Chapter 1: The Challenge for Johannesburg: Creating a More Secure World

Gary Gardner

Ten years after the 1992 Earth Summit, an assessment of the state of the world indicates that neither environment nor development has fared well. While awareness of environmental issues has increased and remarkable progress can be cited in niches such as wind power and organic farming, nearly all global environmental indicators continue to be headed in the wrong direction.

Many social issues advanced slowly, with some of the gains offset by other setbacks. But the decade saw decreases in deaths for infectious diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea, a sixfold increase in deaths from HIV/AIDS more than cancelled all of these advances. People in wealthy countries were living longer than ever, but some 14,000-30,000 people continued to die each day from water-borne diseases.

World Summit priorities: Building on the small gains of the 1990s and accelerating the movement toward a sustainable world. Goals may range from ending the progressive shrinking of natural forest area, to achieving universal completion of primary school.

• The Toll on Nature
• Caring for People
• Pioneering a New Economic Model
• Looking Ahead