use Ecosystem based adaptation to reduce poverty while supporting biodiversity .
- Most developing countries have not named environment as a priority (more focused on poverty reduction, economic growth and infrastructure development); so there is a need to raise awareness of the ways in which environment secures and sustains these other benefits.  Ecosystem services are associated with food, natural resources essential to survival, and development.  Incentives can be aligned and benefits appropriately shared via payments garnered for ES from downstream beneficiaries.
- Integrating protection of natural habitats into policies and programs to reduce vulnerability and disaster risks (including climate change and natural disasters such as floods & cyclones) should also be promoted in the new Strategy.
- Environmental sustainability is not only one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); it is connected and essential to achieving all the MDGs.  The contribution of natural ecosystems, including biodiversity, to achieving the MDGs and to sustainable development generally should be incorporated across Bank programs and country assistance strategies. 

Submitted by Mia MacDonald (Brighter Green, Leavenworth WA, USA) on Thu 06/15/2010 - 04:39 PM

1. In the last 60 years, radical changes in agricultural practices and the way the global food system is organized have undermined the very resources on which agriculture depends by overusing water supplies, degrading the environment, impoverishing small-scale farmers, and exacerbating the climate crisis. While much attention in recent years has been given to the impact of industrial agriculture on the environment and on health, its impact on the global climate has been largely ignored.

Yet, the food sector is responsible for one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; at least 18 percent (and up to 51 percent) of human-caused GHGs stem directly from the livestock sector alone—outpacing those from all transportation systems combined.  A considerable portion of the estimated 20 percent of GHGs from deforestation and forest degradation also can be attributed to agriculture.

Trends indicate greater greenhouse gas emissions from the food sector in future. The United Nations estimates that production of meat and dairy products could double by 2050. A recent commission concluded that the negative effects of U.S. industrial farm animal–production are “too great” and the scientific evidence “too strong to ignore. Nonetheless, this system is being replicated around the world, most rapidly in developing regions, many already are experiencing negative effects from climate change.

It is essential that the Bank, in its Environment Strategy, address the links between the growth of industrial animal agriculture and climate change, as well as a host of other critical issues, including food security, equity and sustainability. Unfortunately, nothing in the concept note makes reference to this issue, which is a significant oversight. The Bank ought not to be making loans or offering policy support to increase the growth of industrial animal agriculture, given the enormous downsides and risks it presents, including to the eradication of poverty and the promotion of greater equity in societies -- as well as the huge challenge of slowing and ultimately reversing the growth of global GHGs.

6. The Bank also ought not to support measures, such as systems to capture methane from factory farm wastes that, while they may generate electricity and reduce GHGs, do not address the underlying unsustainability, on ecological grounds alone, of intensive animal agriculture. What's needed is bank support for sustainable, equitable and humane (to both people and animals) food systems.

Submitted by Kirvil Skinnarland (Maria Norbury Foundation, New York N.Y., USA) on Tue 06/15/2010 - 04:46 PM

1. The World Bank should provide global leadership in funding environmentally, socially and economically sustainable projects.  Continuing to fund industrial development that has been shown to be nonsustainable is not in the long term interests of the countries receiving these investments.

2. The WBG’s role should be to provide sustainable development solutions that are in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), particularly to ensure environmental sustainability.  Agribusiness practices reduce biodiversity; land is compromised to produce the grains demanded to feed animals on a large scale; large amounts of CO2 emissions contribute to global warming; and massive amounts of manure pollute waterways and ground water. The contradictions between the current practices of industrialized farming and the requirement to reach the MDG need to be addressed in order for the WBG to make gains on its Environmental Strategy for 2010. 

3. The IFC and MIGA need to invest in newer models that achieve environmental goals and result in sustainable economic systems.  These new models need to focus on humane animal practices, waste management and reduced antibiotic use.  The entire WBG should not fund any operation that has not had a research analysis done and found the total agricultural system to be environmentally sustainable.

4. The WBG should invest in better approaches to alleviate hunger and increase employment.  Investment in research and development will be needed to assure that the most effective and environmentally sustainable solutions are created.  Sustainable solutions must include – animal husbandry that focuses on water and air quality, animal welfare, waste management solutions, reduction of antibiotic use, and protection of small shareholders in the industry.   Life cycle analysis is one tool that the WBG could make more use of in assessing the environmental sustainability of its sector portfolios.

5. The short and long-term trade offs between development and environmental sustainability cannot be balanced through investment in current models of industrialized agriculture. For example, the amount of waste generated from industrial models of animal farming negatively effects local population of as well as climate change. This output of pollutants has no short or long term benefits, and should not be allowed.

6. Another global/regional concern directly related to industrialized farming of animals is the excessive use of antibiotics on farm animals and increased drug-resistant bacteria affecting human health.  The massive number of animals on industrial farms facilitates rapid transmission and mixing of viruses linked to the global spread of diseases such as H1N1 influenza virus. 

Submitted by Jean Robert Nchekoua Tchoumba (Yaoundé, Cameroun) on Sat, 06/05/2010 - 10:46 AM

1. Il serait plus facile de réduire la pauvreté et de promouvoir le développement économique si les femmes avaient plus de poids dans les décisions énergétiques. des transferts de technologies doivent s'opérer entre les pays et des incitations financières devraient être mises à la disposition des petites entreprise rurales. Il faut aller au-delà de la simple augmentation des capacités énergétiques, les technologies d'utilisation efficace et le meilleure pratiques devraient faire partie des politiques, car elles permettent de réduire la demande de façon facile et rentable. Les normes et labels d'efficacité, les incitations financières encourageant les technologies efficaces, le  renforcement des capacités des dédideurs, des ingénieurs, des finaciers, contribuent à créer un marché énergétique efficace.

2. Toute activité de production d'énergie a des impacts environnementaux, mais ces dernier peuvent être limités grâce à une planification et une consultation appropriées. Tous les équipements énergétiques doivent faire l'objet d'un suivi, ce qui nécessite un renforcement des capacités des autorités et responsables des permis, afin de leur permettre notamment d'assurer un suivi et une évaluation après la construction des équipements.

3. Les investissements publics accrus sont nécessaires afin d'améliorer l'accelès à des sources d'énergie propres pour les communautés rurales non desservies. Des centrales hydroélectriques à petite échelle peuvent être mises en place si des fonds publics assurent les investissements de départ et la mise en place des capacités de gestions.

4. Les ONG locales, pourvues des compétences techniques et sociales adaptées, devraient renforcer leur coopération avec les organismes internationaux de développement pour mettre en place les technologies et les ressources nécessaires.

5. Les gouvernements doivent mettre en place des cadres nationaux et internationaux de régulation des émissions encourageant les particuliers et les entreprises à réduire leur empreinte carbonique, gérer la croissance énorme du transport aérien et réaliser les objectifs de stabilisation des gaz à effet de serre fixés par la communauté internationale.

6. La biodiversité intéresse de plus en plus toute une gamme d'entreprise et pourrait devenir le prochain grand grand défi après les changments climatiques.

Submitted by Gyanesh K. Shukla (Water Resource Department, Bhopal - Madhya Pradesh, India) on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 02:05 AM

1. The World Bank is a key driving force to accelerate the environmental sustainaibility in developing countries. The enabled environmental sustainability in the programmes and projects of World Bank needs to translate more into changes required in the programmes and policies of the countries themselves. The data should be in the public domain which is not a general practice, so that the objectives of World Bank policies are fully achieved.

2. The WBG programmes need to develop more synergy with country/clients specific priorities. For example in India the concept of five year planning is in practice and accordingly the fund moblization in place. There should be integration and convergence aspect in the project design itself from the very begning of the WBG project components.

3. Private sector stakeholders should also come in to the picture along with the government while ensuring the environmental sustainaibility.

4. All the data related with the environmental parameters to assess the environmental sustainability in sector portfolios should be in the public domain.

5. By ensuring the minimum environmental safeguards short term and long term trade-offs between development and environmental sustainability may be balanced.

6. The regular monitoring of agreed actions to achive environmental sustainaibility should be in place.

Submitted by Sowmya Reddy (Federation of Indian Animal protection Organizations - FIAPO, New Delhi, India) on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 11:41 PM

1. Whatever  projects the Bank supports in developing countries must be pro- poor and within the 'sustainable development' paradigm. According to WB’s 2001 Livestock Development paper it said that the key environmental and social problems with industrial farm animal production facilities and also stated that “Large-scale commercial, grain-fed feedlot systems and industrial milk, pork and poultry production would not be financed by the Bank, except for the public good aspects of environment and food safety.”  But unfortunately inspite of this, we know that these types of projects have continued to be funded by the WB Group, particularly the IFC.  We are concerned that, by funding these types of facilities, the IFC is promoting a system of agriculture that the WB itself has already deemed to be unsustainable which is anti-poor, has a serious food security issues and also significantly impacts climate change.

2. The World Bank should start looking at the some serious global challenges. Also within the Climate change issues, and put strategies forward for dealing with such issues.

3. IFC should stop funding factory farms. This issue is of even greater concern to us now, as the IFC gears up to support private sector climate change mitigation projects.  How can we ensure that these climate funds do not go to methane digesters and other technologies that may mitigate the methane emissions from these industrial farm animal production facilities, but are unable to mitigate the other massive environmental hazards created by these facilities?

4. Today all sectors should be critically analyzed and debated including a topics like factory farms whose impacts are largely underestimated.

5. Each and every development now should be seen in long-term basis and environmental sustainability should always be kept in mind.

6. It is really inspiring to see the World Bank have strategy on environment. But we are hoping the WB and IFC look into each and every aspect of it, which ever project they are funding and  make sure it is pro-environment.

Submitted by Gustavo Larios (Asociacion Mexicana por los Derechos de los Animales, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico) on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 11:54 AM

1. El Banco Mundial debería reconocer el gran impacto ambiental que tienen las granjas intensivas. El suelo, las aguas y la atmósfera son afectadas en forma tremenda por la producción intensiva de animales para consumo. De tal forma que financiar estudios sobre el problema y apoyar el desarrollo de consumos alternativos sería de gran beneficio para el planeta, cuya vulnerabilidad actual debe llevarnos a cambiar modelos de desarrollo mucho mas amigables y sustentables.

