Sustainable development

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Importance of Sustainable Development for the Economic Growth of a Country

Economists have used the term sustainable development in an attempt to clarify the balance
between economic growths on the one hand and conservation and protection of environment on
the other. Sustainable development refers to “meeting the needs of the present generation without
compromising the needs of future generation”.

Thus economic growth will be sustainable if the stock of capital assets including land remains
constant or increases over time. It may however be noted that future economic development and
quality of life crucially depends on the natural resource base and quality of the environment i.e.,
the quality of land, water and air.

To destroy and over-exploit the natural resources indiscriminately and pollute the environment
will though raise the short-term growth rate and living standards of the people will have adverse
effect on the long-term future growth and the quality of life of the future generations as the latter
will have smaller natural resource base and poor quality of environment.

During the 20th century global economic output multiplied 40-fold and standards of living rose
enormously. But this came at a price and was based on unsustainable use of scarce global
resources – fuels, metals, minerals, timber, water and ecosystem.

By 2050 the world’s population will reach nine billion. It is therefore necessary for the
developed and developing countries to act together to meet the challenge of sustainable
development. If we do not meet this challenge, we will need the equivalent of two planets to
sustain us.

Fortunately, we have the instruments to tackle these challenges. The developed countries have
developed efficient technologies that permit them to exploit their resources from forests and
biodiversity to land and minerals in ways that are sustainable and capable of supporting increase
in consumption and GDP. For the sake of sustainable growth of the developing countries, there is
need for transfer of such green technologies by the developed countries to the developing ones.

Further, the transformation of developing economies to greener economies will create millions of
new jobs for poor workers and thus lift them out of poverty. If we are to survive and achieve
sustained growth economic development must ensure the growth of green economy.

Thus the green economy is a means to sustainable development, a strategy to get prosperity for
people and the planet, today and to-morrow. There can be no sustainable development without
social equity, no growth without proper management of our natural resources that our economies
depend on. Sustainable development is required to achieve prosperity for all, both for the present
and future generations.
1
The difficult problem is that the development and technological path pursued by the western
developed countries is highly energy-intensive and explains huge quantities of natural resources
and leaves a highly degraded environment with emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the
atmosphere.

The Government of India, through its various policies, has been factoring ecological concerns
into the development process so that economic development can be achieved without critically
damaging the environment.

The broad objectives of our environmental policies and programmes are:

1. Conservation of flora and fauna

2. Prevention and control of pollution;

3. Afforestation and regeneration of degraded areas.

4. Protection of the environment.

Important Measures for Sustainable Development

Technology:
Using appropriate technology is one which is locally adaptable, eco-friendly, resource efficient
and culturally suitable. It mostly involves local resources and local labour. Indigenous
technologies are more useful, cost-effective and sustainable. Nature is often taken as a model,
using the natural conditions of that region as its components. This concept is known as “design
with nature”. The technology should use less of resources and should produce minimum waste.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Approach:

The 3-R approach advocating minimization of resource use, using them again and again instead
of passing it on to the waste stream and recycling the materials goes a long way in achieving the
goals of sustainability. It reduces pressure on our resources as well as reduces waste generation
and pollution.

Promoting Environmental Education and Awareness:

Making environmental education the centre of all learning process will greatly help in changing
the thinking pattern and attitude of people towards our earth and the environment. Introducing
subject right from the school stage will inculcate a feeling of belongingness to earth in small
children. ‘Earth thinking’ will gradually get incorporated in our thinking and action which will
greatly help in transforming our lifestyles to sustainable ones.

2
Resource Utilization as Per Carrying Capacity:
Any system can sustain a limited number of organisms on a long-term basis which is known as
its carrying capacity. In case of human beings, the carrying capacity concept becomes all the
more complex. It is because unlike other animals, human beings, not only need food to live, but
need so many other things to maintain the quality of life. Sustainability of a system depends
largely upon the carrying capacity of the system. If the carrying capacity of a system is crossed
(say, by over exploitation of a resource), environmental degradation starts and continues till it
reaches a point of no return.

Carrying capacity has two basic components:

i. Supporting capacity i.e. the capacity to regenerate

ii. Assimilative capacity i.e. the capacity to tolerate different stresses.

In order to attain sustainability it is very important to utilize the resources based upon the above
two properties of the system. Consumption should not exceed regeneration and changes should
not be allowed to occur beyond the tolerance capacity of the system.

Improving Quality of Life Including Social, Cultural and Economic Dimensions:

Development should not focus just on one-section of already affluent people. Rather it should
include sharing of benefits between the rich and the poor. The tribal, ethnic people and their
cultural heritage should also be conserved. Strong community participation should be there in
policy and practice. Population growth should be stabilized.

Addressing poverty and delivering equity

The number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide will soon reach one billion. Poverty
is an expression of social inequity. Over the past years, in the wake of globalization, the gap
between the poor and the rich has continued to widen worldwide. For there to be globally
sustainable development, it is essential to overcome poverty, particularly in the countries of the
South. This implies a consistent change of course in international economic, trade and financial
policies.

Protecting the world's climate by redirecting energy and transport policies

Greenhouse gas emissions need to be curbed drastically in order to prevent climate change and
the associated severe consequences. Since industrialized countries produce significantly higher
per-capita emissions, they must make the first moves.
This necessitates refraining from any further expansion of automobile and aviation infrastructure,
expanding instead public local and long-distance transport services so that these can become a
competitive alternative.

Providing food security through a global reconversion of agriculture

Although enough food is produced worldwide for more than six billion people, about 800 million
suffer hunger.

3
Protecting soils and combating desertification
Besides air and water, soils are the fundamental environmental systems It is essential to raise
awareness among the general public and among politicians of the importance and protection of
soils.
Making good the right to water and utilizing water resources sustainably
Access to water is a precondition to a healthy life and to economic development, and is crucial to
food security. However, in many regions water is becoming increasingly scarce. The causes of
this include mounting demand, pollution and wastage, above all by industry and industrial
agriculture. This particularly affects poorer countries and population groups. A privatization of
water supply would stand in the way of this goal.

Structuring consumption patterns and lifestyles sustainably

Sustainable development and global equity also require a redirection of our lifestyles in the
industrialized countries. Even today, four planets would be required if all people were to share
the lifestyles of the industrialized nations. For our well-being, we do not need very many goods,
but rather goods that are durable and do not impair the environment. We do not have to
personally own everything that we need. Consuming more and more and commercializing ever
more areas of our life will not enhance our joy in living. Sustainability means reversing this
trend. To achieve more sustainable lifestyles, the policy realm must create supportive framework
conditions; however, we must also change our behaviour as consumers.
There are many opportunities to adapt everyday behaviour so as to save resources and energy.
Examples include buying regionally produced or organically labelled foods; or, to protect the
climate, reducing traffic by using public transport, exploiting energy savings potentials in
buildings, or procuring electricity from renewable energy sources - the list is lengthy.
Sustainability needs gender equity
Sustainable development is inconceivable without the participation of women. This requires
removing inequities and strengthening the role of women.