208 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(specific halons) each subject to different limitations. The protocol also distinguishes between
two groups of countries, the more developed with relatively high levels of consumption of
the contoured ozone depleting substances and the developing countries with relatively low
levels of consumption.
International Conference on the Protection of the Global Atmosphere (The Hague, The
Netherlands, March 11, 1989). This conference held at the initiative of the French Prime
Minister and co-sponsored by the French, Dutch, and the Norwegian governments, produced
“The Hague Declaration” which called for the development within the UN framework of a
new institutional authority, either by strengthening existing institutions or by creating new
institutions. The declaration also called for the creation of an “Atmospheric Fund” to provide
“fair and equitable assistance to compensate countries bearing and abnormal or special
burden as a result of decisions taken to protect the atmosphere.”
Earth Summit-United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de
Janeiro 3-14 June, 1992)- The historic Earth Summit held from June 3-14, 1992 in Rio de
Janeiro was attended by over 115 heads of states or governments. The major achievement
was the adoption of Agenda 21, a voluminous 800 pages document that details how countries
would go about achieving sustainable development with detailed chapters on the financial
principle and mechanisms involved. There are also chapter on technology transfers.
Scientific Programmes an Other Activities of International Organizations
The UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UNDP (United Nations
Development Programme) are some of the environment programmes, which are making
active efforts and are doing research in this field. Apart from them, Economic Commission
for Europe (ECE), the European Economic Community (EEC), the European Science
Foundation (ESF), The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), International Social
Science Council (lSSC), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), The Inter-governmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC) - this a part of UNESCO, the Scientific Committee on
Ocean Research (SCOR) and many other such organizations. Apart from them there are
other scientific activities underway which are funded by different organizations such as the
World’ Weather Watch (WWW), World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), World Climate
Programme (WCP), World Climate Impact Studies Programme (WCIP), Past Global Change
(PAGES), Integrated Global Ocean Station System (IGOSS), (Human Dimension of Global
Change (HDGC), Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS), Global’ Change and
Terrestrial Eco-System (GCTE).
The Earth’s atmosphere is being changed at an unprecedented rate by pollutants resulting
from human activities, inefficient and wasteful fossil fuel use and the effects of rapid
population growth in many regions. Global climate is changing because of the build up in
the atmosphere of carbon dioxide methane, nitrous oxide, the CFC’s (powerful greenhouse
gases as well as destroyers of stratospheric ozone), and other greenhouse gases produced by
fossil fuel burning, by deforestation and by producing food for the rapidly increasing population
at a global level.
Wasteland Reclamation
What is land degradation? Land degradation refers to the physical or chemical processes,
which make land, unfit for a variety of purposes like agriculture, commercial, residential