Youth and Children not only will inherit the responsiblitiy of looking after the earth, but in many developing countries comprise nearly half the population and are often highly vulnerable to the effects of environmental degradations. Their involvement in environment and development decision-making and in the implementation of programmes is critical to long term success. As future users and managers of water resources, youth stress the importance of education as a long term investment.

Indigenous peoples have sophisticated knowledge and practices relating to water, its use and management. Their unique systems of values, knowledge and practices are often overlooked by current political, legal, scientific systems. Indigenous communities stress that developers must recognise customary water and land uses, respect indigenous rights and obtain prior informed consent before proceeding with large-scale water development projects. Watershed management should be based on women and men’s participation at the community level, as well as their local knowledge and spiritual/cultural relations with water.

Because so many of the problems and solutions being addressed by Agenda 21 have their roots in local activities, the participation and cooperation of local authorities will be a determining factor in fulfilling its objectives. Local authorities construct, operate and maintain economic, social and environmental infrastructure, oversee planning processes, establish local environmental policies and regulations, and assist in implementing national and subnational environmental policies. As the level of governance closest to the people, they play a vital role in educating, mobilizing and responding to the public to promote sustainable development.

Non-governmental organizations play a vital role in the shaping and implementation of participatory democracy. Their credibility lies in the responsible and constructive role they play in society. Formal and informal organizations, as well as grass-roots movements, should be recognized as partners in the implementation of sustainable development. The nature of the independent role played by non-governmental organizations within a society calls for real participation; therefore, independence is a major attribute of non-governmental organizations and is the precondition of real participation.

It is important that the role of science and technology in human affairs be more widely known and better understood, both by decision makers who help determine public policy and by the general public. Scientific and technological community find new ways of understanding complex interdependent aspects of sustainable development, engage extensively with policy formulation and implementation, by providing reliable information for setting policy goals and help poliy evalution by monitoring implementation and providing assessments of change.

Women are the hardest hit by limited quantities and poor quality water since women in developing countries are responsible for supplying freshwater for the household and agricultural activities of their families and communities. The impact of increasing freshwater scarcity has obliged women water carriers to travel longer distances and spend many hours waiting to fill their pail, often assisted by their girl children. Despite dealing with utilising and conserving water resources on a daily basis and having considerable expertise and experience regarding water management women are not in control nor participate in decision-making structures relating to water systems.

Efforts to implement sustainable development will involve adjustments and opportunities at the national and enterprise levels, with workers foremost among those concerned. As their representatives, trade unions are vital actors in facilitating the achievement of sustainable development in view of their experience in addressing industrial change, the extremely high priority they give to protection of the working environment and the related natural environment, and their promotion of socially responsible and economic development. Workers and Trade Unions see the need to strengthen public control and management of land, water, resources, to promoting sustainable evergy production and use, to developing public awarness strategies for workers and to strengthen public management of vital utilities in particular water.

Agriculture occupies one third of the land surface of the Earth, and is the central activity for much of the world's population. Rural activities take place in close contact with nature, adding value to it by producing renewable resources, while at the same time becoming vulnerable to overexploitation and improper management. The key to the successful implementation of these programmes lies in the motivation and attitudes of individual farmers and government policies that would provide incentives to farmers to manage their natural resources efficiently and in a sustainable way. Farmers, particularly women, face a high degree of economic, legal and institutional uncertainties when investing in their land and other resources. The decentralization of decision-making towards local and community organizations is the key in changing people's behaviour and implementing sustainable farming strategies.