2. Debería vincularse con organizaciones no gubernamentales para el desarrollo de empresas ambientalmente amigables y una educación que reduzca el consumo de carne y derivados animales.

3. Ayudar en investigación de los impactos de la industria de la carne, así como en los grandes beneficios de las dietas vegetarianas.

4. Debería invitar a las industrias que explotan animales a disminuir ese tipo de acciones e ir incrementando el cultivo y producción de derivados de soya y otras opciones de proteina vegetal.

5. Debería reunirse con organizaciones civiles ambientalistas y animalistas para escuchar experiencias personales, sociales y de activismo en relación con el no consumo de derivados animales, para decidir sobre apoyos a opciones mas amigables con el ambiente.

6. Siempre han existido apoyos al sector ganadero y el resultado es un planeta tremendamente deteriorado, con un cambio climático preocupante. Es tiempo de apostar hacia alternativas sin carne, que también pueden ser altamente redituables, aunque en forma gradual, para frenar el alarmante deterioro ambiental.

Submitted by Abra Esse Dogblokou (Séna ALOUKA, Lomé, Togo) on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 05:53 AM

1. La BM est une institution trop éloigné des populations en Afrique. Pour beaucoup, c'est une affaire de riches et les pauvres n'y ont pas droit. Ce qui explique l'écart qui existe entre les populations et cette institution. Que devrait il faire? Il doit etre un carrefour, donc il doit jouer un role de rassembleur, des politiques et de la société civile. En tant qu'institution neutre politiquement, il doit aider dans la réorganisation du développement dans les pays sous-développé. A l'heure des changement climatique, c'est le lieu de discuter avec la population, sur les voies et moyens que ceux ci proposent pour s'adapter.

2. Le GBM doit faire plus, et s'approcher effectivement de ses clients, mais aussi des populations de ces pays, puisque beaucoup ne savent pas ce qui se dit d'eux dans ses rencontres où, des soit représentants ne donne aucun rapport. Il doit désormais ouvrir ses portes aux populations. En celà, on pourra avoir un semblant d'équilibre.

3. Ils doivent fixer des normes à respecter, et veiller au respect de ces normes. Ce faisant on peut atteindre des objectifs de durabilité environnementale.

4. Dans chaque secteur qu'il y ait une équipe qui puisse faire cette évaluation, et qui juge de l'efficacité d'untel ou tel projet ou action environnementale.

5. En tant que personne vivant dans un pays sous-développé, il y a là, deux choses à faire. Sur le court terme, nous n'avons rien à faire d'autre que de nous adapter, aux effets des changements climatiques par exemple. Dans ce meme temps, une action de suivi doit etre élaborer sur le long terme pour que nos pays puisent faire véritablement un développement propre.

Submitted by Ane Veriane (Santosa Cultural Group, Bandung, Indonesia) on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 09:34 PM

1. The WBG needs to collaborate with local government and non-goverment instituions to get involved to look after the enviromentally sustainable develpoment in developing countries, such as campaigning how important is to protect our enviroment. It should collaborate with education institutions or non formal education, starting from the elementary schools until higher education institutions.

2. By controlling every program that the World Bank Group supports, based on social responsibility targets.

3. Getting involved in controlling programs by private sector stakeholders.

4. By controlling what kinds of global environmental issues have to be taken care of.

6. The important thing is that the environment is our responsibility, including WBG, Goverments, Non goverment and all citizens. How could it done smoothly? It is not the easiest thing, especially in my country, but we could do it by implementing simple programs, such as how important is for us to take care of our nature.

Submitted by Kyle Gracey (U. S. Youth for Sustainable Development - SustainUS, Washington DC, U.S.A.) on Fri, 04/30/2010 - 02:20 PM

1. It's role should be to merge the expertise of its worldwide staff with the needs of local communities and promote solutions that consistently incorporate environmentally and socially sustainable solutions to poverty reduction. The Bank has the expertise to become the leader in environmentally sustainable development projects. Given it's limited ability to drive major economic transformation alone, it can instead set the standard for projects that improve the quality of life for people in target projects by focusing on those solutions which will have the highest quality of environmental protection or restoration while still ensuring gains in poverty reduction and improved quality of life, even if the scope of these projects is not major. The World Bank can make significant improvements in human capital in developing countries by prioritizing small grants/microloans over large, capital-intensive projects like dams and mines with both significant environmental consequences as well as the potential to promote unequal access to gains from the projects or the marginalization of certain communities, especially indigenous.

It can help the world's poorest to avoid repeating a development path similar to industrialized countries that forces them to spend larger sums of money trying to repair environmental damage rather than preventing it from happening in the first place (respecting the use of some level of discounting). It should also value in its project implementation that putting countries on a path of ever increasing total resource consumption can never be environmentally sustainable. The Bank should prioritize projects that improve quality of life rather than simply aggregate quantity of goods or resources consumed, while respecting that for many of the world's poorest the two are often the same.

The Bank should focus on providing projects that are locally-driven, provide means for project beneficiaries to sustain the projects themselves through capacity building and training, and that consistently have a high level of full-cost account for social equality impacts and environmental indicators, including the expanded use of non-market valuation techniques like ecosystem services valuation, contingent valuation, and the use of the precautionary principle where potential negative environmental impacts could be severe (on the level of eliminating entire ecosystems, especially those heavily depended on by local populations) but the risks uncertain.
 
The Work Bank is in a unique position to shape worldwide conceptions of 'poverty' and 'need,' with publications like the World Development Report.  The World Bank can de-emphasize development indicators that are exclusively based on GDP, GNP, monetary systems, financial transactions, etc., and rather preference development indicators that reflect and legitimize healthy non-monetary economies (agrarian, land-based) and happiness.

Finally, if it truly desires to provide the best quality of poverty reduction and development strategies within some of the most complex regions of the world, the World Bank should understand itself to be international financial institution, not an appendage of any nation's foreign policy.  This is a critical point, as the confusion of agendas high a high likelihood of damaging public perception of World Bank projects in client countries.

2. To begin, it is necessary to clarify what is meant by client or country, since in some cases decisions may be made based on the desires of some group among the client country, but leaving out the needs and desires of others within the community, including especially minority groups or those who otherwise lack the power or financial capital to communicate and act on their views in the society. Fulfilling the desires of political or business elites is not the same as fulfilling the needs of all clients in a country or area.

Many environmental problems, climate change foremost among them, are global in scope. These challenges do require coordinated global action. The Bank should deprioritize projects where there is significant negative spillover or reduction of global public goods, especially outside the boundaries of the country or client. As a global bank, the WBG cannot ignore where the impacts of unsustainable practices in one country adversely affect the needs of other nations, especially since those other nations may also be clients, either now, in the past, or in the future.  It is likely that severe reduction in public goods will impose additional future costs on the World Bank through economic, social, or political destabilization of client countries.

The World Bank should also of course look for and prioritize projects where these conflicts do not exist or are minimal, or where synergies between these objectives exist. At the same time, the Bank's role is not to restore global public goods as a primary objective, though it should be to prevent any further degradation to them through its projects, and projects that focus on client needs without improving external environmental conditions are highly important.

3. Prioritize funding and supporting private implementors or contractors who can exemplify and ideally provide expertise, technology, and capital to expand on the Bank's high level of sustainable practices as outlined in question 1. This would include improving specific environmental performance metrics for any private operators collaborating on a Bank project. The Bank can also provide technical support for private sector stakeholders to improve their sustainable implementation of projects, or provide loans for upgrades to private sector equipment or practices to allow them to improve their sustainable practices. Private sector stakeholders form the core of economic activity in many client countries and their participation and sustainability knowledge is key to the long-term sustainability of projects and country economic development. The Bank should support their development through targeted expertise and capacity building and the careful use of its limited project funds. Project metrics that values and evaluates private sector sustainability improvement as part of project success would help to focus IFC's and MIGA's efforts in ensuring this is accomplished during each project, at least where private stakeholders are engaged.

4. Implement non-market and other environmental valuations for all sector portfolios and projects, making these valuations criteria in part on which project success is judged. Include environmental quality surveying pre- and post-project wherever feasible to judge changes in environmental quality (keeping in mind changes in external or transportable public goods as well). Post-project surveying and valuation should also be reviewed at defined intervals after project completion to determine just how "sustainable" the project sustainability objectives have been, respecting and incorporating that that exogenous factors may affect the sustainability of a project long after the Bank has completed its work.

5. This question presupposes a definition of development that is extractive, exploitative, and unsustainable in both philosophy and practice.  Development itself must become sustainable and regenerative.  The cradle-to-cradle philosophy of production significantly reduces the pressure of the imbalance between "development" and "sustainability".  The World Bank can make a powerful statement by supporting projects that are underpinned by an understanding of this approach to production. 

This question also assumes a weak sustainability definition of continued economic growth rather than a strong sustainability definition such as that typified in ecological economics. If policies lead to ever growing levels of total material consumption, they can never be sustainable. While poverty elimination does have environmental implications, encouraging or mandating low-GDP countries to replicate wasteful and fossil fuel-intensive development strategies typified by high-GDP countries is wholly counterproductive.  Focusing on strategies that improve welfare while preserving environmental quality must come first.  Balance implies that the environmental quality will not continue to degrade over time.

6. We strongly encourage the consistent use of environmental and other non-market valuations (see separate submission on Environmental Valuation concept paper by Kyle Gracey and Dr. Sabina Shaikh) in assessing project success and sustainability, and a recognition that sustainability requires the use of longer time horizons over which to judge project success, as well as discount rates that are appropriate for environmental goods.

Submitted by Bellus Verde Ngouana Saa (Douala, Cameroun) on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 01:17 PM

1. Au des emprunts octoyé aux pays en dévéloppement, la Banque Mondiale doit s'assurer que les fonds alloués par exemples pour améliorer les infrastructures sont utilisés en bon essien.

