11/3/2017 The road from Stockholm to Rio - India Environment Portal | News, reports, documents, blogs, data, analysis

on environment & development | India, Sout

FOLLOWUS

IndiaEnvironmentPortal
ABOUTUS | CONTACT

KNOWLEDGEFORCHANGE Home News Tags Directory SubPortals Resources

SelectLanguage
TheroadfromStockholmtoRio
BROWSEBY
SUBJECTS
ShareThis Facebook Tweet Email Like 0 Subscribe to our mailing list
Environment
14/07/1992|DownToEarth
WaterPollution
AirPollution THERECENTLYconcludedRioconference
commemoratedthe20thanniversaryofthe1972UN
Forests
ConferenceontheHumanEnvironmentheldat
Land
Stockholm.TheStockholmConferencewasa
Agriculture
watershedintheinternationalenvironmenialmovement
AnimalCare
itputenvironmentalissuesontheinternational
FoodPolicy agendaforthefirsttime.
Mining
WaterResources ItwasSwedenwhichhadfirstproposedtheideaofa
Dams/Irrigation UNConferenceontheHumanEnvironment(UNCHE)in1968.Acidrain,coupledwithglobal
Fisheries consequencesofthefalloutfromnucleartestsinthe1950s,hadbroughthomethemessagethat
AtmosphereAnd humanityhad"onlyoneearth".Thousandsofyoungpeopleacrosstheinclustrialisedworldwere
OzoneLayer alreadyfightingtheirgovernmentsagainsttheestablishmentofnuclearpowerstations.Asnews
ClimateChange brokeofonedeadlyinci4ntafteranother,somefearedthatwaterandairpollutiolhwasgettingout
NaturalDisasters ofhand.
Health
Economy RachelCarson"sbook,SilentSpring,whichhadcomeoutin1962,hadbeenasignificantevent.
Ithadarousedwidespreadpublicapprehensionaboutthenewchemicalsusedinagriculture.
Transport
SeafaringcelebritieslikeThorHeyerdahlandJoanJacquesCousteauhadreporteddyingand
HabitatAnd
Urbanisation pollutedoceans.Andthepopulationexplosionhadraisedfearsthattheworldwouldsoonrun
WaterSupply shortoffoodandnaturalresources.
Sanitation
OnebookthatcapturedworldattentionimmediateivbeforetheStockholmconferencewasLimits
SolidWaste
toGrowthDonellaandDennisMeadows.Comingfromahighlytechnocraticinstitutionlikethe
People
MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,andusingdetailedcomputermodels,thebookhad
HazardousWaste
impressedmanywithitsdepictionofanindustrialworldhurtlingtowardscollapserunningoutof
PesticidesAndToxins
clearair.cleanwater,mineralsandothernaturalresources.Alltheseconcernsfinallylandedon
Energy theshoresofStockholm.
Wildlife ThefirstissuesAsinRio,Stockholmalsowitnessedadivisionbetweeninclustrialisedand
Biodiversity developingcountries.ThelatteremergedasapowerfulgroupofnationsintheStockholm
Poverty conferenceafactwhichgotfurtherconsolidatedthroughtheGroupof77invariousUN
Industry ConferencesonSoTradeandDevelopment(UNCTAD).
Gandhi
"Theinclustrialisednations,"saysIKGujral,whoattendedtheconferenceasIndia"surban
ScienceAnd
Technology housingministerter,"werebasicallyworriedaboutairandwaterpollution,whiledeveloping
nationshopedforassistancetowipeouttheirsordidpovertywithoutneedlessdamageto
ecosystems."TheenvironmentalconcernsoftheNorthwereviewedbymanydeveloping
countriesas"luxuryproblems".

InthepreStockholmphase,therewasaproposalputforthbysomeindustrialisedcountriesthat
naturalresourcesshouldbeplacedTheStockholmundertheadministrationofworldtrusttobe
sharedbyalltheconferencesawhumanity.Developingcountriesvehementlyopposedthisidea
developingTheyarguedthattheindustrialisedcountries"proposalcountriesemergesharethe
naturalresourcesofothernations,withoutoffering1asadistinctgroupsharetheeconomic
powerthattheyexercisedovertheinternationalcommunityinreturn,wasinadmissible.

