D+C Development and Cooperation (No. 3, May/June 1999, p. 29)

Germany will be host to the World Exhibition for the first time in its 149-year-old history. The northern German town of Hannover is the venue for EXPO 2000 to be held from June 1 to October 31, 2000. However, Hannover is not the only place were visitors will be able to see and learn something on the theme of the exhibition "Humankind ­ Nature ­ Technology". As we reported in a series of articles in this magazine, part of the innovative concept of EXPO 2000 is to demonstrate various aspects of sustainable development in the socalled Worldwide Projects which will remain on site when the EXPO will long have closed its doors again. People in countries all over the world will thus have an opportunity to benefit from EXPO 2000 even though they may never find their way to Hannover. At the same time, EXPO will not remain an isolated event localised in Germany, but have its impact on people around the globe.

45 of these Worldwide Projects are found in 17 countries of Latin America. Each project has its own characteristics and its specific relevance. Not all of them are big and spectacular, but all stand for the principles of the Agenda 21 and a sustainable approach to the environment.

In Ecuador, for instance, the local Quechua-Indios have found a new livelihood by starting an environment-friendly ecotourism project. Instead of relying on loging in the surrounding Amazone forest, they play host to tourists who come to stay for at most a week in simple bamboo huts outside their traditional villages. The tourists are invited to share the work and life of the Indios, they eat the Indio food and they participate in hunting expeditions and local feasts. The aim is to teach the tourists respect for indigenous culture and customs and to introduce them to local knowledge, for instance in regard to medicinal plants or the sustainable use of local resources. The village profits from the additional income. The fees which the tourists pay ­ 25 to 50 dollars per day ­ go into a community fund to finance the school, and the training of guides and other tourism investments.

On the positive side of the project is that nature has been saved from destruction and that some of the old crafts have been revived. For instance, local pottery is again being manufactured and used instead of plastic vessels. But on the negative side there is obviously also the danger that too many visitors from outside will eventually become a threat to the very culture the tourists come to experience.

In 1997, 1200 guests came to the 12 villages which are part of the scheme; in 1998 this figure went up to 3000. If this trend continues, new answers will have to be found for a more sustainable form of tourism.

Sustainable development in balance with the cultural, social and ecological environment does not necessarily have to take place in a natural setting, but is even more important in urban areas. The programme for the revitalisation and rehabilitation of the San Isidoro district of Havanna, Cuba, could be exemplary for many cities in Central and South America.

The district of San Isodoro is part of the historical centre of the Cuban capital. The cultural significance of the old quarter, which is inhabited by 5000 people, makes it a major tourist attraction for thousands of visitors every year. But for more than 50 years, these houses were left without repair. As a result, many of the houses which often date back to the 18th and 19th centuries are in very bad shape. This applies particularly to lacking sanitation ­ almost 500 citizens of San Isidoro have no runing water.

Situations such as these are often a reason for city administrations to choose rather radical options. The old buildings are just torn down and new ones erected at considerable expense. But the cost of such radical solutions cannot be calculated in dollars or pesos alone; one must also think of the destruction of organic communities and the fate of people who are deprived of their original homes. They are often unable to pay for the modern housing, or feel alienated in the changed environment.

Not so in San Isodoro where different solutions were found. In order to create a human environment and preserve the historical structure of the quarter, a project was started in 1996 to rehabilitate the area in a self-help effort. A multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers and technicians advises the people of the district with the rebuilding or rehabilitation of their houses. Money and materials are also provided. But most important are the own efforts of the people in reshaping their environment. So far, more than 350 families out of a total of 1200 families have participated in the rehabilitation of their houses. 115 houses with 650 apartments have so far been repaired. It may take five years altogether until the work will be completed. But this will not be the end of the project. Small social programmes are planned to ensure that the houses will in future be maintained and kept in good shape.

These are just two examples from Latin America which have been recognised by EXPO 2000 as Wordwide Projects because they carry the central message of the exhibition: sustainable development can only grow from a behaviour which combines careful use of resources with social responsibility and economic viability.