|
NATIONAL
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY |
||
|
Institutional |
Institutional
Framework |
Strategic
Implementation of Sustainable Development |
1.
INDICATOR
(a)
Name:
National Sustainable Development Strategy.
(b)
Brief Definition:
A national sustainable development strategy aims to build upon and
harmonize the various sectoral economic, social and environmental policies and
plans existing in a country to ensure socially responsible economic
development while protecting the resource base for the benefit of future
generations.
(c)
Unit of Measurement:
Qualitative Assessment. There
are two dimensions: Does a country have a National Sustainable Development
Strategy or not (yes/no measure) and Is the Strategy Being Implemented and the
degree of its effectiveness.
(d)
Placement in the CSD Indicator Set:
Institutional/Institutional Framework/Strategic Implementation of SD.
2.
POLICY RELEVANCE
(a)
Purpose: The existence and implementation of a national sustainable
development strategy reflects a country’s commitment to put in place the
institutional mechanisms needed to take a systematic and holistic approach to
achieving sustainable development through integrated economic, social and
environmental policy planning.
(b)
Relevance to
Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme):
Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21
approved by the 19th Special Session of the General Assembly (Earth
Summit +5) called upon governments of all countries to adopt national
strategies for sustainable development. These
documents affirmed that sustainable development cannot be achieved without
greater integration at all policymaking levels.
National sustainable development strategies are an essential planning
framework that unites priorities in the social, economic and environmental
sectors. A well-designed, fully
integrated and effectively implemented sustainable development strategy can
enhance national prospects for economic growth and employment while protecting
the environment. National
sustainable development strategies are necessary in mobilizing and focusing
society’s efforts towards achieving sustainable development.
(c)
International Conventions and
Agreements: The United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 1992 (The Earth Summit) and
the 19th Special Session of the General Assembly (Earth Summit +5)
called upon governments to prepare national strategies for sustainable
development.
(d)
International Targets/Recommended Standards:
The Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 (Earth Summit
+5) approved by the 19th Special Session of the General Assembly
stated that, “By the year 2002, the formulation and elaboration of national
strategies for sustainable development that reflect the contributions and
responsibilities of all interested parties should be completed in all
countries, with assistance provided, as appropriate, through international
cooperation, taking into account the special needs of the least developed
countries. The OECD has set 2005
as the target for the implementation of national sustainable development
strategies.
(e)
Linkages to Other Indicators: National
Sustainable Development Strategies seek to provide an overall framework and
organizing principle for the achievement of sustainable development and hence
are linked to many, if not all, of the indicators in the framework, but most
particularly other institutional indicators.
3.
METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
(a)
Underlying
Definitions and Concepts: A
national sustainable development strategy may be distinguished by having the
following key characteristics:
(b)
Measurement Methods:
There are two levels of
measurement involved. One level covers the existence of a national strategy
for sustainable development and the other the effectiveness with which it is
being implemented and the results achieved by having such a strategy.
Whether a country has formulated a national strategy for sustainable
development can be monitored through periodic surveys or through the national
reports submitted by countries to the Commission on Sustainable Development
through the national information reporting system maintained by the Department
of Economic and Social Affairs. Countries
themselves can quickly verify whether they have prepared or formulated such a
strategy.
The extent to which the strategy is actually being implemented and the
effectiveness of its implementation would require preparation of a national
system of monitoring and evaluation which should be part of the strategy
formulation process itself. In
this sense, use of the indicators set out in this book would provide an
important means for assessing whether a national strategy is being effectively
implemented.
(c)
Limitations of the Indicator:
There are no agreed international definitions or standards regarding
what constitutes a national sustainable development strategy except in the
general terms as set out in Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further
Implementation of Agenda 21. The
key characteristics referred to above are based on consultations held among
government representatives in three regional meetings convened by the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Work has also been done by the OECD and some national governments to
better define what a national sustainable development strategy process might
entail, but none of these efforts have been officially endorsed by respective
governing bodies. At this stage, the indicator and its measurement are largely
qualitative in nature and difficult to measure objectively.
Further work is required to develop criteria for assessing the
effectiveness of national strategies once they are formulated.