2. Le bon équilibre serait plus les pays que les clients particuliers, car le pays prone l'interet collectif, mais il faut controle véritablement la gestion des fonds par le pays.

3. Il faut mettre sur pied un comité d'assistance dont le role sera de mieux canaliser les idées.

4. Il faut créer un comité de censure.

5. Il faut calculer les ratios.

6. Le Groupe de la Banque Mondiale doit se rapprocher des étudiants pour savoir quels sont leurs projets et les aider dans l'élaboration d'un Business Plan afin que ce projet se réalise.

Submitted by Eudes Cyprien Mongo (Jeune Chambre Economique et Sociale Du Congo, Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville) on Sat, 04/03/2010 - 01:00 PM

1. La banque mondiale doit aider la société civile et les organisation non gouvernementale a bien faire la promotion de notre éco-système , de notre éco-touristique au niveau des bailleurs de fonds.

2. La banque mondiale doit créer des synergies de communications entre des ong de développement des pays du Nord d'une parts et des pays du sud d'autre parts.

3. Ces deux institutions doivent un role de premier et de sécond rang au niveau de coopération billatérale entre le Nord et le sud.

4. La mis en place de cette approche doit ce faire d'une manière périodique et entenant compte des différents composantes que regorge chaque pays et sous région.

5. Ces compromis doit se faire d'une manière équitable, entenant compte des différents éco-système, éco-tourisme.

Submitted by Gabriela Vinocur (Fundacion Ambiente y recursos Naturales - FARN, Buenos Aires, Argentina) on Fri, 04/02/2010 - 11:49 AM

1. El GBM debe promover un financiamiento responsable, tomando en cuenta indicadores de desarrollo e inclusión que garanticen la sustentabilidad de los proyectos financiados. Asimismo consideramos la relevancia de incluir en la definición de políticas el fortalecimiento de la gobernabilidad ambiental y las instituciones, a través de mecanismos de acceso a la información, colaboración inter e intrasectorial y participación ciudadana en la toma de decisiones, en las distintas etapas de implementación de los proyectos, que contemplen la posibilidad de que haya consultas públicas, abiertas, que incluyan el monitoreo por parte de la ciudadanía.

2. El Banco debe cumplir un rol canalizador de los distintos proyectos que deben ser congruentes con determinados principios básicos o estándares a instrumentarse de acuerdo con las realidades y necesidades de cada región y con enfoques de sostenibilidad vinculados con los indicadores mencionados en la respuesta anterior.
Si bien es extremadamente importante que el Banco responda al impulso de sus clientes, también ha de guardar una mirada global, promoviendo desde adentro políticas orientados a los bienes públicos mundiales. Esto implica tomar medidas especiales para trasversalizar consideraciones del cambio climático, ayudando a generar economías competitivas de bajo carbono en los paises en vías de desarrollo y fomentando que sus gobiernos adopten políticas orientadas a la adaptación y también la mitigación.

3. La actuación coordinada y congruente entre ambos miembros debe determinar criterios para la evaluación previa de proyectos, que incluyan un balance de sustentabilidad y una clara definición de los potenciales destinatarios, evitando caer en prácticas disvaliosas. En ese sentido, resulta esencial la adopción de responsabilidades conjuntas entre IFC, MIGA y el Banco en la elaboración de la nueva Estrategia para el Medio Ambiente. Debe fomentarse el acceso a líneas de crédito más accesibles en función de esa evaluación y de las características del proyecto.

4. Consideramos que si bien el Banco es una institución financiera pionera en materia Evaluación Ambiental Estratégica (SEA), la aplicación de la herramienta no cuenta con gran difusión en nuestro país. Se han dado algunas experiencias para el sector pesquero y en turismo. FARN se encuentra realizando el relevamiento de esta política, fundamentalmente en lo que respecta al sector agua. La importancia de esta herramienta y su aplicación en este sector, radica en su vinculación en forma directa con los impactos sobre ríos y ambientes marinos y en forma indirecta sobre los impactos en la salud de la población a través del consumo de agua y políticas de saneamiento. Teniendo en cuenta que se trata de una herramienta estratégica ligada a las políticas de desarrollo de territorio y a los planes de ordenamiento que puedan estar vigentes, debe tomar las definiciones de posibilidades y restricciones de dichos planes como puntos de partida para sus análisis ambientales. En ese sentido debe formar parte en forma sistemática, de la evaluación de las carteras de proyectos sectoriales en materia de inversión en infraestructura.

5. Es recomendable que la implementación de acciones se lleve a cabo en forma progresiva. Debe primar la consonancia entre el corto y el largo plazo a fin de que las políticas a llevarse adelante puedan estar enmarcadas en metas razonables y de cumplimiento efectivo.

6. La participación ciudadana adquiere una gran relevancia en materia de control en la ejecución de los préstamos del Banco. Por esta razón, el Banco debe incorporar instancias y mecanismos de participación ciudadana mas robustos que posibiliten un efectivo control social y ciudadano de las acciones que se dispongan para la ejecución de los proyectos.

Submitted by Seydou Tuo (Ministère de la Production Animale et des Ressources Halieutiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) on Mon, 03/29/2010 - 02:26 PM

1. La banque mondiale doit susciter la mise en oeuvre des projets de gestion participative des ressources liées à l'environnement en prenant en compte le developpement local des populations bénéficiaires de ces projets.

2. Le Groupe de la Banque Mondiale (GMB) doit rendre elligible aux sources de financement en priorité les pays clients qui inclent dans leur priorité spécifique la sauvegarde des biens publics mondiaux.

3. L'IFC et la MIGA doivent apporter un appui technique permanent.

4. Le GBM doit harmoniser les indicateurs de durabilité environnementale.

5. Il est souhaitable que, dans toutes initiatives des pays clients, le developpement rime avec durabilité environnementale. Les projets dont le volet durabilité a un budget égalant ou depassant les 55% du budget total doivent être analysé prioritairement.

6. L'Agriculture itinérante et la transhumance des animaux d'élevage posent un problème de gestion durable des soils. La banque mondiale à travers le FEM doit réinitialiser le programme de gestion durable des sols dans le nord et le centre nord de la Côte d'Ivoire car la crise sociopolitique a anéanti les efforts entrepris depuis 1996 à travers le projet GEPRENAF.

Submitted by Arnaud Paulin Fanya Nkuika (B-Lands Consulting, Bangangte, Cameroun) on Thu, 03/18/2010 - 07:06 AM

1. La banque mondiale doit jouer un role très important dans le transfert de technologie, en utilisant beaucoup les techniciens en élevage et en agriculture qui sont les hommes du terrain et non les ceux qui ont fini avec l'école en obtenant les plus gros diplomes qui ne revent que des grosses cylindres et des bureaux climatisés. La banque mondiale doit beaucoup investir dans les intrants agricoles et surtout dans l'irrigation des sols arides. Un arbre peut emmagasiner 10kg de dioxide de cabone par an

2. Le bon équilibre et que les fonds donnés aux pays soient bien utilisé. Et que les resultats soient palpables et relevent le niveau de vie des populations.

3. Promouvoir l'adoption de taxes sur la pollution et de leur utilisation à payer pour la collecte et le tri des ordures.

4. La banque mondiale doit financer les societes qui font dans le recyclages.

5. Nous devons nous retourner vers les energies propres.

6. Les societés africaines ne sont pas encores avec les normes europeenne en ce qui concern la protection de l'environnement et de la santé publique. La banque mondiale peut contribuer à la sensibilisation et la capacité de traiter cette question.

Submitted by R. Shashi Kumar (Bangalore University, Bangalore, India) on Fri, 03/13/2010 - 02:55 AM

1. The World Bank has to change it's pace and direction of helping the developing countries. The 'Development Plan' has been shifted towards the 'Integration' now. The World Bank has to take part of the action research method approach for it's future dealings with developing countries.

2. No doubt, the World Bank has done tremendous work in integrating the world economic issues. But, being ruled by developed countries, there should be an appropriate place for developing countries in formulating local and regional needs.

3. The IFC and MIGA have proved their importance in promoting economic and financial stability of it's member countries. But, what is actually needed is good governance, both institutions should still adopt to increase the trust, particularly of developing countries.

4. It's good attempt made by WBG in putting the environmental sustainability in anchoring development. However, the WBG should take into consideration the Civil Society as a major context.

5. Through infrastructure development and providing structural adjustment mechanism of the emerging economics.

6. Greater focus on the emerging markets development through economic and social equality.

Submitted by Lassane Kabore (PNUD, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) on Fri, 03/12/2010 - 07:23 AM

1. Les pays en développement, conscients des difficultés qu'ils rencontreront des effets des changements climatiques,auront besoin de moyens financier et humain pour s'adapter et gagner la bataille de la pollution. Pour ce faire, la BM devrait renforcer les capacités des acteurs locaux afin de favoriser l'émergence d'experts surtout dans le domaine du MDP. Elle doit aussi être le porte parole des pays les plus démunis auprès du secrétariat exécutif du MDP pour rendre les méthodologies plus accessible.

5. Pour un équilibre entre developpement et durabilité environnemental, l'élaboration des critères et indicateurs du développement durable s'avère nécessaire.

Submitted by Joachim Jean Essomba Atangana (PDFP/MINFI, Yaoundé, Cameroun) on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 07:19 AM

1. Partant des exemples tirés du développement des pays développés en matière de developpement durable,on doit relever (i) une approche par contexte pour valoriser la diversité environnementale, (ii) une approche sectorielle des opportunités d'investissement afin de créer un cadre cohérent d'échanges, (iii) une approche écologique du processus de production basée sur des modèles multisectoriels avant tout investissement, (iv) une approche cyclique et recyclable afin de préserver l'environnement et préserver l'ecosystème pour les générations futures ... tels sont les quelques approches que la banque pourra valoriser afin d'aider les pays en développement à relever les défis de developpement durable.

