2.2.

3 Sustainable development

To sustain means to maintain; keep in existence; keep going; prolong. If applied only in this sense,
sustainability does not make much sense for human society. Human society cannot be maintained in
the same state, whatever it should be. Human society is a complex adaptive system which is
embedded in another complex system i.e. natural environment, on which it depends for support. In
the environment there is always change and evolution and this ability for change and evolution must
be maintained if the systems are to remain viable (able to cope with their changing system
environment) and sustainable. Sustainable development has been defined as the development that
lasts long by wise and conservative methodologies. It is a subject of conflict between the
environmentalists and economists. Economists consider sustainable development as that
development through which material benefits are achieved irrespective of the harms created by it to
the environment whereas environmentalists consider sustainable development as the development
which has no affect on the quality of the environment. The concept of sustainability is very old. The
concept was first noticed among the Greeks. It was so much popular that provincial governors were
rewarded or punished accordingly. The sustainability can also be traced back to Aristotle according
to whom human well being is realised only partly by satisfying whatever people's preferences
happen to be at a particular time; it is also necessary for the successive generations to leave behind
sufficient resources so that future generations are not constrained in their preferences (Rao, 2000).
196 According to Harremeos (1996), Mankind has the potential ultimately to reach a solution, a
sustainable society that can continue for generations. He also adds that the current development is,
however, not even close to anything like sustainability and is infact decreasing the prospects of
sustainability both in developed and developing countries. He also emphasise that the sustainable
society cannot be achieved without fundamental changes in our basic thinking, ethical virtues, moral
concepts and religious beliefs. Vellinga et al. (1995) defined sustainable development as
maintenance and sustainable utilisation of the functions (goods and services) provided by natural
ecosystems and biospheric processes. According to him, conversely in a situation of unsustainability,
where the limits of the biosphere's carrying capacity are exceeded, not all of the environmental
functions can be fully fulfilled anymore. Economic development without environmental
considerations can cause serious damage in turn impairing the quality of life of present and future
generations. Sustainable development attempts to strike a balance between the demands of the
economic development and need for protection of the environment. It seeks to combine the
elements of economic efficiency, intergenerational equity, social concerns and environmental
protection. Although the term sustainable development has many interpretations, it generally refers
to non declining human wellbeing overtime. The concept of sustainable development aims at
maximising the net benefits of economic activities , subject to maintaining the stock of productive
assets (physical, human and environmental) overtime and providing a social safety net to meet the
basic needs of the poor. Sustainable development therefore attempts to accelerate development in
an environmentally responsible manner keeping in mind the inter-generational equity requirements.
The question of inter generational equity is at the core of the definition of sustainability and prompt
a debate on what are society's values and how to transfer these values to future generations. Paths
viewed as economically optimum paths for development today may not be sustainable for future
generations. If welfare considerations are taken into account, economically optimum paths may not
be sustainable in the long run. Moreover, sustainable paths may not necessarily be economically
optimal. The challenge is to achieve a balanced approach to development in terms of optimality and
sustainability. Jacob, Gardener and Munro sustainable development seeks five broad requirements :
197 i) integration of conservation and development, ii) satisfaction of basic human needs, iii)
achievement of equity and social justice' iv) provision of social self-determination and cultural
diversity and v) maintenance of ecological integrity. Modern world recognized sustainability
concept in 1987 Brundtland Commission Report (WCED, 1987) when it stressed the need for
sustainable development as Brundtland argued: "The environment does not exist as a sphere
separate from human actions, ambitions, and needs, and attempts to defend it in isolation from
human concerns have given the very word "environment" a connotation of naivety in some
political circles. The word "development" has also been narrowed by some into a very limited
focus, along the lines of "what poor nations should do to become richer," and thus again is
automatically dismissed by many in the international arena as being a concern of specialists, of
those involved in questions of "development assistance." But the "environment" is where we live;
and "development" is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The two
are inseparable." According to the report sustainable development is the development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs. Sustainable development has three principal components: economic growth, social
equity and protection of the environment. Underlying the economic component is the principle
that society's well being would have to be maximized and poverty eradicated through the optimal
and efficient use of natural resources. The concept of "needs" emphasized in the Commission's
definition refers, in particular to the basic needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority
should be given. The social component refers to the relationship between nature and human
beings, uplifting the welfare of people, improving access to basic health and education services,
fulfilling minimum standards of security and respect for human rights. It also refers to the
development of various cultures, diversity, pluralism and effective grass roots participation in
decision-making. The issue of equity, 198 i.e., the distribution of benefits and access to resources
remains an essential component of both the economic and social dimensions of sustainable
development. The environmental component, on the other hand, is concerned with the
conservation and enhancement of the physical and biological resource base and eco-systems.
Sustainable development is necessary for meeting the challenges like the integrity of ecosystem.
As the rate of depletion of world resources is at a peak and the increase in population has taken
place at a very fast rate leading to economic pressure, the concept of sustainability has to enter
our planning. We need development at a faster pace but keeping sustainability in view. Sustainable
development (SD) has become a mode for expressing the need world over to switch over from
present dominant models of development which appear unable to balance the needs of people and
the planet in the pursuit of peace and prosperity. Internationally, sustainable development is
associated with development directions that maintain and mutually reinforce economic,
environmental and social conditions. Applied in practice this means that just as an economy (or
region) in long-term recession is not sustainable, neither is a situation where many people are
denied opportunity and face poverty and social exclusion. Equally, development that ignores the
essential needs of the poorest people or erodes the quality of our environment is not sustainable
development. The goals of sustainable development have been firmly embedded in a large number
of national, international, and nongovernmental institutions. At the intergovernmental level,
sustainable development is now found as a central theme throughout the United Nations and its
specialized agencies. Evidence of this shift can be seen in the creation of the Division of Sustainable
Development within the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the
establishment of a vice president for environmentally and socially sustainable development at the
World Bank, and the declaration of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development.