BeforeStockholmbeganapanelofexpertsonenvironmentaland"developmenthadmetin
SwisstownofFounex.Tstatement,calledtheFouReport,hadsharplyrevealeddivergenceof
opinionbetweenindustrialisedanddeecountries.Fortheformer,developmentwasthecauseof
environmentalproblems.Forthelatter,itwouldbethevehicleforcorrectingsocialand
environmentalimbalances.

TheStockholmconfer1"1Wfinallyresultedinanacknowledgementbytheinternational
communityofthelinkbetweenenvironmentanddevelopmentandalsoofthegreater
responsibilityofindustrialisedcountriesregardingthecontaminationoftheplanet.

India"sPrimeMinisterIndiraGandhi,inanunfortunatechoiceofwords,called"povertythe
biggestpolluter",bywhichshereallymeantthattheThirdworldsenvironmentalproblemsare
simplyareflectionofitspoverty.

OlafPalme,theSwedishPrimeMinister,theconferencethathisgovernmentattached"the
greatestimportancetotheneedfordevelopment".Hefoundit"aninescapablefactthateach
individualintheindustriesalisedcountriesdraws,ontheaverage,30timesmoreheavilyonthe
limitedresourcesoftheearththanhiscounterpartinthedevelopingcountries."

Stockholm"sPlanofActioncoveredmanyimportantissuessuchashumansettlements,natural
resourceconservation,land,sea,andairpollutionandeducation.nvever,thereweresome

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/7618/the-road-from-stockholm-to-rio/ 1/3
11/3/2017 The road from Stockholm to Rio - India Environment Portal | News, reports, documents, blogs, data, analysis on environment & development | India, Sout
notableomissions,totheuth"sannoyance,likepopulation,poverty,desertificain,andrealaction
toprotectopicalforests(interestingly,theinsistenceofBrazil,iichhadraisedtheissueof
vereigntyoveracountry"sturalresources).ButtheconferencedidgiverisetotheUN
environmentProgrammeNEP),whichfinallycametobasedinNairobi.

AninterestinghighlightofPconferencewasPalme"srefencetotheVietnamWar,withoutnaming
it,andhiscriticismofanationthatwasdeliberatelydestroyinganothernation"senvironment.But
nonationpickeduptheofenvironmentandtillIndiraGandhi,theonlyPrimeMinistertoattend
conference,alsoreferredtoVietnamwar.

ThesuccessoftheStockholmconferenceledtoaaofUNsponsoredmegaconferencesinthe
1970sandearlymos.Theseconferencesfollowedapredictablepatterngovernmentsrepeatedly
votedinfavourofresolutionsinternationalaction,butsignallyfailedtoimplementorn.For
instance,despitethehighsoundingspeechesthe1976HABITATConference,fewgovernments
elaboratedrealisticstrategiesforconfrontingtheurbansettlementscrisis.

Bytheearly1980s,themegaconferenceshadlostitmomentum.Peoplehadbecomescepticalof
theiralts,whichrarelyjustifiedtheexpenditureandeffortIwentintoorganisingthem.

BBVohra,aretiredcivilservantwhowasamembertheIndiapreparatorycommitteetothe
Stockholmlierence,believesthattheseconferencesweresoonhwedtomerejunketsfor
politicians,bureaucratsandVs.Partofthereasonforthefailureoftheseconference."feels
AnupamMishraoftheGandhiPeaceiodation,"isthatwhilenewprogrammeswerecobbledto
theagendasofUNagencies,mostremainedbrfundedorhaduntrainedstaff."