2. La BM doit s'adapter à chaque contexte et eviter de faire des repliques de modèles car chaque pays présente ses spécificités;ses atouts et faiblesses qui doivent être utilisés en vue de créer une synergie entre les peuples dans une vision globale. Ne pas tenir compte de cette réalité crée des inégalités tant au niveau environnemental, qu'au niveau du développement de ces pays et du monde en général.

3. La question qui se pose est de savoir comment concilier les intérêts économiques avec les intérêts sociaux. Il s'agit d'un changement de paradigme au niveau des financements à effectuer et des objectifs à atteindre. En fait les investisseurs privés doivent conduire une croissance écologique alliant bien-être et croissance, l'IFC et la MIGA doivent intégrer cette conditionalité.

4. Si des études multisectorielles sont admises comme conditions préalable à la production des biens et service,un comité de validation multisectorielle des processus de production permettra de veiller sur la durabilité environnementale. Mais, il faut à cet effet faire preuve de beaucoup d'humilité et, d'honneteté morale et intellectuelle: des qualités qui seront difficiles à réunir face aux intérêts divergents des différents acteurs impliqués.

5. Une approche multisectorielle, soutenue par des arbitrages, des concessions ou des compromis s'impose car il s'agit d'un problème planétaire.

6. Veiller à la viabilité des investissements sur le continent africain afin de leur faire bénéficier au moins à 60% les retombées issues des différents investiisements aux populations. Il s'agit de passer à un échane équitable.

Submitted by Mahamat Mouta (Université de N'djamena, N'djamena, Tchad) on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 06:09 AM

1. la Banque Mondiale devrait financer les initiatives relatives à lutte contre l'avancée du desert dans les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne tel que le Tchad. C'est la source de l'exode d'une grande partie de la population depourvue de tout financement aux initiatiatives privées permettant de se stabiliser. c'est du veritable refugié climatique car ces populations migrent vers les autres regions ou pays pour pouvoir mieux vivre.

2. Donc cela dependra des priorités de chaque pays car les domaines d'intervention sont differents.

3. Il y a un double objectif:d'une part, il faudrait aider davantage les acteurs du secteur privés à participer à la production par un accés facile aux credits et d'autre part s'engagent à respecter la durabilité de l'environnement tout en priorisant la performance.

4. Cela dependra de la Banque Mondiale. Un groupe diversifié d'experts en évaluation environnementale issu des économistes et environnementalistes des differents pays est necessaire pour mettre en oeuvre une approche systemique permettant d'evaluer la durabilité environnementale des differents secteurs de son portefeuille.

5. La definition de la durabilité environnementale differe elle meme d'un pays developpé à un pays en developpement puisque ces derniers sont victimes des effets negatifs sur le production croissante des pays developpés. Donc l'équilibre en court ou long terme entre developpement et durabilité depens de la volonté des pays du nord à reduire l'emission des gaz à effet de serre et aussi de la volonté des pays du sud à se developper tout en repectant les normes sur la protection de l'environnement.

6. Que la banque Mondiale prend conscience de l'épineux probleme du tarissement du Lac Tchad et des marres du Kanem. C'est une vie des centaines de millions de populations en cause.La BM appui le gouvernement dans sa demarche pour elargir le Lac à sa superficie de 1960 qui etait de 25000 km carrés.

Submitted by Fiona Joyce (World Savings Banks Institute - aisbl (WSBI), Bruxelles, Belgium) on Tue, 02/23/2010 - 05:20 PM

1. WSBI/ESBG members believe that the WBG can play a central role in helping developing countries to achieve environmentally-sustainable development by raising awareness. This can be done through the provision of best practice examples, facilitating contacts between financial solution providers and promoting sustainable development through the enhancement of environmentally-friendly products. The opportunities in developing countries are plentiful since some basic activities such as eco-sanitary facilities or water harvesting in certain regions need financial support from international institutions such as the WBG; the latter should promote the financing of these activities among interested stakeholders, governments and financial institutions.

2. WSBI/ESBG members believe that, although a country/client agenda is important because it forms the framework of the global public goods agenda, the WBG should take a sectoral approach given the global dimension of business and operations. This is because each sector has a different impact on the environment. For example, the energy sector has a more substantial direct impact on the environment than the financial sector, which has a significant indirect impact. Furthermore, in a country/client agenda there are several aspects to be borne in mind, which could create potential distortions to global competition. For example, the application of different legislation in different countries/regions such as China, the European Union or the United States may create different levels of commitment for the private industry, which could eventually affect competitiveness. The WBG should therefore evaluate the formal policies, laws and regulations that are relevant for private industry when investing in different countries.

Finally, along these lines WSBI/ESBG would also favour some kind of overarching supra/international approach over country/client agendas; this could provide information and highlight the interdependencies between global public issues such as climate change and the challenges/changes for each country.

3. WSBI/ESBG members think that a systematic approach would be desirable in order to create a methodology and to allow for the comparison of results for assessing environmental sustainability in sector portfolios. However, in order for a cross-sector systematic approach to be achieved, focus should initially be on selected sectors such as the energy and infrastructure sectors and must accommodate the peculiarities of each individual sector.

4. WSBI/ESBG members believe this is a very complex question. Projects should be designed in a way that ensures no conflicts exist in the objectives both regarding short-term effects on development as well as long-term effects on environmental sustainability. In developing countries, there have been numerous cases in which this balance has not been achieved and where advances on development issues have been to the detriment of the environment.

WSBI/ESBG members believe that the ideal balance will depend on finding the appropriate business case for environmental sustainability, at both macro and microeconomic levels. Developing countries should benefit from projects realised in their own territories. A very good example is the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows net global greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced at a much lower global cost by financing emission reduction projects in developing countries where costs are lower than in industrialised countries. At the same time, CDM projects mean industrialised countries are investing in developing countries and therefore contributing to their development.

Submitted by Rose Sterling (Miniature Africa in the World, New York, United States) on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 06:46 PM

1. The Bank should help developing countries assess all the tangible inputs as well as intangible inputs such as constitutional democracy and human rights without complacency, and then encourage them to have coherent and unified policies to cope with and shape similar challenges and opportunities. And for idiosyncratic matters relating to each country, the Bank should mandate a prerequisite called "mandatory global public goods or "streets that lead to the highway of general global public goods".
The Bank should also direct developing countries' attention towards the effective interdependence of countries with linkages between economic, political, social, financial, and environmental development, macro-economic stability, human rights, and individual economic and financial security
Above all, the Bank should encourage the transnational peace and security-building measures that would turn conflict into cooperation and disseminate a transnational positive externality that would lead to flourishing exchanges.

2. There should be mandatory public goods in each country as prerequisite to reach the common general welfare, in order to enable those countries to cope with and shape their hierarchy of need. Therefore, all individuals of the world will participate and contribute to the global public goods, not only the taxpayers of developed world.

3. MIGA should make constitutional democracy a requirement to access loans. Constitutional democracy diminishes political risk and above all avoids "coups d'etat", guarantees country stability from which stems social peace and security, excellent investment climate and therefore ensures a stable macro-economic and individual economic and financial security. Also, MIGA should encourage countries to have great administrators with professional ethics and integrated foresights in planning the creation of more sustainable structures of opportunities. The IFC should encourage research, offer awards to develop competitive advantage in order to improve the balance of payments, encourage the diaspora to return to developing countries in order to contribute expertise, once constitutional democracy will have secured them. And also, the IFC must sponsor a transnational social experiment in global public goods through a global social contract.

4. Of course, the Bank should put in place a systematic approach to assess environmental sustainability in sector portfolios.

5. At this stage, in my opinion, there should not be any short-term and long-term trade-offs between development and environmental sustainability, because we are at a leading stage of a new world that is a global world in need of a solid foundation on which to build upon. We know that the outputs, outcomes and expected results depend on the inputs. Therefore, development and environment must always go together and should not be addressed separately, neither in the short term nor in the long term. The Bank should seize this opportunity and simply set universal standards to help countries triangulate both development and environment. We do not live today, breathe tomorrow, and eat next week.

6. The IFC, MIGA and IDA must sponsor a transnational social experiment in global public goods through a global social contract.

Submitted by Jenniffer Lanier (World Society for the Protection of Animals, London, UK) on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 02:12 PM

1. We advocate that the entire WBG follow the lead of the World Bank in developing “Country Assistance Strategies” of all projects are measured against. Additionally, the WBG should encourage and provide opportunities for local knowledge, resources, and solutions to be used by public and the private sectors.

2. The World Bank standards are often considered a benchmark for other multilateral development banks. Similarly, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) standards are often considered a benchmark for private banks. Through its lending and policy advice the World Bank Group also exerts considerable influence on economic, social and environmental policies in recipient countries. It is therefore indispensible that the World Bank Group actively pursues global public goods agendas and promotes investments that actively contribute to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The balance should be in favor of proactive global public good agendas.

3. IFC and MIGA should support private companies that have the principles of sustainability enshrined in their core business and actively contribute to the Millennium Development Goals. One sector where the IFC currently invests a substantial share under its agribusiness department is livestock production. Most projects currently supported by the IFC are large scale industrial livestock production projects, and it is unclear whether they contribute to the Millennium development goals or environmental sustainability or if on the contrary they have the opposite effects.

According to De Haan et al. (2001) , industrial livestock production generates substantially lower income per unit of output than smallholder farms, and benefits at production level occur to fewer producers. While cheap animal protein indirectly favours poor consumers, the poverty and equity effects, as regards industrial livestock production, are on balance largely negative.

The strong expansion of the animal products sector in the developing world was also highlighted by the World Bank as posing major threats to global water, soil, and air quality, the livelihood of smallholders, and public health, if no preventive and mitigating measures are taken. The problem is already acute in emerging economies such as China, Brazil, Mexico or Thailand but has the potential to expand to other countries if no policy actions are taken.

