Sustainable Development (plan paper) - Essay Example

During this period, as many as 12 distinct goals and 88 focus areas will be covered to develop sustainable initiatives. The NSDS has received strategic and monetary assistance from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which has sought to help in the development of communities ravaged by the Tsunami in 2004 (ADB, 2005). Kenya has also embarked upon a comprehensive sustainable development (SD) plan aimed at protecting the country’s environment and natural resources. The SD plan was developed with the aim of providing relevant education to the masses in a bid to encourage local action.

The SD has also gained prominence as Kenya had previously not given importance to tackling the threats affecting the environment and there have been delays on the part of the administration in understanding the link between environment and SD (Adzobu, 2008). The Kenyan SD plan gives primary importance to the protection of the biophysical dimension of the forests while there has been lesser focus towards improving social and economic factors. The SD plan was developed further into the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) in 2005, which considered the role of poverty, still a major challenge faced by the country, and the resulting socio-economic pressures on the government’s efforts to protect the nation’s natural resources.

The NEAP has noted the importance of capacity building over the coming few years to tackle the various issues posed by technological, economic, social and political deficiencies. The role of education in this scenario has also shifted from a concern towards the physical environment towards popularizing the intricate interplay between human activities and the environment (Wood, 2007). SD is thus being introduced as part of the regular school curriculum and is taught to students belonging to the fifth grade and beyond.

The first phase of the NEAP will be implemented up to the year 2010 and will be followed by a thorough performance review prior to the introduction of the subsequent phases (Wood, 2007). The primary similarity between the SD plans of Maldives and Kenya is their extensive focus on protecting the local environment, although several differences and variations exist. The strategy adopted by Maldives is aimed at stimulating local activities such that businesses can develop ecologically sustainable methods, people can reduce their dependence on non-renewable fuels and scarce land can be protected from submersion (Annandale, 2007).

The NSDS has also introduced ways to protect the fragile coral reefs around the archipelago as a solution to protect the islands from rising sea levels. On the other hand, the SD plan developed by Kenya is aimed at protecting the country’s natural resources and biodiversity. The plan was developed and promoted by the Kenya Organization for Environmental Education (KOEE) and is thus considered as an internal project (Adzobu, 2008). In contrast, the NSDS of the Maldives has received considerable support from the UNEP through various mediums (ADB, 2005).

Additionally, the SD plan is focused towards imparting relevant education within Kenyan schools and is thus a long-term initiative. The impact of the NEAP will thus require some time