Renewable energy, links between environment, health and poverty and the increasing intensity and frequency of natural and man-made disasters are some of the issues on the agenda when 100 environment ministers meet here this week.
The ministers from five continents will gather in the Nairobi headquarters of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for the second Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the 21st session of UNEP's governing council from Monday to Friday.
They will also discuss specific environmental needs of Africa, UNEP's contribution to the second Earth Summit and international environmental governance, according to official documents of the UN environment body.
"As a specific aspect of 'environment and poverty', it is suggested that the ministerial consultation meeting should consider the vulnerability of the environment to natural and man-made disasters," says a notification to delegates by UNEP's Executive Director Klaus Toepfer.
The first three days will be taken up by administrative and budgetary matters. The ssession will peruse and approve UNEP's programme and bi-annual budget for 2000-2003.
The meeting will also be attended by senior representatives from non-governmental organisations, business and academia.
Special guests include the Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and Mark Moody-Stuart, the managing director of the Royal Dutch Shell group of companies -- NAIROBI (AFP)
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