The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which grew out of the agreements and resolutions of world conferences organized by the United Nations over the past decade, have been commonly accepted as a framework for measuring development progress. The eight Goals commit the international community to eliminating poverty and achieving sustainable development. They establish yardsticks for measuring results, not just for developing countries but for rich countries that help find development programs and for multilateral institutions, like the World Bank, that help countries implement them. Environmental concerns are central to the MDGs, both in the specifics of Goal 7—ensure environment sustainability—and in its linkages to the other goals. In four key areas—livelihoods, health, vulnerability, and participation and empowerment—environmental management can help achieve the other MDGs. Environmental interventions are among the most cost-effective means of achieving the MDGs. Moreover, without attention to the environment the benefits of achieving the other goals may be short lived.

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