Now is the time for the World Bank Group and the IFC in particular to reflect on what type of livestock production they should be investing and for the World Bank Group to explicitly include animal welfare in its Environmental Strategy.

4. In sectors experiencing quick change such as the livestock sector, the World Bank Group urgently needs to adopt a whole cycle environmental sustainability assessment. Despite the paramount urgency of environmental issues, it is not politically or practically possible to address them in isolation from economics and social justice. Therefore, a truly environmentally sustainable sector portfolio, in particular any livestock portfolio, must be: ecologically sound, economically viable and socially just and humane for people and animals.

5. Long term environmentally sustainable development should be a priority. Other mechanisms can be brought into the overall country strategy to assist in the short term. The world is full of examples of short term development having a detrimental effect on communities, the environment, and animals while yielding little relief to the country or community. The WBG should not be afraid to say “No” when environmental sustainability is in question, as it did regarding the moratorium on palm oil projects.

6. We would like to highlight an emerging issue that should not escape the World Bank Group in this important moment of revision of its Environmental Strategy, animal welfare. Animals are a social safety net. According to the FAO , 1.3 billion people are employed in the livestock industry and approximately over a billion people rely on animals for their livelihood. Animals are an integral part of people’s lives and so are they a key to sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Regardless of whether animals are farmed in the backyard or in a large corporate system, they are a social safety net.

Submitted by Abpoubakar Hamadou (Bernard NJONGA, Yaoundé, Cameroun) on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 08:22 AM

1. La banque mondiale devrait financer des projets structurants visant à ralentir la poussée du desert dans les pays en developpement notament ceux d'Afrique subsaharienne. Aussi participer à la diversification des projets et initiatives allant dans le sens de la maximisation des productions d'où le developpement dans tout sons sens et au delà.

2. D'abord uniformiser la vision globale du monde qui va dans le sens du developpement et puis aborder les problématiques spécifiques à chaque pays en fonction des priorités.

3. S'investir doublement en finançant ou encourageant des initiatives des organismes privés qui concourent au respect de l'environnemment parralèllement à la recherche de la performance.

4. Identifier les forces en présence et envisager des solutions non ponctuelles, mais structurantes et efficaces qui permettent la mise en place d'une approche systématique.

5. En proposant des solutions efficaces, réalistes, réalisables et en étant fléxible dans le processus de négociation des dépositaires d'enjeux.

6. Le problème de la corruption au Cameroun s'apparente à une gangraine et merite mieux attention. Il est temps que la communauté internationale y compris les grandes institutions internationales se mobilisent sur la question afin de voir un pays à grand potentiel comme ce dernier, parvienne à réaliser ses ammbitions.

Submitted by Karl Elvis Nsumbu (Forum des Jeunes du Gabon, Libreville, Gabon) on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 05:43 AM

1. A mi avis, il faudrait que la banque mondiale préfinance et assiste les organisations de jeunes exerçant dans le secteur de la protection de l'environnement. Car ces derniers ont cette faculté de transmettre à leurs pairs des informations pertinents que les adultes ont du mal à se dire ou s'avouer les uns les autres.Ils ont un esprit de flexibilité et de bravour extraordinaires, ces organisations de jeunes. Or, justement ce qui leur manque, c'est les myens financiers, matériels et didactiques.

2. Le vrai équilibre, serait de mettre un trait d'union fiable et dynamique entre les organismes demandeurs, affligés et dépurvus à qui ce trait d'union devrait.

3. D'une part, mettre des messures d'accompagnement à portée environnementale, et avoir droit de regard sinon de vérification sur l'aboutissement de leurs activités.

4. En consultant les experts de tous genres, jeunes comme adultes, en vue de participer la mise en place d'une approche cartésienne en faveur des paries contractantes.

5. Il suffit de promouvoir l'économie verte, le marché vert auprès de ses différents partenaires.

6. J'aimerais que vous mettiez un programme financier qui permettra aux représentants ou délégués des ONG et associations d'assiter aux éventuelles colloques, sommets, conférences internationaux et regionaux car pour la plupart, sont dépourvus de frais d'achat de billet, de vols, d'hébergement etc...

Submitted by Refah Aiel (Etudiant, Yaoundé, Cameroun) on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:43 PM

1. Du point de vue environnemental l'Afrique plus particulièrement le Cameroun est loin d'être menace malgré tout le tapage que certains essaient de faire sur le sujet pour ma part je crois que ce sont les pays dit industrialisé qui vont le plus souffrir des conséquences de l'effet de serre la banque devrait plutôt leur fournir des élément de solution dans le sens de la réhabilitation de leurs zones dites verte ou subventionner les pays comme le Cameroun de manière a ce qu'il ne soit plus porté a se soustraire de sa foret.

3. Revoir la charte universelle de l'environnement si elle existe ou bien la creer puis creer un comite d'audit qui va veuiller sur le respect de cette charte.

Submitted by Niraj Koirala (Peace for Development, Sindhuli District, Nepal) on Wed, 02/03/2010 - 05:28 AM

1. I do not think the severe condition of Environment is due to the lack of money in these country. I think it is due to the lack of education among peoples. People fire the jungles because they do not know what happens when the jungles are destroyed. One of the reasons for that is probably due to inflation. People earn less money from their occupation as compared to their expenditures so it becomes necessary for them to earn by destroying or selling the valuable products from the environment in the market. This usually happens in developing countries where the government is not stable and the access to the administration is not very wide. In that case the bank can focus on providing education on environmental sustainability. In doing so the partnership with the private and non governmental sectors becomes utmost. The programs like the social mobilisation in conserving the environment, transformation into ecotourism and agro-ecotourism can be organised. Locals should be preferred as they know the realities of their community rather than any other strangers.

2. Today climate change has become a global problem. Similarly the economic crisis was originated from some countries and later it covered the whole world. These are just examples. The environmental conservation agenda of one county can differ from another and the environmental problems in one country may differ from another. However at last these problems may coincide. In that case the bank should warn both the concerned aspects (Country and global organisations) and give pressure to the Governments in making their environmental strategy diplomatic in order to solve the current environmental problems.

3. IFC and MIGA both can play a positive role in helping private sectors in pursuing the environmental sustainability. Private sectors should prepare their agendas, work plans in order to bring positive and durable change in environment. IFC and MIGA should review the agendas and the money should be given for the private organisation in order to address the problems in environment, that are more likely to occur. For example, the erosion, foods, deforestation, pollution are major problems of Nepal. The private sectors should be granted money in order to cope with these environmental problems preferably than any others. At last my meaning is that categorisation of the agenda of private sectors should be done and investments should be done on the basis of such categorisation.

4. Different organisations work with the different aspects of environment. For example, WWF works in wildlife areas. Similarly, others work with different aspects of environment. Some organisations work in the field of wetland conservation. So overall the bank should consult with these organisations from diverse working categories and if possible the bank should guide them and a proper environmental conservation plan should be provided to them in order to make their work successful.

5. In the developing countries the goals of millenium development can be achieved through the conservation of environment. Let us talk about Nepal which is a developing countries but rich in natural resources. Through the conservation and management of the environmental resources, more tourists can be attracted and the earning can be invested in improving the life styles of peoples by investing thus obtained money in different sectors like health, infrastructure development, education etc.. In doing so the short term goals i.e. employment and long term goals i.e.environmental conservation, poverty eradication and development can be achieved.

6. I think deforestation is the major environmental problem that is occuring worldwide. The main strategy of the WBG should be to make aware the peoples of developing countries about the demerits of deforestation i.e. money should be spent on educating the peoples about sustainable development and environmental conservation.

Submitted by Alainu Innocent Leka (Ministére des Enseignements Secondaire, Yaoundé, Cameroun) on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 11:31 AM

1. Le groupe banque mondial est impliqué au Cameroun dans plusieurs projets de developpement plus particuliérement en milieu rural. Cette vision de développement au Cameroun où la participation des collectivités locales est mise en valeur est une approche trés significative mais devrais connaître quelques amelioration dans le secteur de l'energie et du suivi ainsi que le contrôle de la qualité du materiel necessaire à servir les collectivités.
Nous constatons que les projets sont réalisés mais la durée de vie ainsi que le suivi de la maintenance du materiel installé ne dure que le temps de son installation.Bien sûr que c'est pas le groupe banque mondial qui viendra surveiller ce qui doit être fait au millimétre prét, mais le groupe banque mondial peut obliger l'Etat à remplir ses obligations à l'égard de ses administrés.
En ce qui concerne le Cameroun, pour relancer son économie, celui-ci table sur les grands projets tels que l'augmentation de l'offre energetique avec la construction des barrages,et la promotion de l'activité agricole principale en encourageants les paysant à ne pas seulement exercer dans la culture des produits agricoles devant être vendus sur le marché mondial telque le cacao,le café,le coton...etc mais à cultiver des produits agricoles moin connu et trés appreciés de la population je citerais le manioc le piment, la tomate,le plantain,le riz...etc cultures pouvant relever la quantité des produits necessaires à la consommation des populations sur le marché local et permettre à tous d'esperer une auto suffisance alimentaire.
Ces initiaves trés louables ne pourraient connaître un essor que si les zones rurale ne cessent de se vider, si l'electrification rurale est intensifier et si les banques communautaires pour financer les activités des paysants sont mieux organisées et connaissent une augmentation dans leur création en milieu rural. Pour mieux encourager le monde rural, la création des centrés de santés,des écoles primaires et des Lycées devant accueillir les enfants demeurant en milieu rural sans tout fois oublier les enseignants et toutes les comodités pour exercer leur devoir doivent s'en suivre sans oublier le personnel de santé.

Quel rôle la banque mondiale devrais jouer dans toutes ces initiatives?
Je dirais intensifier son activité sur le terrain à travers la création des banques communautaires dirigées par les populations de la localités,encourager la politique de decentralisation comme celle entreprise au cameroun en favorisant le transfére de technologies d'une région à une autre et le transfére des financements par des formations sur les notions cités enumerées ci-dessus,et apprendre au responsables des collectivités comment monter un projet afin de benefier un financement.
En ce qui concerne l'offre energetique, limitter la destruction des forêts à la recherche du bois de chauffage pour effectuer la cuisson des aliments, enceigner aux paysants comment cuire ses aliments à partir de l'utilisation des energies propre. promouvoir en milieu rural les projets d'electrification rural à partir du soleil,du vent...etc selon le type de source d'energie présent dans la région concernée.