(d)
Status of the methodology:
There is currently no internationally agreed methodology for this
indicator.
(e)
Alternative
Definitions: Countries
have been involved in a wide variety of planning and strategy formulation
processes over the years and many on-going demands are made on countries for
the formulation of comprehensive development frameworks, poverty reduction
strategies, national conservation strategies, national environment policy
frameworks or plans, national environmental action plans and other development
strategies. Countries have to
sort through these various possibilities and find approaches that are most
suitable for country-specific conditions.
International organizations for their part should work towards a
convergence that brings together different approaches.
National sustainable development strategies have the advantage of
seeking to integrate the key economic, social and environmental dimensions of
development.
4. ASSESSMENT OF DATA
(a)
Data
Needed to Compile for the Indicator: National country reports,
policy reports,
legislative reports, and various planning documents.
(b)
National
and International Data Availability and Sources: The
UN-DESA compiles country reports that are organized into a national
information database. At the
national level, information is available through government planning and
environment ministries.
(c)
Data References:
http://un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo.htm.
5. AGENCIES
INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATOR
(a)
Lead Agency: The lead agency is the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The
focal point is the National Information, Strategies and Institutions Branch,
Division for Sustainable Development with fax no: (212) 963-1267.
(b)
Other Organizations:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); International
Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD); Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), Department for International Development (DFID)
6.
REFERENCES
(a)
Readings:
Carew-Reid,
et. al., 1994. Strategies for
National Sustainable Development: A Handbook for their Planning and
Implementation, The World Conservation Union (IUCN).
United
Nations, 1997. Earth Summit + 5: Programme
for the Implementation of Agenda 21.
United
Nations, 1992, Agenda 21: The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio.
United
Nations, 2000. Reports of the Regional Consultative Meetings on Sustainable
Development (Asia and the Pacific, Africa and Latin America and the
Caribbean). See the DSD National
Information Web Site: http://un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo.htm.
DFID,
“Strategies for Sustainable Development: Can Country-level Strategic
Planning Frameworks Converge to Achieve Sustainability and Eliminate
Poverty?” Department for International Development, UK, Ltd., 2000.
(b)
Internet sites:
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev.htm
|
IMPLEMENTATION
OF RATIFIED GLOBAL AGREEMENTS |
||
|
Institutional |
Institutional
Framework |
International
Co-operation |
1. INDICATOR
(a) Name:
Implementation of Ratified Global Agreements.
(b) Brief
Definition: The existence of
legislation for the implementation, at the national level, of international
agreements related to sustainable development.
(c) Unit
of Measurement: The ratio
between agreements legislated for and agreements ratified from the following
list of international legal instruments related to sustainable development:
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and their Disposal; Convention on Biological Diversity; Framework Convention
on Climate Change; International Convention to Combat Desertification in
Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in
Africa; The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its
Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer; United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea.
(d) Placement
in the CSD Indicator Set: Institutional/Institutional
framework/ International co-operation.
2. POLICY
RELEVANCE
(a) Purpose:
This indicator signifies initial government action to effectively
implement ratified international agreements related to sustainable
development.
(b) Relevance
to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme): Ratified
international agreements must be implemented at the national level in order to
achieve the objectives of sustainable development.
(c) International
Conventions and Agreements: See
1c above.
(d) International
Targets/Recommended Standards: Provisions
in national legislation for the implementation of all listed international
agreements ratified by the government.
(e) Linkages
to Other Indicators: This
indicator is linked to the issue areas addressed by the international
agreements listed in 1c above. The
closely linked indicators include, for example: ratification of global
agreements, amount of new and additional funding for sustainable development,
land affected by desertification, protected forest area, emissions of
greenhouse gases, ozone depleting substances, and imports and exports of
hazardous wastes.
3.
Methodological Description
(a) Underlying
Definitions and Concepts: Implementation
is the application of global agreements at the national level through various
general and specific measures, including national programs (policies, plans,
voluntary agreements with industry, capacity building, etc.), legislation
(including laws, decrees, regulations, ordinances, orders, or any other
legally-binding measure), financial measures, and institutional arrangements.