MEGACONFERENCES

MajorUNconferencessinceStockholm
1974 Bucharest WorldPopulationConference
Rome WorldFoodConference
1975 Mexico WorldWomen"sConference
1976 Vancouver UNConferenceofHuman
Settlement(HABITAT)
1977 MardelPlata UNWaterConfernce
Nairobi UNConferenceof
Desertification
1978 BuenosAires UNConferenceofTechnical
CooperationAmong
DevelopingCountries

1979 Geneva WorldClimateConference

Vienna UNConferenceonScience
andTechnologyfor
Development
Rome WorldConferenceon
AgrarianReformandRural
Development
1981 Nairobi UNConferenceonNewand
RenewableSourcesof
Energy
Worldwidemovement
Butinthemeantime,theenvironmentalmovementcontinuededtogrowworldwide.
Thedramaticoilpricehikes973and1979forcedindustrialisedcountriestoirtake
energyefficiencyprogrammes.Withenvironmentalproblemsgrowingindeveloping
countries,anenvirontalmovementbegantogrowinthesecountries.The1973
ChipkoMovementnurturedanewentalawarenessinIndia.WhenNGOsmetin
Nairobiin1982todiscussthedecadesinceStockholm,theydidnotdisplaythesame
faithindevelopmentastheirgovernmentsdid.

"Thisdevelopmenthasneithergivenusthegainsofdevelopment(reductionof
povertyorunemployment)itgivenusenvironment,"arguedseveralThirdWorld
speakerspresentthere."Wewantanalternativeformofdevelopment."

Theideaofalternativedevelopmentwascrudelyconsolidatedintotheconceptof
"sustainabledevelopment"bythekWorldCommissiononEnvironmentand
Development,alsoknownastheBrundtlandCommission.EvenwhiletheBrundtland
Commissionwaspreparingitsreport,theworld,yasshockedbydisasterssuchas
theBhopalgastragedy,themassiveSaheliandrought,andtheCh6fhobylnuclear
disaster.Inaddition,therewasgrowingconsensusamongscientistsonglobalthreats
totheozonelayerandtotheclimate.The1980salsosawthepoliticisationof
environmentalissues.Newecologyorientedpartiessprangupinseveralcountries
likeFrance,AustraliaandGermany.

In1988,theUNGeneralAssemblyadoptedaresolutioncallingforaUNConference
onEnvironmentandDevelopment(UNCED)in1992,whichamountedtoareturnto
thedaysofmegaconferences.

WhilemanyissuesinRiohaveremainedthesameasinStockholmforexample,
thefearofdevelopingcountriesthatenvironmentalissuescouldbeusedinan
interventionistmannertherearemanyothersthatarenot.Theneedtoprevent
globalenvironmentaldisasterslikeozonelayerdepletionandclimatechangewas
neversourgent.

Thebiggestchangepyobablyliesinthepopularitythattheenvironmentalmovement
hasachieved.Morethana100headsofstateattendedtheRiosummitasagainst

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/7618/the-road-from-stockholm-to-rio/ 2/3
11/3/2017 The road from Stockholm to Rio - India Environment Portal | News, reports, documents, blogs, data, analysis on environment & development | India, Sout
onlyahandfulinStockholm.ButwhileStockholmwasmarkedbythepresenceof
suchtoweringintellectualsasMargaretMead,GunnarMyrdal,HannesAlfven,
BarbaraWardandBarryCommoner,RiowasmarkedmorebythepresenceofJane
Fonda,CNN"sownerTedTurner,GliviaNewtonJohn,RogerMoore,Shirley
Maclaine,angthesocceridol,Pele.

Onlytimewilltellwhetherthisisasignofamovementhavingbecomemorepopor
moreserious.

Tags: Environment WaterPollution AirPollution UN DevelopingCountries

RELATEDCONTENT

SustainableDevelopmentInIndia:StocktakingInTheRunUpToRio+20
BushDiscardsGreen
RunnerUp...Always!
MONEYMAKERS
Panchayats,EuropeanStyle
Chipko:AnUnfinishedMission

0 Comments Indian Environment Portal 1 Login

Sort by Best
Recommend Share

Start the discussion

LOG IN WITH OR SIGN UP WITH DISQUS ?

Be the rst to comment.

Subscribe d Add Disqus to your siteAdd DisqusAdd Privacy

IndiaEnvironmentPortalbyCentreforScienceandEnvironment
CentreforScienceandEnvironment NationalKnowledgeCommissionGovernmentofIndia
islicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlike2.5
IndiaLicense

MANAGEDBYTHECENTREFORSCIENCEANDENVIRONMENT PROMOTEDBYTHENATIONALCOMMISSION TECHNOLOGYPARTNERS:MIMIRTECH

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/7618/the-road-from-stockholm-to-rio/ 3/3