2. Difficile à equilibrer les besoins individuels et ceux considérés comme collectifs.Mais je pense que le programme concernant les biens publics mondiaux devraient prédomminer dans les choix de leur financement. Tout pays dispose d'autres sources de revenus et des bailleurs de fond aussi divers. Cette vision d'équilibre devrais être suffisante pour faire comprendre la position du GBM auprés des pays demandeur.

Submitted by Paul Doko (NGO, Bangui, République Centrafricaine) on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 03:53 AM

1. Améliorer la gouvernance des pays en impliquant les communautés dans la gestion politique.

2. Si la Banque veut être mondiale, elle devra poursuivre les valeurs économiques d'équité et de justice.

3. Je n'ai pas lu dessus.

4. En afrique, la banque doit commencer par former le corps des ingénieur spécialistes.

5. Il faut consulter les sociétés et pas seulement les capitalistes et les décideurs.

6. Pourquoi la banque n'aide pas la RCA a se doter d'un train pour améliorer sa compétitivité économique?

Submitted by Teresa Flores (PRODENA, La Paz, Bolivia) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 10:01 PM

1. Cooperar con ellos para que fortalezcan la gobernanza ambiental en los respectivos países, y que el medio ambiente esté incorporado en los diferentes niveles de gestión del Estado y el sector privado. Ayudando a construir capacidades en gestión ambiental y en adaptación al cambio climático.

2. Es dificil lograr ese equilibrio, pero es importante atender no solo las prioridades que establezcan los gobiernos, sino también la sociedad civil y el sector privado. Porque el medio ambiente no es una prioridad de los gobiernos, aunque pueda parecer así en los discursos.

3. La sostenibilidad ambiental significa un proceso que puede mantenerse en el tiempo, pero ya no es posible, dada la rapidez con que se está produciendo el cambio climático, a lo que se tiene que apuntar es hacia la resiliencia. Para esto es importante mantener los bienes y servicios ambientales, esto quiere decir no apoyar grandes proyectos de infraestructura que destruyan el medio ambiente.

4. Requiere evaluaciones de impacto ambiental efectivas con la participación de todos los sectores involucrados.

5. No se trata de compromiso sino de cambio de visión de cómo tiene que producirse el desarrollo, comenzando por un diseño que incorpore una visión ambiental, tecnologías que no dañen el medio ambiente, entre otros.

6. Es importante considerar que el cambio climático va a reducir la disponibilidad de agua y la producción agrícola, entonces hay que priorizar, la infraestructura hídrica y cultivos resilientes. Hay que considerar que como el petróleo se va a acabar y sus precios no van a descender en el futuro, hay que reemplazar el petróleo con otras fuentes de energía, pero también los materiales de la industria petroquímica.

Submitted by Eudes Cyprien Mongo (Jeune Chambre Économique et Sociale du Congo, Pointe Noire, Congo) on Fri, 01/01/2010 - 12:20 PM

1. Notre organisme est situé au Congo Brazzaville, pays membre des basins du Congo. Nous avions mener une étude sur les peuples autochtones qui vivent les basins du Congo: pays des grands lacs jusqu'au Cameroun sur les conditions climatiques qui influence leurs condition de vie face au changement climatique qui constitut un grands fléaut et une menace environnementale. Notre organisation compte beaucoup du group de la Banque Mondiale sur la vulgarisation de notre éco-système auprès des autres partenaires au développement.

2. Le Groupe de la Banque Mondiale a un grand role a jouer sur le bon équilibre sur les différents programmes concernant les bien publics mondiaux. Au Congo Brazzaville, pour ne prendre que l'exemple de notre pays , pour la conservation de notre éco-système et de ses différents aires protégés, le gouvernement de la république en partenariat avec les bailleurs de fonds a mis en place un programme dénomé: ECOFAC. Le GBM a un grand role a jouer sur la promotion et la vulgarisation des études méner par des ong comme la notre au niveau des bailleurs de fonds pour un soutien multiforme.

3. Aider entant que acteurs du secteur privé est trés primordial, et cela nous permettra de faire connaitre nos besions et objectifs sur les principes de durabilité environnementale auprès de ses partenaires en développement.

4. Ses approches doivent cadrés selons les spécificité systémaétique d'évaluer la durabilité environnementale des différents secteurs de son protefeuille. Example: Le Congo Brazzaville a une politique spécifique et nationale sur la protection de son éco-système et de ses grands aires protégés. Donc le GBM doit ses éléments comme indice statistique d'évaluation par rapport a d'autre pays des basins du Congo. Le cas du Congo doit etre spécifique a sa politique de développement que le GBM doit tenir encompte pour une bonne dynamique d'évaluation.

5. L'équilibre, sur le court terme comme sur le long terme de ses compromis a notre avis doit etres global et periodique. Le développement et la durabilité environnementale constitut un ensemble de développement de ce secteur. Le développement et durabilité environnementale va de pére, on ne peut parler de développement sans durabilité environnementale inversement pour une bonne politique de développement de l'éco-systéme.

6. Les basins du Congo , qui constitut la 2eme réserve mondiale après l'Amozonie a besoin de votre soutient pour son maintien et aussi pour le bien etres des peuples autochtones qui vivent dans la misère absolu. Pour le cas du Congo, nous avions besoin de votre assistance au niveau des organismes comment le notre sur la vulgarisation de ses études sur le développement de notre éco-systéme.

Submitted by Patrice Feilema Moheresse (Ministère de la Santè, Bangui, République Centrafricaine) on Wed, 12/30/2009 - 05:12 AM

1. La Banque Mondiale doit appuyer les pays du sud, du moins ceux qui ont des forêts, comme mon pays qui a une grande forêt, de limiter l'exploitation forestière. Pour cela, la Banque doit leur verser des fonds de compensation, parce que qui dit limitation de l'exploitation forestière, dit fermeture des usines forestières installées avec toutes les conséquences qui découlent.

2. Le GBM doit s'efforcer d'accompagner les pays en tenant compte de leur spécificité.

3. Le secteur privé considéré comme le grand pollueur a besoin d'un accompagnement pour limiter la production du gaz à effet de ser. Cet accompagnement pourra comprendre la prise en charge des coûts liés à cette réduction. Tout comme la Banque Mondiale peut accorder des primes aux meilleurs élèves du climat.

4. Pourquoi, la banque ne peut pas faire un plaidoyer pour la mise en place d'un organe onusien du climat (ONUCLIM) chargé de veiller au respect de la feuille de route de Copenhague invitant chaque pays notamment les grands pollueurs tels la chine et les USA à limiter la production du CO2.

5. L'équilibre ne peut s'obtenir que s'il y a un organe de contrôle et de régulation.

6. La forêt du bassin de Congo est la deuxième forêt après l'Amazonie. Malheureusement cette forêt est victime d'une grande déforestation et d'un braconnage intensif.

Submitted by Mamadou Saidou Bimbiriko Barry (Ministère des Mines et de l'Energie, Conakry, Guinée) on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 11:12 AM

1. A mon avis le Groupe de la Banque Mondiale doit avoir un role d'orientation stratégique pour aider les pays en développement à amorcer le développement tout en mettant un accent particulier le développement durable. On peut pas parler de développement sans parler d'industrie mais les industrie doivent etre soumise à des réglementations environnementale qu'il faudra respecter. Alors:

- Il faut qu'il y est un apuis de la GBM pour auditer et certifier certaines entreprises du point de vue de norme environnementale (ISO 9000, ISO 14000) en vue d'un développement durable.
- Il faut aussi un appui à la formation des cadres compétent pour un meilleur suivi de la politique environnmentale de chaque pays.
- Il faut encourager les entrepises qui produisent en toute sécurité avec le respect de l'équilibre environnementale par d'autres formes de certification ou prime d'encouragement.
- Et de suivre la mise en oeuvre de la politique environnementale de chaque pays par l'élaboration d'indicateur ciblé pour une meilleur suivi du développement.

2. Le bon équilibre commence par l'exigence pour chaque pays- client d'adopter une politique environnmentale et au niveau régional poussé pourqu'il est une politique régionale commune. Controler la mise de ces politiques environnementale.

3. L'IFC et la MIGA doivent accompagner les secteurs privés de chaque pays mais exiger des grarenties finacieres pour chaque pays en matiere de développement durable. Elle doivent élaborer des termes de réference pour chaque pays.

4. IL faudra que le groupe élabore des termes de réferences environnementale spécifique à chaque pays et puis développer une approche systématique pour mesure les performances environnementales de chaque entrepise.

5. - Encourager les gouvernement, les politiques, les entreprises et médias à d'information, de formation sur des questions de développement et de certification environnementale.
- Sensibiliser les industries à adopter des politiques environnementales en tenant compte de l'épuissement des ressources( développement durable).

6. Je souhaite qu'on adopte une charte commune du développement durable qui doit etre rétifiée par le concert des nations.

Submitted by Paul Dominique Correa (Forum Civil, Dakar, Senegal) on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 01:21 PM

1. La BM devrait renforcer la société civile afin que celle-ci puisse adapter les temporalités environnementales mondiales à celles de la gouvernance politique. En effet, trop souvent les politiques publiques sont limitées dans le temps par les enjeux électoraux de court-terme qui empêche une vision prospective fondamentale dans les questions environnementales.

2. Encourager la bonne gouvernance environnementale par des mesures incitatives.

Submitted by Kenneth Odero (Climate XL Africa, Nairobi, Kenya) on Fri, 12/04/2009 - 01:19 AM

1. Facilitate sharing of knowledge and information to deepen institutional transformation. This can be achieved relatively cost-effectively under current technology and infrastructure conditions.