(b) Measurement
Methods: Determine the
existence of national legislation for the implementation of ratified
international agreements. Express
the indicator as a ratio between agreements legislated for and agreements
ratified.
(c) Limitations
of the Indicator: The content
of national legislation for the implementation of international agreements can
vary from general provisions to specific regulatory requirements.
The more detailed the provisions, the greater the likelihood that the
agreement will be fully implemented. However,
the existence of legislation does not necessarily imply effective
implementation or compliance. The
indicator is not very suitable for showing meaningful trends.
(d) Status
of the Methodology: Not
available.
(e) Alternative
Definitions/Indicators: Not
available.
4. ASSESSMENT
OF DATA
(a) Data
Needed to Compile the Indicator: Information
on national measures.
(b) National
and International Data Availability and Sources: The data are available.
The primary data sources include national governments, and the Treaty
Section of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.
(c) Data
References: None.
5. AGENCIES
INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATOR
(a) Lead
Agency: The lead agency is
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The contact point is the Director, Division of Environmental
Information, Assessment & Early Warning, UNEP; fax no. (254-2) 62-4274.
(b) Other
Contributing Organizations: Other
interested parties include the Secretariat for the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Secretariat for Basel Convention, UN
Office of Legal Affairs, Economic and Social Council for West Asia, Network
for Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa, and national
governments.
6. REFERENCES
(a) Readings:
Reports of implementation/compliance committees of international agreements.
Reports of the Conferences of
the Parties.
National reports to the
Conferences of the Parties.
Secretary-General's Bulletin,
ST/SGB/Organization (Section OLA/Rev.1), 14 November 1994.
(b)
Internet sites:
Secretariat for the Basel
Convention: www.basel.int
Secretariat for the Convention
on Biological Diversity: www.biodiv.org
Secretariat for the Climate
Change Convention: www.unfccc.de
Secretariat for the
International Convention to Combat Desertification: www.unccd.de
Secretariat for the Vienna
Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer: www.unep.ch/ozone/home.htm
Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, UN Office of Legal Affairs: www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm
|
NUMBER
OF
INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS PER 1000 INHABITANTS |
||
|
Institutional |
Institutional
Capacity |
I |
1.
INDICATOR
(a)
Name:
Number of Internet Subscribers per 1000 Inhabitants.
(b)
Brief Definition:
Internet subscribers are those paying for or who have established
subscription accounts to enable access to the internet.
The indicator is derived by dividing the number of internet subscribers
by total population and multiplying by 1000.
Subscribers may be either individuals or organizations.
(c)
Unit
of Measurement: Number
of subscribers or subscriber accounts per thousand population.
(d)
Placement
in the CSD Indicator Set: Institutional/Institutional
Capacity/Information Access.
2.
POLICY RELEVANCE
(a)
Purpose: The number of
subscribers or subscriber accounts is a measure of internet access.
The total number of individuals having access to the internet may be
extrapolated or estimated based on the number of subscribers or subscriber
accounts.
(b)
Relevance to
Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme):
As an information distribution system, the internet and its usage
provide opportunities for bringing education and information within the reach
of all. It can
significantly shorten time lags as well as opening up a new range of
information resources. It also
opens up significant, new economic opportunities as well as possibilities for
more environment-friendly options for the marketplace.
The internet can allow businesses from developing nations to leapfrog
into the development mainstream and offers considerable promise in
facilitating the delivery of basic services, such as health and education,
which are unevenly distributed at present.
(c)
International Conventions and
Agreements: The four-year
strategic Valetta Action Plan (VAP) adopted by the ITU World Telecommunication
Development Conference in 1998 provides a six-point action plan that address
the key elements needed to bridge the digital divide.
It includes a special programme to take into consideration the needs of
least developed countries.
(d)
International Targets/Recommended Standards: “The
benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication
technologies should be available to all”, United Nations Millennium
Declaration, 55/2.
(e)
Linkages to Other Indicators: There
are also other variables (e.g., hosts and users) which provide a measure of
how many people are using the internet. This
indicator is also related to other telecommunication indicators (e.g. main
telephone lines), as well as income and education indicators.
