UN Commission on Sustainable Development
Transport
Transport is considered in Agenda 21 in the context of several chapters,
including, among others, Chapter 9 on Atmosphere and Chapter 7 on Human
Settlements. In undertaking the five-year review of the implementation of Agenda
21 during its nineteenth Special Session in 1997, the General Assembly noted
that, over the next twenty years, transportation is expected to be the major
driving force behind a growing world demand for energy. It is the largest
end-user of energy in developed countries and the fastest growing one in most
developing countries. Current patterns of transportation are not sustainable and
may compound both environmental and health problems.
There is, therefore, a need for action, ranging, inter alia, from the promotion
of integrated transport policies and plans, the accelerated phase-out of leaded
gasoline, the promotion of voluntary guidelines and the development of
partnerships at the national level for strengthening transport infrastructure
and developing innovative mass transport schemes.
Within the framework of the Commission’s multi-year programme of work,
transport will be discussed by the Commission at its ninth session, in 2001.
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/transp.htm#doc
ENERGIA
Women, Transport, Energy and the Environment
Guest Editorial Maria J. Figueroa
Economic development requires increased access and mobility of people and
goods. Increasing urbanization and industrialization both create great demands
for transport services. The goal of transport development is to improve every
individual's access and mobility potential in society.
http://www.energia.org/energia/may1998/newsfromtheeditors.html
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
(ITDP)
http://www.itdp.org/
International Forum for Rural Transport and Development
http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd/
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)
ICLEI's Sustainable Transportation Program
Supporting Sustainable Transportation at the Local Level
http://www.iclei.org/co2/susttran.htm
Public Transport Gender Audit (Research
Report)
Kerry Hamilton, University of East London, Transport Studies (July 1999)
http://www.women-and-transport.net
The Sustainable Transport Action Network for
Asia and the Pacific (SUSTRAN network)
promotes and popularises people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport
with a focus on Asia and the Pacific.
visit this website for an information "toolbox" with background
information on sustainable transport issues:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran
http://www.geocities.com/sustrannet
UNCHS
11. Gender
Recent research has greatly improved understanding of gender issues in the rural
transport context but so far there has been little research on the gender
dimension in Asian urban transport. This is of vital relevance for poverty
issues and must be quickly remedied, since women are estimated to account for
70% of those living in poverty worldwide (UNDP, 1995). The growing literature on
women and transport has also clearly shown that they tend to have different
travel needs deriving from the multiple tasks they must perform in their
households and in their communities (Grieco and Turner, 1997). Low-income women
tend also to be dramatically less mobile than men in the same socio-economic
groups (Dutt, et al., 1994). They are more dependent on walking and tend to have
less access to any bicycles or motorcycles in a household. Social restrictions
hinder women's mobility in many cultures (Gopalan, 1998). Efforts to increase
the mobility of poor women may face stiff resistance from those who feel
threatened or offended by such direct empowerment of women (Hook, 1998). Sexual
harassment (and worse) in streets and on public transport has been mentioned
above. Since many more women than men are the care-givers of frail-elderly
people, people with disabilities and of children, the transport problems of
these disadvantaged groups also impact disproportionately on women. Poverty, of
course, compounds each of these disadvantages. Urban transport planning must
quickly become gender aware, beginning with the routine collection of gender
disaggregated data in surveys. Gender needs to be "mainstreamed" in
the transport planning process. It is not enough to just discuss gender as an
afterthought. Efforts to promote meaningful public participation also require
special attention to allow the voices of women to be heard.
http://www.fukuoka.unchs.org/information/occasional/transport-barter.html
UN CSD Secretariat's website on Transport
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