SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT-PLANNING AND SEMIARID REGIONS

The semi-arid regions of the developing countries are the most vulnera ble regions of the world in regard to environmental and socio-economic conditions. If is likely that a business-as-usual scenario will show increased vulnerability in the future, with growing population and lan d use intensifying the pressure on land and wafer resources. Such an u nsustainable path must be diverted to one of greater sustainability. T his is especially difficult because of the immediate problems relating to the basic needs of the population. In this article, a methodology is discussed whereby global environmental and climate change issues ar e integrated into a comprehensive planning approach designed to pursue a more sustainable economic, social and environmental development. Th e methodological framework includes a number of steps or tasks dealing with the assessment of present sustainability, business-as-usual and alternative scenarios for one generation in the future, and vulnerabil ity and impact assessments. The methodology should lead to the definit ion and implementation of a sustainable development strategy addressin g current societal goals while taking into account local and global en vironmental change processes.