3.
METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
(a)
Underlying
Definitions and Concepts. The
internet is a linked world-wide network of computers in which users at any one
computer can, if they have permission, get information from other computers in
the network. While many users
obtain access for free, either as a member of a household, workplace, or
school, a subscriber or a subscribing organization is one that pays for access
to the internet. The number
of subscribers or subscriber accounts, thus establishes a minimum threshold
for the number of users in a country.
(b)
Measurement Methods:
The indicator can be measured by the number of actual subscriber
accounts.
(c)
Limitations of the Indicator:
One problem is that the indicator does not measure overall access to
the internet since there can be many users utilizing one subscriber account.
Moreover, the statistic is not universally available although
improvements in this area are being made quite rapidly.
If not all ISPs provide national reports, country-level data may be
hard to obtain. Requesting such
reports, however, would be an important national level policy consideration.
(d)
Status of the methodology:
In the past, the number of subscribers was often based on multipliers
(e.g., a certain number per host). As
the commercialisation of the internet has grown, so has the use of surveys by
both market research companies as well as statistical offices to count the
number of subscribers.
(e)
Alternative Definitions: The
number of subscribers establishes a minimum threshold for calculating or
estimating the number of users in a country.
4.
ASSESSMENT OF DATA
(a)
Data
Needed to Compile the Indicator:
Total population, number of internet subscribers or subscriber
accounts.
(b)
National
and International Data Availability and Sources:
Many
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) report the number of their subscriber
accounts. Some national ISPs also
report the total number of subscribers for the country.
A number of government agencies, typically communication regulators and
national statistical agencies are compiling country-level subscriber data.
At the international level, the International Telecommunication Union
collects data across countries.
(c)
Data References:
World Telecommunication Indicators Database, International
Telecommunication Union; World Telecommunication Development Report, ITU;
Yearbook of Statistics, ITU.
5. AGENCIES
INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATOR
(a)
Lead Agency: The lead agency is the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU). The contact point is
the Head, Information Systems Unit, Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT),
ITU; fax no. (41-22) 730-6449.
(b)
Other Contributing
Organizations: None.
6.
REFERENCES
(a)
Readings:
Telecommunication
Indicator Handbook
(b)
Internet site:
http://www.itu.int/ti
|
Institutional |
Institutional
Capacity |
Communications Infrastructures |
1.
INDICATOR
(a)
Name:
Main Telephone Lines per 1000 Inhabitants.
(b)
Brief Definition:
The indicator is derived by dividing the number of main telephone lines
in operation by the population and multiplying by 1000.
(c)
Unit of Measurement:
Measured as the % of population with a telephone line.
(d)
Placement in the CSD Indicator Set: Institutional/
Institutional Capacity/ Communications Infrastructures.
2.
POLICY RELEVANCE
(a)
Purpose: This indicator is
the broadest and most common measurement of the degree of telecommunication
development in a country.
(b)
Relevance to
Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme):
Telecommunications and
social, economic, and institutional development are closely linked. Modern
communications is considered to be relatively benign to the environment.
There is unlikely to be sustainable development without a
well-developed communications infrastructure.
Communications is critical to support sustainable development.
(c)
International Conventions and
Agreements: None.
(d)
International Targets/Recommended Standards:
Not
available.
(e)
Linkages to Other Indicators: The
linkages between this indicator and other sustainable development indicators
are many. For instance, a
well-developed communication infrastructure will reduce the need for transport
with beneficial effects on the environment.
Another example is the requirement of telecommunications for the
innovative delivery of health and educational services.
Yet, another example is the potential of telecommunications for
reducing economic and social gaps within an economy and assisting to reduce
the need for urbanization. Access
to telecommunications provides those in rural and remote areas with contact to
the outside world, reducing their sense of isolation and providing them with a
tool to improve economic, social and cultural awareness.
This indicator can be supplemented by the number of cellphone
subscribers to give a more accurate picture of information access through
telecommunications.
3.
METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
(a)
Underlying Definitions and
Concepts:
The definition of a main
telephone line is a telephone line connecting the subscriber's terminal
equipment to the public switched network and which has a dedicated port in the
telephone exchange equipment. This
term is synonymous with the term "main station" or "Direct
Exchange Line" (DEL) which are commonly used in telecommunication
documents.
(b)
Measurement Methods:
The indicator is derived by
dividing the number of main telephone lines in operation by the population and
multiplying by 1000.
(c)
Limitations of the Indicator:
There is concern that main
lines per 1000 inhabitants does not always accurately reflect the degree of
telecommunications development. First, there are other indicators of telecommunication
development such as data network subscribers or mobile telephone subscribers.
Second, main lines on a country level does not indicate the breakdown
of the distribution of lines into business or residential or urban and rural
although this disaggregated information is available.
The indicator provides no measure of the quality or reliability of the
telephone service.
(d)
Status of the methodology:
The indicator is widely used in over 200 economies around the world.
(e)
Alternative Definitions:
If accessibility is a main
interest, then the number of households with telephone service may be more
relevant especially for countries which have large households.
4.
ASSESSMENT
OF DATA
(a)
Data Needed to Compile the
Indicator: The
data needed to compile the indicator are main lines and population.
(b)
National and International Data
Availability and Sources:
The International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) collects this information on an annual basis.
Data are available for 1960, 1965, 1970, and annually from 1975
onwards. Population data is
widely available from UN agencies. The
ITU calculates main lines per 100 inhabitants based on population data from
the World Bank.
(c)
Data References:
World Telecommunications Indicators Database.
5. AGENCIES
INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATOR
(a)
Lead Agency: The lead agency is the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The contact point is the Head, Information Systems Unit, ITU;
fax no. (41 22) 730 6449.
(b)
Other Contributing Organizations: The
World Bank, the United Nations including the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
and Eurostat.
6.
REFERENCES
(a)
Readings:
Definitions,
methodology and other information regarding telecommunication indicators can
be found in the ITU's Telecommunication
Indicator Handbook.
Application of the indicator
including country data can be found in the ITU's World Telecommunication Development Report.
The data are also provided by the ITU to other agencies and appear in
the following publications: UN Statistical Yearbook, World Bank World Development Report, UNDP
Human Development Report, and OECD
Communication Outlook and Aerostat Communications Statistics.
(b) Internet
site: http://www.itu.int
|
EXPENDITURE
ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AS A PERCENT OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT |
||
|
Institutional |
Institutional
Capacity |
Science and Technology |
1.
INDICATOR
(a)
Name: Expenditure on
R&D as a Percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
(b)
Brief Definition: Total
domestic expenditure on scientific research and experimental development
(R&D) expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
(c)
Unit of Measurement: %.
(d)
Placement in the CSD Indicator Set:
Institutional/Institutional capacity/Science and technology.
2.
POLICY RELEVANCE
(a)
Purpose: This ratio
provides an indication of the level of financial resources devoted to R&D
in terms of their share of the GDP.
(b)
Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme):
This indicator is required to assess the level and patterns of R&D
expenditure in relation to GDP, at a given point of time, as well as its
trends. Adequate R&D funding
that is commensurate with economic growth and national income is necessary for
ensuring sustainable development. Scientists
are improving their understanding on policy-relevant issues such as climate
change, growth in resource consumption rates, demographic trends, and
environmental degradation. Changes
in R&D investments in these and other areas need to be taken into account
in devising long-term strategies for development.
Scientific knowledge should be applied to assess current conditions and
future prospects in relation to sustainable development.
(c)
International Conventions and Agreements:
(i) The Second Conference of Ministers Responsible for the Application
of Science and Technology to Development in Africa (CASTAFRICA II), 6-15 July
1987; and (ii) ‘Social
Development: Africa's Priorities, Audience Africa’, United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 6-10 February
1995.
(d)
International Targets/Recommended Standards:
Currently only available
for Africa: (i) African
countries should devote 1% of their GNP to R&D by 1995;
(ii) each African country should allocate at least 0.4 - 0.5% of its
GDP to research by 2000 (see section 3c above).
(e)
Linkages
to Other Indicators: This
indicator can be most closely linked with indicator 40: Investment share of
GDP, in providing more precise complementary indications on the level of
financial resources devoted to R&D.