2. It should be a carefully managed balance. Of course national actions have the greater impact on sustaining the environment and reducing poverty, but there is need for coordination at the global level to build momentum and consensual coalition.

3. Financing to re-engineer technology and retool production processes to energy efficiency.

4. Work closely and more effectively with public and private sector through country teams to have a transparent and credible monitoring and evaluation system.

5. By seizing the vast potential of green technologies to build energy efficient economies.

6. Prioritize air quality management in African cities targeting the transport and energy sectors.

Submitted by Parfait Roger Nkoulou Mfoulou (UN Habitat, Yaoundé, Cameroun) on Thu, 11/26/2009 - 10:35 AM

1. Bien informer les gouvernements, les municipalités et les parlements sur les enjeux. Soutenir les efforts visant les changements positifs. Accompagner ceux qui sont sensibilisés et sensibles dans leurs changements.

2. Eviter l'erreur consistant à prendre l'Afrique comme une entité homogène en contribuant à soutenir des modèles qui ne marchent pas. L'Afrique centrale en souffre sérieusement; les modèles de développement devraient être tournés vers l'intégration des pauvres comme personnes à part entière et non comme personnes entièrement à part (voir le succès des compagnies de téléphonie mobile par exemple). En afrique centrale, une route, une ligne électrique, un tuyau d'eau) qui traverse l'habitat des pauvres leur apporte plus de bénéfices que des actions ponctuelles. Donc le GBM doit soutenir l'intégration des pauvres à la société moderne alentour; ils vont suivre.

3. Soutenir les innovations qui apportent des solutions efficaces aux pauvres par une approche basée sur les résultats positifs sur la pauvreté avec respect de la donne environnementale. Apporter à ces entreprises des outillages d'accélération de leur dévelopement: logiciels, matériels et outillages modernes performants. Favoriser leurs coopération avec des entreprises expérimentées du monde développé qui marchent bien dans le secteur concerné.

4. Trouver le moyen d'obtenir l'avis des bénéficiaires finaux (end users) des opérations et politiques. Utiliser les canaux réels: par exemple, en afrique centrale il n'y a pas de palabres sous les arbres (trop de fourmis et insectes) les églises et associations de femmes ou claniques souvent sans papiers officiels. Ces gens connaissent mieux le terrain que tous les ingénieurs et consultants de la Banque Mondiale. Recouper les résultats avec les avis des experts (il y a des traditions séculaires de respect de l'environnement).

5. Identifier les sources de dégradation de l'environnement. Evaluer les profits honnêtes qu'elles génèrent. Faire travailler les experts à trouver des alternatives permettant d'abandonner les mauvaises pratiques et donnant les mêmes résultats. Monter des programmes de changement de pratiques.

6. Pour l'eau et l'assainissement, l'afrique centrale du sud cameroun au centre de l'angola, les solutions sont spécifiques et n'ont jamais été explorées: tous les donateurs sont séduits par les modèles ouest et est africains qui y ont fait des preuves mais inadaptés ici; cela apporte un retard catastrophiques en milieu urbain, en matière d'environnement et de dégradation des ressources en eau.

Submitted by Michelle Corby (Save The World, Canberra, Australia) on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 02:24 PM

1. Leading individuals and communities towards increasing independence. Allowing individuals and businesses to contribute to their societies through business and cultural preservation.

2. Globally the Bank Group's role should be to invest time and funds to those who show potential, to those who will contribute to their communities. The bank can show an example to the public of what is possible in advancing careers, education and the rights of women and men.

3. Conprovide pensions to families to pay them to have fewer children. If they 1 they could receive a payment of $3 a day, 2 then $2 a day and 3 no payment. Thus, families can choose how many children they bring into the world, without the economic pressure of having to produce children to ensure support in their old age. The World Bank could establish a Pilot Programme in Africa. As in UNFPA's State of the World Population Report, "Slower population growth, for example would help build social resilience to climate change;s impacts and would contribute to a reduction of greenhouse- gas emissions into the future." The world population levels are not sustainable. If the world bank could consider funding pensions, it would take the lead where no one else has dared. To focus on the cause of the world's environmental problems & reduce future long term loses in ecosystems. Economically 963 million is greater and rising, to paying families a pension and reducing future birth rates. This is something to seriously consider.

6. The "world population" is not sustainable. Our approach of giving couples freedom to choose the number of children and spacing, in the developed world is un sustainable. The cost to our environment, our world is irreversable, yet we can change is the future population levels. I look forward to your reply and appreciate the incredible work of the World Bank Group in all parameters of the globe.

Submitted by Khalid Anouar (Quebec, Canada) on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 04:25 PM

1. Continuer à (i) inciter les pays/clients à adopter une réglementation environnementale conforme aux exigences de la communauté internationale, (ii) obliger les pays/clients à mettre en oeuvre cette réglementation lors de la réalisation des programmes financés par la banque, (iii)pousser les pays/clients à adopter un système de suivi-évaluation environnemental basé sur des indicateurs quantifiables et mesurables. Ces derniers devraient être reliés à des standards de la Banque et DOIVENT figurer dans la liste des indicateurs de décaissement pour tout projet.

2. Les biens publics mondiaux s'expriment par exemple à travers les trois conventions internationales (biodiversité, désertification et changements climatiques). Les préserver reviendrait à accompagner les pays/clients à développer localement les outils (juridiques, techniques, humains) nécessaires à l'atteinte de leurs objectifs.

Submitted by Richard Dambrine (DAMBRINE, Haisnes, France) on Sat, 11/14/2009 - 12:12 PM

1. Rôle de coordination et de globalisation des aides sur des projets multi-critères : lorsqu'on parle de développement durable de l'agriculture, l'environnement est présent mais aussi des infrastructures (routes, stockages, transport, création d'habitations....).

2. La prévention: les conditions des aides devraient prendre en compte le patrimoine mondial quitte à octroyer le surcoût du à cette préservation et amortir sur plus long terme.

3. Aider les initiatives privées qui se développent en coordination avec les politiques des états et leur assurer leur pérennité et leur efficacité.

4. En ayant une grille de vérification annuelle du développement des projets et coordonner leur évolution avec les autres organismes financeurs (banques des états, aides internationales et régionales).

5. Evaluer sur chaque projet l'évolution de ce dernier, les actions à mener à court termes et celles qui pérenniseront le projet à long terme et regarder leur efficacité apparente et réelle.

Submitted by Pablo Castañeda (Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde, Arequipa, Peru) on Fri, 11/13/2009 - 05:34 PM

1. El grupo debe ser un articulador tecnico en desarrollo de proyectos ambientales, forestación, biodiversidad, tratamiento de aguas servidas, utilización de abonos organicos, reutilizacion de agua grises, entre otras practicas. Los gobiernos locales, nacionales y regionales en peru no tienen capacidad para dichas funciones y una entidad externa de prestigio seria idonea para lograr articular fuerzas con privados y publicos.

2. Creo en el tema ambiental no debe haber diferencias entre entidades publicas o privadas, paices en desarrollo o en vias de. el grupo debe aboradar las prioridades comunes y sumar con otros participantes en logro de objetivos comunes.

3. Garantizar que los creditos que den esten orientado en parte a mejorar o remediar problemas ambientales de la zona o zonas donde desarrrollan sus operaciones. No solo a la produccion o servicios, el credito tiene que ir con una clausula ambiental, tanto de cumplimiento de muy altas normas internacionales, así como las de apoyo a las zonas donde trabajan para mejora el medio ambiente.

4. Bajo parametros internacionales, continua supervision y participación de entidades independientes en su auditoria.

5. El desarrollo tiene que ir amarrado de la sostenibilidad en el corto y largo plazo, no por producir mas ahora se mermaria la calidad ambiental acutal y futura. el equilibrio va desde que se inicia el compromiso.

6. Mas compromiso con el medio ambiente en lo concerniente a otorgamiento de creditos a paices o empmresas, incluir compromisos ambientales de mejora, no solo de cumplir, sino de participar con la comunidad local en la mejora, preservacion y cuidado del medio ambiente.

Submitted by Velisario Cieza Perez (Acer-Peru, Lima, Peru) on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 08:17 PM

1. I think very small finance resources may be lost inside the burocracy and approximately less than 20% is invested in achieving enviromentally development.

2. The balance is positive but is insignificant (very close to zero). The World Bank should adopt a clear and firm policy with goverments in the fight against polluters, for example against producers of CO2 and those who clear forests.

3. Their fundamental role should be to implement and monitor enviromental policies through agreements with local communities.

4. Applying the principle of "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line", in order to be more effective.

6. I am very worried about pollution in big cities of developing contries, about water pollution and about the forests and natural resources in my country (Peru).

Submitted by Mohamed Yahya Ould El Eyil (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi des Jeunes, Nouakchott, Mauritanie) on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 05:03 PM

1. Accentuer les efforts d'appui aux collectivités locales et aux organisations de la societé civile dans les pays en developpement.

2. Tenir compte des besoins specificiques des pays clients, tout en privilegiant les programmes ayant des impacts mondiaux.

3. Je ne connais pas ses institutions.

4. Il faut developper des mecanismes d'evaluation par pays et secteur au niveau de chaque pays.

5. La vertu principale du developpement durable est la gestion rationnelle des ressources naturelles selon un equilibre entre les besoins des generations actuelles et futures.

6. La lutte contre la desertification appelle une recherche pour utiliser le sable à des fins d'infrastructures et de commerce mondial.

Submitted by Pierre Vincent Bissouekeme (Centre des Affaires pour le Développement Durable, Brazzaville, Congo) on Fri, 11/01/2009 - 12:20 PM

1. La BM doit suivre l'évaluation et les impacts des prèts dans le domaine de l'environnement particulièrement l'aménagement du territoire, l'assainissement,les changements climatiques et le système d'information environnementale.

