Posted on August, 27 1999
The two are strongly interlinked because as the threat of 30 years of violence and disruption diminishes, so the prospect of better housing, purer air, reliable transport and levels of employment increase.
At the forefront of this environmental revolution is the Sustainable Northern Ireland Programme (SNIP), co-founded and sponsored by the international conservation organization WWF. SNIP is working with all 26 local authorities in the province, and scores of community groups, to take full advantage of the peace process and its many rewards.
All this is part of the international Local Agenda 21 initiative, the mission of which is to encourage communities and individuals to take positive action in response to the threats to the environment imposed by our modern lifestyles.
"LA21 in Northern Ireland has lagged behind other parts of the United Kingdom, partly because local authorities here don't have the same powers as they do in Britain," explains Heather Moorhead, manager of SNIP. "We are here to help address the deficiency."Most powers were removed from Northern Ireland's local authorities as long ago as the early seventies and have never been restored.
As a result, says Heather Moorhead, several councils have poorly developed relationships with their residents, who rely on other official bodies for matters such as education, housing and health. But now Heather detects a new air of optimism, with some councils wanting to enhance their civic leadership role and involve their communities in decision-making.
Which is where SNIP comes in. It is working with councils throughout the province on all matters relating to sustainable development development which meets the needs of people today without compromising the needs of future generations. Not least is its work with Belfast City Council on sustainable development indicators plotting changes to air and water quality, waste, energy, transport, crime and housing, for example. These and other indicators provide a barometer of modern life, and enable councils and other organizations to plan for the future.
Crucially, SNIP's work is among both communities in Northern Ireland, so it directly contributes to the process of peace and reconciliation. And as the Assembly comes into being, so the opportunity to improve the environment and exploit the sustainable development agenda to the full becomes a powerful tool. SNIP intends to influence Assembly members at every opportunity.
WWF Northern Ireland is complementing SNIP's work with local authorities by taking up LA21 with the principal government agencies. The Northern Ireland Minister for Environment and Agriculture, Lord Dubs, recently appointed a working group to promote LA21 throughout the province. WWF Northern Ireland's Senior Manager, Jim Kitchen, has been appointed to this panel.
"This is an important step in spreading the responsibility for effective sustainable development among all key policy makers in Northern Ireland" Kitchen says, "because central government departments here make the major decisions affecting people's daily lives."
Heather Moorhead believes that people concerned with the environment are feeling very positive at present. "There seems to be improved joined-up thinking not only among local authorities but among senior politicians, too" she says.
"We want to build on that, and to create awareness among communities throughout Northern Ireland. We're here to develop local plans based on the ideas of local people, so that we can achieve more sustainable development. As the quality of life improves day by day, we have a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of one and a half million people."
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*Peter Denton is Head of Publications at WWF-UK in Godalming.