3.
METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
(a)
Underlying Definitions and Concepts:
The Recommendation concerning the
International Standardization of Statistics on Science and Technology
defines total domestic expenditure on R&D activities as all expenditure
made for this purpose in the course of a reference year in institutions and
installations established in the national territory, as well as installations
physically situated abroad; land or experimental facilities rented or owned
abroad, and ships, vehicles, aircraft and satellites used by national
institutions.
(b)
Measurement Methods: The
indicator is calculated by dividing total domestic expenditure on R&D by
GDP and expressed as a percentage, that is,
Total domestic expenditure on R&D x 100
GDP
Both
data on R&D expenditure and GDP can be expressed in current values and in
the national currency.
(c)
Limitations of the Indicator:
The indicator does not show the proportion of expenditure on R&D
which contributes specifically to sustainable development. Data on R&D
expenditure are usually obtained through special surveys.
To date, most developed and a few developing countries are able to
regularly collect and provide internationally comparable and timely data.
(d)
Status of the Methodology:
Concepts
and the corresponding definitions as well as suggestions for the collection of
data as set out in the Recommendation
Concerning the International Standardization of Statistics on Science and
Technology still apply, whilst work is in progress in revising the
Frascati Manual which will have a direct impact on the need to revise the Recommendation.
(e)
Alternative Definitions/Indicators:
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) as percentage of GDP can
be used as an alternative indicator. It
is already in use in a significant number of countries.
The difference between total domestic R&D expenditure and GERD is
that the former includes R&D expenditure on installations physically
situated abroad but used by national institutions.
4.
ASSESSMENT
OF DATA
(a)
Data Needed to Compile the Indicator:
Total domestic expenditure on R&D and GDP expressed in national
currency.
(b)
National
and International Data Availability and Sources:
Data on R&D expenditure for 1990, or later years, are available for
46 countries only. At the national level, the availability of these data depends
on the existence and frequency of R&D surveys. To derive this indicator at the international level, the GDP
data needed can be obtained from the World Bank whilst those relating to
R&D expenditure can be obtained through UNESCO's international surveys on
scientific research and experimental development. At the national level, data on R&D expenditure are
collected normally through special R&D surveys conducted by the
ministry/department/council of science and technology and/or the central
statistical office and/or specialized institutions, whereas those on GDP can
be obtained from either the ministry of finance or the central statistical
office.
(c)
Data References:
UNESCO Statistical Yearbook.
5. AGENCIES
INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATOR
(a)
Lead Agency:
The lead agency is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The
contact point is the Director, UNESCO
Institute for Statistics, UNESCO; email: uis@unesco.org
and fax (33-1) 45 68 55 20.
(b)
Other Contributing
Organizations: The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
and EUROSTAT are two organizations that have been actively developing
methodologies and collecting data from their respective member countries on
R&D.
6.
REFERENCES
(a)
Readings:
UNESCO.
Recommendation concerning the
International Standardization of Statistics on Science and Technology.
Adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1978.
UNESCO.
Manual for Statistics on
Scientific and Technological Activities. 1984.
UNESCO.
Guide to the Collection of
Statistics on Science and Technology.
1984.
OECD
(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys and Research and Experimental
Development, "Frascati Manual".
1995.
(b)
Internet site: http://unescostat.unesco.org/
|
HUMAN AND ECONOMIC LOSS DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS |
||
|
Institutional |
Institutional
Capacity |
Disaster
Preparedness and Response |
1.
INDICATOR
(a)
Name: Human
and economic loss due to natural disasters.
(b)
Brief
Definition: The
number of persons deceased, missing, and/or injured as a direct result of a
natural disaster; and the amount of economic and infrastructure losses incurred
as a direct result of the natural disaster.
(c)
Unit
of Measurement: Number
of fatalities; $US.
(d)
Placement in
the CSD Indicators Set: Institutional/Institutional
Capacity/Disaster Preparedness and Response.
2.
POLICY
RELEVANCE
(a)
Purpose:
To provide estimates of the human and economic impact of disasters in
order to measure the trends in population vulnerability and to determine whether
a country or province is becoming more or less prone to the effects of
disasters.