12.3 Sustainable development involves

Sustainable development is thinking broadly about objectives and about effects (i.e. about costs and
benefits in the widest sense) and not merely separating things out into economic, environmental,
and social compartments. It seeks to pursue mutually reinforc 199 ing objectives to improve the
overall quality of life rather than pursuing individual objectives such as maximising short-term
economic growth or improving some element of the environment without regard to other
consequences. At the heart of operationalizing sustainable development is the challenge of
evaluating and managing the complex interrelationships between economic, social and
environmental objectives. Economic growth, for example, is made possible through the creative
powers of human beings that enable the transformation of nature into meeting basic needs and
material conveniences of everyday life. This transformation process often entails the depletion of
the natural environment that could result in air pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. Policy
makers are thus confronted with the hard decisions of establishing the right balance between
economic and environmental goals. Because benefits accrue to different groups at different times,
determining the level and rates of investment in each area at a particular time involves making
difficult choices. The positive and negative economic, social and environmental consequences of
policy changes need to be assessed. Areas of tradeoffs, where benefits in one or more spheres result
in losses in another sphere, need to be identified and appropriate mitigation measures taken to
minimize negative impacts. Today many countries, both developed and developing, have embraced
the concept of sustainable development. Understanding of this concept has evolved over time from
the early focus on environmental dimension to the current emphasis on sustainable development as
a process that integrates economic, social and environmental objectives. There is also recognition
that achieving sustainable development requires far reaching policy and institutional reforms and
the involvement of all sectors at all levels. Sustainable development is not the responsibility of only
government or one or two sectors of society. Sustainable development is incremental and builds on
what already exists, and its achievement is as much a process as a fixed goal. Sustainable
development is not an activity that has to be left to the long term. Rather, it constitutes a set of
short, medium and long term actions, activities and practices that aim to deal with immediate
concerns while at the same time address long-term issues. Agenda 21 promotes national
sustainable development strategies as mechanisms for translating a country's goals and aspiration
of sustainable development into concrete policies and actions. A national sustainable
development strategy is a way in which countries 200 address the challenge of progressing
towards the goals of sustainable development at the national, local and even at the regional
levels. The 1992 Earth Summit put it in simplest words that any human activity is sustainable if it
can continue fairly indefinitely without causing harm to people or planet. Any activity which
causes harm to people or planet is the opposite - unsustainable. At the Earth Summit in 1992, held
in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed that human activity was seriously damaging the
environment and that issues of development, i.e. global wealth/poverty, were seriously damaging
people's life chances in both poor and rich countries. The welfare of people and planet, issues of
environment and development, are thus now seen as inextricably related, two sides of the same
coin. The term sustainable development emerged as shorthand to embrace these twin concerns.
Davison (2001) points out that the industrial revolution and its subsequent technologies have lead to
what we call 'progress' for the few. The triumphant history of industrialization is shadowed by a
history of social oppression and ecological degradation. The vast, unprecedented affluence that has
concentrated in highly technological societies is shadowed by poverty and pollution, the extent of
which is also vast and unprecedented. This is so because much of our technology persistently lacks
the ability to sustain ecological flourishing and social well-being. Sustainable development is
necessary for meeting the challenges like the integrity of ecosystem. As the rate of depletion of
world resources is at a peak and the increase in population has taken place at a very fast rate leading
to economic pressure, the concept of sustainability has to enter our planning. We need development
at a faster pace but keeping sustainability in view. Sustainable development is necessary for meeting
the challenges like the integrity of ecosystem. As the rate of depletion of world resources is at a peak
and the increase in population has taken place at a very fast rate leading to economic pressure, the
concept of sustainability has to enter our planning. We need development at a faster pace but
keeping sustainability in view. According to WCED World Commission on
Environment and Development. the operational objective of sustainable
development are i) reviving growth 201 ii) changing the quality of growth iii) meeting essential
needs for jobs, food, energy, water and sanitation, iv) ensuring a sustainable level of population,
v) conserving and enhancing the resource base' vi) reorienting technology and managing risk vii)
merging environment and economics in decision making viii) reorienting international economic
relations, and ix) making development more participatory.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the

Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a
universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and
ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one

area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must
balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.
To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger  To achieve universal primary education  To promote
gender equality and empower women  To reduce child mortality  To improve maternal health  To
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases  To ensure environmental sustainability  To develop
a global partnership for development