En matière environnementale, la Banque doit augmenter l'incidence des secteurs sur les populations; car ces financements sont toujours peu ou pas visibles sur les acteurs finaux des projets; la gouvernance des entreprises publiques des services environnementaux telles que celles de fournitures des services de l'eau et d'entretien des villes sont des stratégies à rendre fiables et les résultats très concrets.

2. Les biens publics mondiaux restent une controverse entre les pays dépositaires des ressources environnementales et les investisseurs occidentaux. Il est nécessaire pour la GBM de respecter les mécanismes de gestion ces biens; au cas où , les pays libéralisent la gestion et veulent le financement, l'opportunité doit être saisie.

3. Ces filiales du GBM ont très formalisées les principes de la responsabilité sociale et environnementale;cependant, dans les faits et dans la réalité les preuves de dommages environnementaux existent particulièrement sur la santé,les sols,la biodiversité, l'eau et les autres aspects.

4. La durabilité environnementale systématique doit évaluer de façon indépendante et renouvelable dans les pays clients.

5. L'équilibre doit se faire au sein du GBM; car il n'y a pas que les pays qui doivent changer des comportements vis-à-vis des ressources environnementales, mais aussi doit revoir son obsession et son culture du résultat immédiat.

6. L'eau et la performance des entreprises publiques en Afrique centrale. Au lieu d'exiger la libéralisation et la privatisation, il est nécessaire de financer les infrastructures et les équipements en demandant la refonte des statuts des dirigeantscies.

Submitted by Furqan Asif Buzdar (International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan) on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 03:22 AM

1. While working in the circumstances where environment has gotten least importance, It is hard to say that developing countries are taking into consideration the environmental challenges. As mentioned in the concept note, It makes necessary that the Bank has to take such guiding and practical measures while collaborating with developing countries. It has been observed that most of the developing countries paying less attention to achieve the environmentally sustainable development. Some regulations and linkages could be incorporated regarding environmental challenges in development projects.

2. It is hard to say about the balance because the growing need of the global public goods in recent years. However, to get balanced approach the Bank must analyze and integrate both the issues in a manner which prioritize global public goods agenda - this approach batter meets the sustainability and development challenges.

3. Despite the fact that IFC and MIGA both are playing well on the scene, however the evaluation of the past experiences with the stakeholders is much more desirable in this regard. Both the organizations have to sketch a comprehensive plan to get move on. Long term partnerships on the basis of output/performance could strengthen the stakeholders to pursue environmental sustainability.

4. Issues like extreme poverty, urbanization, energy usage and loss of biodiversity are key to understand and assess the environmental sustainability globally or in a particular case as well. However, emphasize on these issues could hone a systematic approach.

5. Trade-off is logical as in recent years various studies have interlinked the sustainability challenges of development and environment. For balancing the trade-offs, the Bank must prioritize the challenges on the basis of sector projections.

6. Extreme poverty, urbanization and structural changes in national economy without having a solid plan are the major issues. Having a comparative advantage in agriculture much more allocation for industry is bringing a conflict in the economy. Distortion in agric sector and un-planned industrialization is sharpening environmental issues. If in-line WB interventions are made in case of Pakistan then the prevailing conditions may change. Recent World Bank’s supportive measures have brought healthy changes in our system. However, It is imperative to state here that the country like Pakistan inherits a great potential for sustainable development and environment. It could be a unique, rewarding and pioneer region for WBG's interventions.

Submitted by Anna Keenan (Global Youth Climate Movement, Brisbane, Australia) on Wed, 10/21/2009 - 09:23 AM

1. The 'major economic transformations that the Bank supports in developing countries must be entirely within the 'sustainable development' paradigm. The core role of the Bank should be to provide funding which enables and catalyses sustainable development, and, importantly, to *not* provide funding for unsustainable development, which undermines all other efforts for achieving sustainability. Other core roles of the bank, to this effect, include capacity building in sustainable development concepts and provision of strict guidelines and criteria for sustainability.

2. Recognizing that client priorities (in terms of specific project) might be misguided by corruption and or a lack of education about sustainable development, the bank should aim to provide strict guidelines that meet global criteria (working closely with relevant UN bodies, for example) for addressing issues like climate change, and then work with clients to identify projects which meet client needs (ie development and poverty alleviation) within these global criteria.

3. The IFC and MIGA should actively seek out private sector stakeholders whose existence and core work is environmentally sustainable, especially as many of these stakeholders are in newer industries, not yet experienced in the international development arena, therefore in need of support. The IFC and MIGA should deny their support to those private sector stakeholders whose core business is unsustainable – i.e. corporations dealing in fossil fuel extraction, processing or sales. The IFC's vision "that people should have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives" simply cannot be achieved if fossil fuels remain dominant and climate change therefore continues.

4. Scientists say that to avoid dangerous climate change we must decrease emissions 80% worldwide by 2050 - only 40 years away - and that such a dramatic decrease in emissions can only be achieved by the total phase-out of fossil fuels, the end of deforestation and the end of over-consumption. In this context, it makes sense for the WBG to entirely avoid investment in (and dis-invest from) fossil fuel projects and in practices which lead to deforestation (e.g. cattle farming), as these projects would need to be phased out within 40 years anyway, and it is better that WBG money is directed towards long-term sustainable industry.

5. This question harbors a false dichotomy. Short-term development interests largely lead to projects with negative short-term impacts on local environments and communities, and wealth accruing rapidly to a small number of owners and managers. Such short-term interests also lead to long-term environmental destruction, and therefore - especially in the case of climate change - to the worsening of poverty. On the other hand, taking a long-term view on investments and including strict sustainability assessment criteria ensures holistic development out of poverty, benefits accruing to communities instead of managers, and to the enrichment of local environments rather than their detriment. It is also, therefore, empowering for local communities, enabling them to lift themselves out of poverty rather than having a continuing cycle of reliance on institutions like the WBG and IFC, and the governments and corporations who control the short-term development projects. There is no trade-off. Environmental sustainability is not an option, it should be considered a minimum standard.

6. There are so many projects around the world, financed by the WBG, and especially the regional development banks, which are establishing new fossil fuelled development projects - a new coal mine in the Phulbari region of Bangladesh, the exploitation of newly discovered oil reserves off the Brazilian and African coasts, new coal-fired power stations, and so on. These project entrench the existence of  fossil fuels for the next 40 years, and undermine our current global efforts to phase them out. They do not have a place in a sustainable-development paradigm, and public investment in them urgently needs to be stopped. It would be inspirational if the WBG could take a strong stance on this and be the leaders that we need them to be. We have now arrived at that moment in history where everybody needs to be doing everything that they can to solve climate change. This includes the World Bank.

Submitted by Alice Odingo (Nairobi, Kenya) on Wed, 10/21/2009 - 06:34 AM

1. The World Bank should avail small grants to groups and institutions that are prepared to address environmental problems in developing countries. This is because most funds channelled to the central government have proved to be less effective in eliminating poverty, which is a major contributor to environmental degradation.

2. Apart from the client priorities, the World Bank should each year look at the some serious global challenges, as it is doing with Climate change issues, and put strategies forward for dealing with such issues.

4. As results of investments in environmental issues are slow to mature, there is need for harmonizing sustainable environmental indicators in different sectors of the economy (country specific), and then delegate the responsibility of data collection, analysis and the general assessment to an affiliate institution which is able to report the results back to the World Bank for action. For example, some of these activities can be carried out by universities using departments of environmental studies so as to tap the expertise and incorporate them in environmental issues.

5. For the sake of environmental sustainability, every development now should be seen in long-term basis and then the short-term trade-offs seen as strategies for the long-term vision./span>

6. I am impressed with the World Bank's strategy on environment. As the World Bank is a serious partner in development in most countries, their commitment to environmental issues would send right signals to different countries throughout the world and the results may be remarkable.

Submitted by Rohit Pathania (Delhi, India) on Thu, 10/15/2009 - 07:55 AM

1. First of all, saying that the World Bank is a small source is to undermine the role that the agency has been playing in the world so far. Having said that, there needs to be a conscious effort on part of the World Bank to interact more with grassroots level organizations to understand what development means to the poorest of poor. Only when the definition of development is sorted out can we expect relevant solutions coming up. The funding agencies should put more pressure on the lending countries to listen to the people for whom the loan is intended in the first place. Moreover, extension of the IFC's sustainability framework could prove useful to some extent. Also, Efforts need to be made for ensuring that every single dollar loaned out is audited and accounted for through independent agencies.

2. More than 80% of the world is poor, and the problems associated to poverty affect them regardless of nationality, race, language, religion or ethnicity. It is a strange sort of uniting force that helps people identify with each other in spite of vast distances between them. So, to even think that the solutions oriented for one country cannot be used for another. Of course, suitable modifications of those solutions are always desirable, but in the end there is hardly any distinction between priorities of a country and the global agendas. We all want a poverty free world, a world where sustainable development is sacred to all, and where the environment is respected and not abused.

3. Adherence to principles of sustainability is something IFC already asks. However, evaluation of these adherence claims could be made stricter. Private sector funding should be allowed only when all stakeholders, willing and unwilling, have been heard out thoroughly.

4. By strengthening the hands of environmental monitoring and governance agencies across the world, a lot can be achieved to ensure that rampant misuse of natural resources can be avoided. This can only be done if a positive role is ensured for them. Sustainability is needed in today's world like man needs oxygen, and so no sector should be spared when introducing the strategic approach.

5. By understanding what the people who are the intended beneficiaries really want, we can balance the trade-offs between sustainability and development. It has been increasingly observed that sustainability and development can be converging lines provided the intention is there. For example, power is needed in a backward tribal district in India. What would be a suitable way? setting up a thermal plant and a distribution network for it, or providing the hamlets with small scale renewable energy generation units? Eventually, it will also be seen that sustainability can prove to be cost effective in the long run besides providing instant solutions.

6. The basic crux of all points that I have raised earlier is that development can be sustainable only if we truly identify what people want, and that can be achieved only by hearing everyone, especially the targeted beneficiaries. Hence, the mechanism should provide arrangements for doing that in a transparent and credible manner.