(b)
Relevance
to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development (theme/sub-theme): Natural disasters can have devastating short and long-term
impacts on the society and the economy of any country, adversely affecting
progress towards sustainable development. They
cause loss of life, social disruption and affect economic activities.
This is particularly true for highly vulnerable, low-income groups.
They also cause environmental damage, such as loss of fertile
agricultural land, and water contamination.
They affect urban settlements and may result in major population
displacements.
The general increase in
vulnerability of societies worldwide has caused the social, economic and
environmental impact of natural disasters to become far greater now than ever
before. In fact, the overall number
of people affected by disasters has been growing by 6% each year since 1960.
This trend is expected to continue primarily because of increased
concentration of people and values in the areas exposed to natural hazards, such
as floods and earthquakes.
(c)
International
Conventions and Agreements:
Based on the experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/54/219 which established
a permanent mandate for the UN system in the field of disaster reduction, in the
framework of the global programme named International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (ISDR).
(d)
International
Targets/Recommended
Standards:
None.
(e)
Linkages
to Other Indicators:
This indicator is linked with
indicators that are related to issues of vulnerability:
% Population Living Below Poverty Line, Floor Area Per
Person, Population Growth Rate, Population of Urban Formal and Informal
Settlements, Area of Urban Formal and Informal Settlements, and other
institutional indicators like National Sustainable Development Strategy.
This indicator would have greater significance if correlated
to indicators of vulnerability to specific hazards such as earthquakes and
floods, which account for the majority of loss due to natural disasters,
especially in developing countries.
3.
METHODOLOGICAL
DESCRIPTION
(a)
Underlying Definitions and
Concepts: There
is a recognized high degree of interdependency between sustainable development
and vulnerability to natural hazards. High
vulnerability means higher exposure to natural catastrophes in the absence of
disaster reduction measures. Natural
disasters have a strong negative impact on the development process in both
industrialized and developing countries. Therefore,
the degree of vulnerability to a given natural hazard provides a key measure of
social welfare and development in a given country, as well as an indication of
the risk (probability) of natural disasters.
For
the purpose of this indicator, the following definitions have been used:
Natural
disaster is the consequence of the impact of a natural hazard on a
socio-economic system with a given degree of vulnerability, which overwhelms
local capacity to respond to the emergency and has disruptive consequences on
human, social and economic parameters.
Natural
hazards comprise phenomena such as earthquakes; volcanic activity; landslides;
tsunamis; tropical cyclones and other severe storms; tornadoes and high winds;
river floods and coastal flooding; wildfires and associated haze; drought;
infestations.
Vulnerability
to hazards is a function of human activities.
It describes the degree to which a socio-economic system is susceptible
to the impact of natural and other related hazards.
Vulnerability also depends on aspects such as hazard awareness, the
characteristics of human settlements and infrastructure, public policy and
administration, and organized abilities in all fields of disaster management. At present, poverty is one major cause of
vulnerability in many parts of the world.
(b)
Measurement
Methods: The
measurement methods proposed are based on the criteria used by the Centre for
Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster (CRED).
The data elements included here have been selected and modified according
to the requirements of the sustainable development indicator methodology sheets. Overall, these data should be collected and validated at the
country level by a public authority using these standard criteria and methods.
Each element is presented first in a concise description, followed by
comments and the proposed recording procedure.
i)
Onset Date: This establishes the date when the disaster situation
occurred. This date is well defined
for all sudden-impact disasters. For
disaster situations which develop gradually overtime (for example, drought)
scientific (meteorology and seismology institutes) and governmental (civil
defence authorities) sources.
ii)
Declaration Date: The date when the first call for external assistance
concerning the disaster is issued. This
call for external assistance mentioned here is defined according to the
definition of a disaster situation stated above. This date is available for all disaster situations to be
included for the indicator. Only the date of the first appeal for external
assistance is recorded.
iii)
Disaster Type: This describes
the disaster according to a pre-defined classification scheme.
