FIG Implementing Agenda 21
- A Presentation of a Draft FIG Statement on
Sustainable Development
by Helge Onsrud
Key words: Surveying, Sustainable development, FIG.
Abstract
1. Introduction
At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in
Rio in 1992, the Nations of the World agreed on a the concept of
sustainability as a framework for development on all levels of
government. A concrete program for implementing sustainable
development was formulated in the Agenda 21.
Agenda 21 from the Rio Conference challenges relevant non
governmental organisations to take an active role in fostering the
application of sustainable development in policies and activities
throughout the World. Organising a profession that deals with land and
water resources, property issues and geographic information for
decision making, the challenge from Rio is indeed relevant for FIG.
As a response FIG has decided to develop a statement on how the
International Federation of Surveyors will include sustainable
development in it's activities and promote the concept of sustainable
development throughout the community of surveyors World wide. A Task
Force has been nominated to draft a FIG Agenda 21, to be finally
adopted by FIG at it's annual meeting in 2001. A draft is prepared for
discussions during the FIG Working Week in Prague.
2. Surveying, Surveyors and Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is frequently misunderstood to deal with
the environment only. The Rio Conference underlines however that
sustainability in respect to natural resources and the natural
environment can only be achieved if it is combined with improving the
social and economic situation for the poor people of the World. Hence
sustainable development is founded in three pillars:
- Protecting the natural environment
- Improving the social situation for the poor
- Combating poverty
Surveyors are involved in a broad spectre of issues of crucial
importance to all the above aspects of sustainable development. To
name only three:
- Access to land and security of tenure as foundation for social
and economic development.
- Planning and management of land for sustainability in
agriculture, for protecting biodiversity and for making
sustainable urban and rural settlements
- Providing geographic information for decision making
The aim of the statement is to state that FIG is committed to
promote the concept of sustainable development in it's activities, and
to formulate principle guidelines for the practical application of
sustainable development in the surveying profession.
With the globalisation of markets and increasingly high public
expectations of professional behaviour, ethics and their application
in practice are of vital importance to surveyors. The paper outlines
the theoretical basis for ethics, considers the necessary content of a
code of ethics and, through the use of examples, examines a number of
real-life ethical conflicts. The paper supports the work of FIG
Working Group 1.2 (Business Practices).
- Introduction
- Theory
- Modern Day Interpretation of Theory
- Codes
- Applying the Codes
- Three Examples
- Unpacking the Examples
- Summary
Helge Onsrud
Chair of FIG Task Force on Sustainable Development
Statens Kartverk
P.O. Box 8120 Dep
Oslo
Norway
Email helge.onsrud@statkart.no
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