NAME : Roshafizah Bt Roslan MATRIC NUMBER : A133549 LECTURER : Prof. Ir. Dr. Riza Atiq Abdullah Bin O.K Rahmat Dr. Muhammad Nazri Bin Borhan Puan Norliza Bt. Mohd Akhir
Task 5: You are given a task by the mayor of your hometown to evaluate and give suggestion on how to plan the town in accordance with Local Agenda 21. Write a brief report on your evaluation and suggestion.
Local Agenda 21 is a program aimed at implementing sustainable development at the local level. A Local Agenda 21 program comprises systems and processes to integrate environmental, economic and social development. Founded on a strong partnership between local government and the community, the progress towards local sustainable development will be guided by the preparation of a long term strategic action plan that integrates existing policies and programs and an agreed future direction. Local Agenda 21 provides the basis for debate on and awareness of sustainable development at the community level. The main focus of Local Agenda 21 is to involve all groups in sustainable development planning in the major areas of economic, social and environmental development. This focus on participation clearly sets Local Agenda 21 apart from other initiatives which focus more on the achievement of outcomes for sustainable development.
There are significant positive outcomes that should result from an effective Local Agenda 21 process, these include the stronger community and local government partnership, ongoing community involvement in the resolution of sustainable development issues, integrated decision making which takes all foreseeable economic, social and environmental considerations into account, development, implementation and periodic review of a long term, integrated action plan which incorporates sustainable development principles and the changes which promote a continual improvement toward sustainable development. The Local Agenda 21 needs cooperation of many parties. It includes society, private sector and local authorities. So each party has their basic own role. These are some of them:
1. Individual or Society Give cooperation to any program or event that private sector or local authorities invented. Mass media need to announce the activity relate to this sector.
2. Associations and Companies An association of Local Agenda 21 needs to be established to focus on thevision of this principle for the hometown. Any companies surround my hometown need to be alert to the necessity of the residential of the hometown by providing the requirement for residents.
3. Governments Representatives or Local Authorities Doing campaign and kind of same activity or event relate to Local Agenda 21 Making collaboration within the authorities to execute any activities
There are several elements of Local Agenda 21. Based on the element, the evaluation and the suggestion are considered. 1. Maintaining high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. Evaluation Paka is an area that being developed as an industrial city that can accommodate the needs of the population through the increased of job opportunities thus can generate the economic growth of local communities that take the benefit from opportunities available. Suggestion In order to maintain the high and stable levels of economic growth and employment, the economy of an area must continue to grow. The investment in public, business and private assets is a vital to the future prosperity. The maintaining high and stable levels of employment aim so everyone can share greater job opportunities.
2. Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone. Evaluation Social progress is the idea that societies can or do improve in terms of their social, political, and economic structures. This may happen as a result of direct human action, as insocial enterprise or through social activism, or as a natural part of sociocultural evolution. In Paka, the social progress is something that needs to be developed more in order to fulfill the Local Agenda 21. Suggestion In order to increase the social progress which recognizes the needs of everyone, the authorities must do something such as equip people with the skills to fulfil the potential, improve the health of the population overall, reduce the proportion of unfit stock and also reduce both crime and fear of crime.
3. Effective protection of the environment. Evaluation Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the natural environment and humans. The development of the industrial sector in Paka led to negative impact on the environment. Air pollution occurs because of the burning of natural gas in the thermal power station in Paka. For the transportation, Paka has less of public transport and this shows low of effective protection of the environment.
Suggestion The authorities need to considered in continue to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and plan for greater reductions in longer term emissions of greenhouse gases. Besides that, it is also important in reduce air pollution and ensure air quality continues to improve through the longer term. In the context of the transportation, the authorities can make changing in reduce the need to travel and improve choice in transport. Re-using previously developed land also help in giving protection to the environment, in order to protect the countryside and encourage urban regeneration.
4. Prudent use of natural resources. Evaluation The high population of residents at Paka led to the high and arising volume of waste. The public awareness and participation in waste management in the residential of Paka is very low. The low quantity of the recycling center in the residential is contributed to the low awareness among the residents. Suggestion The best way to improve the prudent use of natural resources is moving away from disposal of waste towards waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and recovery. Increase the number of the recycling centre.
5. Improving quality of life. Evaluation Quality of life is the general well-being of individuals and societies. Quality of life has a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is based primarily on income. Instead, standard indicators of the quality of life include not only wealth and employment but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging. In Paka, the quality of life is intermediate. Suggestion The best way is to achieve a better quality of life for everyone.
From this Local Agenda 21, the benefits that we could get as an individual are the views being taken into account in the planning and implementation of LA21 programs to improve the quality of life in your town, the local authority will be more sensitive and effective to your needs, a more conducive environment and a higher quality of life and we could have more pride and ownership over the surroundings. While, as an organization or establishment, the things that could benefit through are projection of the image of the organization as a good corporate citizen sensitive to the needs of the community, increasing the effectiveness through co-operation with other stakeholders in the community, the opportunity to participate in the planning and development in the surroundings with the local authority, the opportunity to give valuable input to policies and practices that will influence your surroundings and the community's quality of life and also the opportunity to serve the community. As the a representative of the government, the benefit that could get through are the Increasing of understanding and cooperation between government and the community, the increasing of community support and participation in programs that will benefit all and also help in improve the image of the department.