Disaster types should include all types of natural disasters, for
example, earthquakes, cyclones, floods, volcanic eruptions, drought, and storms.
Disasters may be further described as sudden onset, such as earthquakes
and floods, and long-term, such as drought.
Two or more disasters may be related, or other disaster types may occur
as a consequence of a primary event. For
example, a cyclone may generate a flood or landslide; or an earthquake may cause
a gas line to rupture.
iv)
Country: This defines the country in which the disaster
occurred. Every disaster record will be by country.
Autonomous regions, not yet recognised as countries, will not be used.
The same disaster may affect more than one country, and here separate
records are maintained.
v)
Fatalities: This includes persons confirmed dead and persons missing and
presumed dead. Official figures are
used whenever available. The figure is updated as missing persons are confirmed
to be dead.
vi)
Estimated Amount of Damage:
This represents the value of all damages and economic losses directly
related to the occurrence of the given disaster.
The economic impact of a disaster usually consists of direct (for
example, damage to infrastructure, crops, housing) and indirect (for example,
loss of revenues, unemployment, market destabilisation) consequences on the
local economy. Although several
institutions have developed methodologies to quantify these losses in their
specific domain, no standard procedure to determine a global figure for the
economic impact exists. Three
different figures are recorded from sources which have a well-defined
methodology for the assessment of economic impacts, including the World Bank and
other international lending agencies; the host government; and, especially in
the case of complex emergency situations, the total budget requirements listed
in the consolidated appeals launched by UN agencies and other major
non-government organizations.
(c)
Limitations
of the Indicator:
The validity of this indicator is limited by the quality and the format
of the data used for its calculation. Comparability
over time may represent a particular problem for this indicator.
(d)
Status of
the Methodology:
The methodology is in widespread use on both developed and developing
countries although it is not standardized.
(e)
Alternative
Definitions: If
the indicator has to reflect changing risk, the measurement should be losses per
unit of time per capita. This is
not possible without further development of the indicator methodology.
4.
ASSESSMENT
OF DATA
(a)
Data Needed
to Compile the Indicator: As described in 4.b.
(b)
National and
International Data Availability and Sources:
Data above is normally available within each country or easily
obtainable; other sources are international scientific associations; insurance
companies (Munich Re, Swiss Re), national geological survey agencies; space
agencies and satellite service providers; the UN system and the ISDR framework. Internationally,
some data is maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of
Disasters (CRED) in Brussels.
(c)
Data
References: The
Centre serves as a reference source for most applications. CRED compiles and
validates data from diverse sources.
(a)
Lead Agency: The lead
agency is the Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(ISDR), United Nations, Geneva.
(b)
Other Contributing Organizations: The
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Louvain, Belgium. The
following organizations were consulted over the development and subsequent
review of this indicator methodology sheet: World Food Programme, United Nations
Environment Programme, Pan American Health Organization, International
Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and US Agency for
International Development, ICSU – International Council of Scientific
Unions, Munich Reinsurance Company.
6.
REFERENCES
(a)
Readings:
CRED.
Profiles in the World: Summary of Disaster
Statistics by Continent. CRED Statistical Bulletin, May 1994.
International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Centre for Research on the
Epidemiology of Disasters.
World Disasters Reports for 1993, 1994, and 1995. Martinus Neijhoof
Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands. 1993,
1994, and 1995.
Sapir,
D.G. Natural and Man-made Disasters: the
Vulnerability of Women-headed Households and Children without Families.
World Health Statistical Quarterly; 46: 227-233,
1993.
CRED.
Proposed Principles and Guidelines
for the Collection and Dissemination of Disaster Related Data. Report on the
IERRIS Workshop, 7-9 September 1992.
Sapir,
D.G. & Sato, T. The
Human Impact of Floods: Common Issues for Preparedness and Prevention in
Selected Asia-Pacific Countries. Paper presented at the Second Asian Pacific
Conference on Disaster Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
1992.
Sapir,
D.G. and Misson, C. The Development of a Database on Disasters. Disasters; 16(1): 80-86.
1992.
CRED.
Statistical Update from CRED Disaster
Events Database in: CRED Disasters in the World. November
1991.
(b)
Internet sites: