UNIT 3 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Structure
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Sustainable Development: Concept and Definition
3.3 Components of Sustainable Development
3.4 Indicators of Sustainable Development
3.5 Measures to Promote Sustainable Development
3.6 Let Us Sum Up
3.7 References and Selected Readings
3.8 Check Your Progress - Possible Answers

3.1 INTRODUCTION
L

Sustainable development has become a buzzword in different fora, seminars,

and workshops. You might have read and heard about this concept. In this unit
you will know more about the concept. Sustainable development stan'ds for
meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of
futures generations to meet their own needs - in other words, a better quality of
life for everyone, now, and for generations to come. It offers a vision of progress
that integrates immediate and longer term objectives, local and global action,
and regards social, economic and environmental issues as inseparable and
interdependent components of human progress.

After studying this unit, you should be able to:

explain the meaning of sustainable development;
describe various components of sustainable development;
discuss various indicators of sustainable development; and
suggest measures for the promotion of sustainable development.
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3.2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CONCEPT

AND DEFINITION
Sustainable development has become a buzzword in different fora, seminars,
workshops. It is found much in environmental and economics literature these
days. The concern for sustainable development is becoming increasingly louder
with the rapidity of economic growth. Around the globe, throughout history,
most modem human institutions have evolved in ways that are at best, oblivious,
and, at worst, positively hostile to the health of environment. Economic
development, till today, is based on two fallacious premises: (1) it considers
needs of mankind alone, and ignores the interdependent ecosystem, and (2) it
treats the environment as a commodity. Man strives ceaselessly for riches. Be is
enslaved and obsessed by technological advancement, and by obtaining higher
GNP. This obsession has despoiled the environment and is tending to ruin the
carrying capacity (i.e., capacity of the ecosystem to support life) of Mother Earth.
The land is scarred and eroded; the waters of rivers, lakes and oceans are so
contaminated with industrial waste, that it is nearly unfit for either industrial use Sustainable Development
or for human consumption. The air is filled with gaseous and particulate pollutants
that are toxic to life. Pesticides used to promote agricultural production and
public health has severely poisoned the environment. Each agent of production
and consumption regards the disposal cost of waste as zero and uses the
environmental sector as long as it permits him to improve his own welfare. He
does not have to pay anything to anybody. The environment is still regarded as
common property, each agent acting as if he owns it. The reckless use continues,
without any heed to the damage inflicted, and causes degraded environmental
standards, unhealthy and detrimental to all.

"Our Common Future" marks the beginning of the sustainable development

concept that has generated all the literatures. New books on sustainable
development have been appearing with increasing rapidity since the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit), held
in Brazil in 1992. Divergent economic theorists like E. F. Schumacher of Britain,
environmentalists like Barry Commoner and Lester R. Brown, population analysts
like Paul Ehrlich, politicians like Willy Brandt of Germany and Jimmy Carter of
the United States, all played significant roles in formulating ideas. The era of
modernization has created an atmosphere of excitement of instant economic
growth. In fact, all sectors of developing countries seem to be vibrating with
economic buoyancy. There is expansion of trade, investment, market, and increase
in Gross National product (GNP), productivity, per capita income, profit,
efficiency, salary, etc, across the globe. The free trade system could more tellingly
be called the free ride system, because the producers do not have to include in
their product costs all the indirect costs they cause society, such as pollution of
the land, sea and air, ozone holes, disappearing topsoil, exploding health costs,
allergies, global warming, destruction of species, pesticides in food, antibiotic-
resistant bacteria, crime, unemployment, escalating social costs, etc. Many of
the most common, and most damaging products on the market, would never be
manufactured if they were priced at their real costs to society as a whole. The
road to success in global business today is to find a way to pass on as many of
your costs as possible to the public, preferably to another country's public. The
most profitable companies at this time are those that are most successful at getting
someone else to pay the real costs of their doing business. Present economic
process maximizes only the profits to the shareholders, while all the other
stakeholders are left bearing the costs, for example, cleaning up the environment
and dealing with unemployment.

The term, sustainable development, was coined by the Brundtland Commission

which defines sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs". Sustainable development is defined as balancing the fulfilment of
human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs
can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. Sustainable
development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while
preserving the environment. The field of sustainable development is conceptually
divided into four general dimensions: social, economic, environmental, and
institutional. The first three dimensions address key principles of sustainability,
while the final dimension addresses key institutional policy and capacity issues.
Emerging Issues in There is, now, a worldwide movement of environmentalism parallel to the more
Development 1
enthusiastic global movement of economic growth. Every section of people I

around the globe now expresses some amount of concern towards the deterioration I

of environmental standards. The rise in economic welfare is increasingly !

accompanied by a considerable decline in the quality of environment and loss of
ecological stability. Some groups of environmentalist are very pessimistic while
the other group of environmental scientists is very optimistic. But the fact remains
that there is acid rain, global warming, the greenhouse effect, erosion and sterility
of soil, degradation of land, environmental pollution, and ozone layer depletion.
There is widespread desertification in one hemisphere and deforestation in another
hemisphere of the globe. Deeper and wider concern for environmental degradation
springs from two major sources.
1) Rise in material production effluents and use of synthetic materials
2) Increased demand for environmental goods.
The first refers to the problems of environmental externality and the second, to
depletion of natural resources. In addition to the increased supply of economic
goods, there is also an increased demand for environmental goods. Environmental
goods signify any external environmental conditions that affect human welfare.
The following elements are connected with the human welfare
absence of all types of pollution
availability of clean water and air
quality of natural environment (outdoor recreation, etc)
quantity of natural environment( forest, wildlife)
Availability of public utility systems
average space availability for inhabitants r

Check Your Progress: 1

Note: a) Write your answer in about 50 words.
b) Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit
1) What is the need for sustainable development?
Answer: .........................................................................................................
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2) What do you mean by sustainable development?
Answer: .........................................................................................................
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40 .......................................................................................................................
 Sustainable Development
3.3 COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
In this section you will read about the various components of sustainable
development. The three main components of sustainable development discussed
here are
i) interconnectedness of the system
ii) sustainable development path
iii) intergenerational approach.
i) Interconnectedness of the System
Traditionally we use numbers to show progress: "Employment rose 0.8 percent
in January", or, "The economy grew by 2% last year", "Air pollution has declined
by 0.2 per cent", "Dowry death has increased by 1.3%", etc. However, the
traditional numbers only show changes in one part of the community without
showing the various links between the community's economy, society, and
environment. It is as if a community was made of three separate parts: (i) an
economic part, (ii) a social part, and (iii) an environmental part. In this view, the
parts do not overlap like the picture below (figure 3.1)

Fig. 3.1: Interconnectedness of the three systems

However, when society, economy, and environment are viewed as separate,

unrelated parts of a community, the community's problems are also viewed as
isolated issues. This piecemeal approach has a number of negative side effects.
Sustainable development depends on the links between the economy, the
environment and the society. Figure-1, above, is frequently used to show the
interconnectednessof three systems. Understanding the three parts and their links
is the key to understanding sustainability, because sustainability is about more
than just quality of life. It is about understanding the connections and achieving
balance among the social, economic, and environmental pieces of a community.
Sustainable development is a dynamic concept, as a wide array of views fall
under its umbrella. There may be as many definitions of sustainability and
sustainable development. All the definitions have to do with
living within the limits
Emerging Issues in understanding the interconnections among economy, society, and
Development
environment
equitable distribution of resources and opportunities.
Sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic
prosperity, environmental quality and social equity. "Sustainable community
development is the ability to make development choices which respect the
relationship between the three E's, i.e.-economy, ecology, and equity.
o Economy - economic activity should serve the common good, be self-
renewing, and build local assets and self-reliance.
o Ecology - humans are part of nature, nature has limits, and communities are
responsible for protecting and building natural assets.
o Equity - the opportunity for full participation in all activities, access, benefits
and decision-making of a society.
Figure 3.2 illustrates all three dimensions of sustainable development. Sustainable
development cannot ignore any of the three. If we ignore the social dimension,
the development process may be viable, if we ignore the environmental dimension,
development process may be equitable and if we ignore the environmental
dimension, the development process may be bearable, but not sustainable.

Fig. 3.2: Sustainable Development

In other words, the search for equity (a) neglects environmental aspects and the
search for viability; (b) neglects social dimension and the search for bear ability;
(c) ignores economic efficiency. Thus, a sustainable development process is that
trajectory which is a synergy of efficiency, equity, and social acceptability.
Sustainable development shows a compassionate concern for the posterity and
for the world as a whole. It contends that social development, environmental
soundness, and economic growth are not contradictory or incompatible. Healthy
environment and good society are, rather, prerequisites for sustainable
development. Sustainable development is based on a broader economic system
which fulfils inter-generational equity criteria. Its objectives are focused on the
future, not the present, quality not quantity, protection not production,
42 conservation not consumption.
ii) The Path of Sustainable Development Sustainable Development

Sustainability implies irreversibility in the process of development. It necessitates

the maintenance of the level of wellbeing so that it improves, and, at the least,
never allows a decline over time. Thus, sustainable development has three
interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars: (i) economic development, (ii)
social development, and (iii) environmental protection. It does not focus solely
on environmental issues. We should differentiate between green development
and sustainable development. The proponents of green development prioritize
environmental sustainability over economic and cultural considerations. But
cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. It is
one of the roots of development understood not simply in terms of economic
growth but also as a means to achieve a satisfactory social, intellectual, emotional,
moral and spiritual existence. In this sense, cultural diversity is the fourth policy
area of sustainable development. Developing countries are not only rich in
biodiversity but also in cultural diversity. In Figure.3.3 illustrates the path of
sustainable development. It shows that Path N is non-sustainable and non-
survivable. Development path E is efficient but non-sustainable. But path S is
sustainable. Path E looks more attractive, but Path S is not impressive in the
early stage. Path E has a maximum point after which it curls down. But Path-S is
slow and steady, having no maximum survival limit.

Time x.
Fig. 3.3: Sustainable Development Path
Source: Das (2009) Sustainable Development Path

Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community - whether the

economic, social, and environmental systems that make up the community are
providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community residents,
present and future. It involves following three questions -

i) How has your community changed, economically?

ii) How has your community changed, socially?
iii) How has your community changed, environmentally?
Thus, the field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three
constituent parts: environmental sustainability,economic sustainability,and socio-
political sustainability. Sustainable development integrates the imperatives of
developmental and environmentalism. It highlights the long term c!oomsday
Emerging Issues in scenario and puts emphasis on economic, social, and ecological integration. It
Development
has three objectives.
i) Economic efficiency
ii) Social acceptability
iii) Ecological sustainability.
Sustainability is an issue for all communities, from small i-ural villages that are
losing their natural environment, upon which their livelihoods depend, to large
metropolitan areas where crime and poverty are decreasing the quality of life.
Sustainability does not mean static equilibrium where nothing ever changes.
Nor does it mean a utopia where nothing bad ever happens. Sustainability is not
about maintaining the status quo or reaching perfection. It is not a community
where nothing ever goes wrong. Sustainability does not mean that businesses
never fail, or that people never go hungry, or that pollution never happens. A
sustainable development process seeks to maintain and improve the economic,
environmental, and social characteristics of an area so that its members can
continue to lead healthy, productive, enjoyable lives at present and in future.
Sustainability implies that when problems arise, we look for solutions that take
into account all three dimensions of the community instead of applying a quick
fix in one area that causes problems in another. It is not anti growth nor does it
imply unlimited growth. Rather, at some point, a sustainable community stops
getting larger but continues to change and improve, to develop in ways that
enhance the quality of life for all its inhabitants.

iii) Intergenerational Approach

Sustainable development improves the economy without undermining the social
or environmental imperatives. Sustainable development focuses on improving
our lives without continually increasing the amount of energy and material goods
that we consume. A sustainable community does not consume resources energy
and raw materials faster than the regenerative capacity of the natural systems.
We are currently living unsustainable lives. If we are not careful how we use and
dispose of resources, our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will
have a poorer, more polluted world to live in. A sustainable community interacts
with four types of capital: natural, human, social, and built capital. All four types
of capital need to be cared for. A sustainable community wisely manages all its
capital - using and improving the social, natural and built capital in ways that
allow that capital to continue to support that community in the future.
Sustainability requires that human activity only uses nature's resources at a rate
at which they can be replenished naturally. An unsustainable situation occurs
when natural capital (the sum total of nature's resources) is used up faster than it
can be replenished.

Inherently, the concept of sustainable development is intertwined with the concept

of carrying capacity. In fact natural capital, social capital, and economic capital
are often complementary. Carrying capacity is the size of the population that can
be supported indefinitely upon the available resources and services of supporting
natural, social, human, and built capital. Living within the limits of $n ecosystem
depends on three factors:
i) the amount of resources available in the ecosystem
44 ii) the size of the population, and
iii) the amount of resources each individual consumes. Sustainable Development

Thus, there is urgent need to develop an ecosystem approach, or inter generational

approach for the management of natural capital and social capital. Ultimately, an
ecosystem approach tends to evolve and change from a consumptive economy
to an economy oriented towards conservation, maintenance of capital stock, and
recycling of materials. Impoverishment of an ecosystem means the
impoverishment of the entire society that depends upon it. Thus, an ecosystem
approach is a compassionate concern for posterity and for the planet as a whole.
Mere economic growth is not enough to bring welfare to mankind. Man is an
organic being, whose total development depends, to a large extent, on the non-
economic, sociological, psychological factors, and, on a meaningful sustainable
balance between him and the environment (social and natural) in which he lives.

There are many contradictions and inconsistencies in the goal of sustainable

development. It poses a great dilemma and a great challenge. Confronting the
challenge is very costly, but not facing the challenge is really disastrous for the
whole society. Therefore, the idea of sustainable development should be less
idealistic and more practical. We do not have to choose between an
environmentally healthy and economically robust nation. Both are compatible.
We can have both. We are intelligent enough have the ability to develop enough
new technologies and can change our behaviour enough to confront all the
problems facing us, and to create optimal solutions.
Check Your Progress: 2
Note: a) Write your answer in about 50 words.
b) Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit
1) Interconnectedness is important for sustainable development-Explain.
Answer: ........................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................
2) What do you mean by 'sustainable development path'?
Answer: ........................................................................................................
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Emerging Issues in
Development INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Indicators of sustainable development are more in the nature of indices that reflect
the state of overall concepts or social goals such as human development,
sustainabledevelopment, the quality of life, or socioeconomicwelfare. Indicators
provide early warnings about non sustainable trends of economic activity and
environmental deterioration. They are the 'nutshell' indicators favoured by policy
makers. Sustainable development indicators proliferated in the wake of the Rio
Earth Summit's call for indicators of sustainable development (United Nations
1994, Agenda 21). Let us discuss a few selected indices of sustainable
development.

Important indicators of sustainable development are:

i) Gross Sustainable Development Product
ii) Environmental Kuznets Curve
iii) Social Indicators for Sustainable Development
i) Gross Sustainable Development Product
Among different aggregation methods, green accounting is a common physical
or monetary averaging. It is most commonly applied. The concept of Green GDP
has been modified as Gross Sustainable Development Product (GSDP), which
is defined as the total value of production after giving due care to social capital
and natural capital of a region over a specified period of time. It is designed to
replace the Gross Development Product (GDP) as the primary indicator of the
economic performance of a nation. It takes into account:
the economic impact/costs of environmental degradation
impacts of changes in quality systems on national income and wealth
global concerns and their impacts on the economy and ecology and society B

the welfare, economic development, and quality of life of future generations

expenditures on pollution abatement and clean-ups
the status of each resource and the stocks and productive capacities
the depreciation or appreciation of natural assets
the ecological processes and biological diversity
the costs of economic growth, resources uses of present and future generations
The measurement of GSDP shows that consumption levels can be maintained
without depleting and depreciating the quality and quantity of services for the
present and future. It indicates the solutions to the problems as well as the
directions to take, such as:
invest in technology, R and D
increase productivity and end-use efficiency
modify social services, educational programs
slow down or increase economic growth
remediate components of major quality systems; and
46 rectify present shortcomings of income and v;ealth accounts.
 The measurement of GSDP also gives a proper and sound signal to the public, Sustainable Development
government and industry about the rate and direction of economic growth. It
identifies environmental, health, and social quality; it identifies sustainable and
unsustainable levels of resource and environmental uses; it measures the success
or failure of sustainable development policies and practices; and it identifies
resource scarcity. The primary goal of a sustainable local community is to meets
its basic resource needs in ways that can be continued in the future.

ii) Environmental Kuznets curve

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I

I
Some forms of pollution appear first to worsen and later to improve as countries'
incomes grow. The world's poorest and richest countries have relatively clean
environments, while middle-income countries are the most polluted. Because of
its resemblance to the pattern of inequality and income described by Simon
Kuznets (1955), this pattern of pollution and income has been labelled an
'Environmental Kuznets Curve' (EKC). Grossman and Krueger (1995) and the
World Bank (1992) first popularized this idea, using a simple empirical approach.
They regress data on ambient air and water quality in cities worldwide on a
polynomial in GDP per capita and other city and country characteristics. They
then plot the fitted values of pollution levels as a function of GDP per capita, and
demonstrate that many of the plots appear inverse U-shaped, first rising and then
falling. The peaks of these predicted pollution-income paths vary across pollutants,
but 'in most cases they come before a country reaches a per capita income of
$8000' in 1985 dollars (Grossman and Kruger, 1995, p. 353). In simple
terminology, the EKC shows the relationship between the environmental
degradation and the per capita income. The proponents of EKC are of the opinion
that in the early stages of economic growth, degradation and pollution increase,
but beyond some level of per capita income, the trend reverses, so that at high-
income levels, economic growth leads to environmental improvement. This
implies the environmental impact indicator is an inverted U shaped function of
per capita income.
, In the years since these original observations were made, researchers have
examined a wide variety of pollutants for evidence of the EKC pattern, including
automotive lead emissions, deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, toxic waste,
and indoor air pollution. Some investigators have experimented with different
econometric approaches, including higher-order polynomials, fixed and random
effects, splines, semi- and non-parametric techniques, and different patterns of
I
interactions and exponents. Others have studied different groups of jurisdictions
I and different time periods, and have added control variables, including measures
of corruption, democratic freedoms, international trade openness, and even
I income inequality (bringing the subject full circle back to Kuznets's original
idea). Some generalizations across these approaches emerge. Roughly speaking,
pollution involving local externalities begins improving at the lowest income
levels. Fecal coliform in water and indoor household air pollution are examples.
For some of these local externalities, pollution appears to decrease steadily with
economic growth, and we observe no turning point at all. This is not a rejection
of the EKC; pollution must have increased at some point in order to decline with
income eventually, and there simply is no data from the earlier period. By contrast,
pollutants involving much-dispersed externalities tend to have their turning points
I at the hlghest incomes or even no turning points at all, as pollution appears to
,
increase steadily with income. Carbon emissions provide one such example.
47
Emerging Issues in This, too, is not necessarily a rejection of the EKC; the turning points for these
Development
pollutants may come at levels of per capita income higher than in today's
wealthiest economies.
Another general empirical result is that the turning points for individual pollutants
differ across countries. This difference shows up as instability in empirical
approaches that estimate one fixed turning point for any given pollutant. Countries
that are the first to deal with a pollutant do so at higher income levels than
following countries, perhaps because the following countries benefit from the
science and engineering lessons of the early movers. Most researchers have been
careful to avoid interpreting these reduced-formempirical correlations structurally,
and to recognize that economic growth does not automatically cause
environmental improvements. All the studies omit country characteristics
correlated with income and pollution levels, the most important being
environmental regulatory stringency. The EKC pattern does not provide evidence
of market failures or efficient policies in rich or poor countries. Rather, there are
multiple underlying mechanisms, some of which have begun to be modelled
theoretically. An example of EKC of sulphur emission is given below in
Figure 3.4.
iii) Social Indicators of Sustainable development
The social indicators of sustainable development as framed by the United Nations
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in 1995 are broadly categorized as:
i) poverty iv) education
ii) governance v) demography.
iii) health

i) Poverty: Poverty is considered as one of the key indicators of sustainable

development. Nations with a high percentage of people living the poverty
line can not sustain their level of development. The sub themes as well as
the core and other indicators to be covered in the area of poverty are given in
Table 3.1.
Table 3.1: Poverty Indicators for Sustainable Development

Living Conditions Proportion of urban population

living in slums
ii) Governance: Governance is the second key indicator of sustainable Sustainable Development
development. Good governance is an essential element of sustainable
development. The sub themes of the governance in sustainable development
are corruption and crime. The indicators are given in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2: Poverty Indicators for Sustainable Development

Sub Themes Core Indicators Other Indicators
Corruption Percentage of population having -
paid bribe
Income Inequality Number of international homicides -
per 1,00,00population
Source: Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies, United Nations,
New York, 2007

iii) Health: The key indicators of sustainable health care are mortality, health
care delivery, nutritional status and health status and risks. The core areas
of these health care themes are delineated in Table 3.3.
Table 3.3: Poverty Indicators for Sustainable Development
-

health care facilities

Immunization against

diseases such as use Suicide rate

HIV/AIDS, malaria,
I tuberculosis I I
Source: Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies, United Nations,
New York, 2007
iv) Education: As far as education is concerned, sustainableeducation includes
educational levels and literacy. The core indicators of education are given in
Table 3.4.
Table 3.4: Poverty Indicators for Sustainable Development

Source: Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies, United Nations,

New York, 2007
Emerging Issues in v) Demography: The two vital demographic indicators of sustainable
Development
development are population growth and the dependency ratio. The indicators
of demographic themes for sustainable development are given in Table 3.5.
The high fertility rates and higher dependency ratios retard development.
Therefore, sustainable development goals become difficult to attain.

Table 3.5: Poverty Indicators for Sustainable Development

Source: Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies, United Nations,

New York, 2007

Check Your Progress: 3

Note: a) Write your answer in about 50 words.
b) Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit
1) What do you mean by Gross Sustainable Development Product?
Answer: .........................................................................................................

27 What is the Environmental Kuznets Curve?

Answer: ..........................................................................................................
.

MEASURES TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMEMNT
Sustainable development is an important development agenda of the 21" century
and is one of the vital paradigm shifts in development. Countries have to take
appropriate measures for the promotion of sustainable development. Therefore,
the United Nations has emphasized its institutional framework for sustainable
development. In its institutional framework for sustainable development, it has
mentioned that for the attainment of sustainable development, good governance,
sound economic policies, social democratic institutions responsible to the needs
of the people, and improved infrastructure are the basis for sustained economic
growth, poverty eradication, and employment generation.
1 Some suggested measures for the promotion of sustainable development follow. SustainableDevelopment

1) The conservation of land, water and energy resources is fundamental for the
promotion of sustainable development. Appropriate action has to b< taken
for the conservation of scanty resources. Conservation of resources by the
present generation will provide future generation with widest range of
possibilities.
2) The development of technologies and approaches which will minimize the
environmental damages. Such development requires scientific knowledge
. and continuous investment.

3) Political and public support is critical to implement environmental targets.

4) Increasing the scope of public participation in environmental issues and, in
particular, in planning processes.
5) Some countries have initiated good practices which are concomitant with
the promotion of sustainable development:
a) in Brazil, the bio-fuels programme has saved the country $100 billion in
external debt-a fact that makes such fuels attractive in many countries
b) in China, the promotion of vehicles that are more efficient.
C) in South Africa, the implementation of carbon capture and storage
technology brings benefits in terms of technology transfer.
The United Nations has strengthen and integrate the three dimensions of
sustainable development policies and programmes, and to promote the full,
integration of sustainable development objective with social development issues.

. Check Your Progress 4

Note: a) Write your answer in about 50 words.
I b) Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit.
1) What are the important measures for the promotion of Sustainable
Development?
Answer: .........................................................................................................
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Write a few good practices for sustainable development?
Answer: .........................................................................................................
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Emerging Issues in
Development . 3.6 LET US SUM UP
In this unit, we dealt with the definition of economic growth and characteristics
of economic development. We discussed the merits and demerits of different
measures of economic development. We dealt with the definition and components
of sustainable development. We analyzed sustainable development path,
sustainable community ecosystem approach. We analyzed different indicators of
sustainable development: Green Economic GDP, Gross SustainableDevelopment
Product, Genuine Progress Indicator and Global Living Planet Index. Finally,
we discussed the role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable development.

3.7 REFERENCES AND SELECTED READINGS

Pearce, P.W. and Atkinson, G. (1992), Measuring Sustainable Development,
CRERGE University College of London.

Grossman, G. and Krueger, A. (1995), "Economic growth and the environment",

Quarterly Journal of Economics, 110, pp 353-77.

Kuznets, S. (1955), "Economic growth and income inequality". American I

Economic Review 45, pp 1-28.
I
Vandana, Shiva (2000), Stolen Harvest, South End Press, pp 61-62 1
Tobla, M.K. (1984), Sustainable Development, Butterworth, London. 1
Panchauri, R.K. (1977), Energy and Economic Development in India, Prager
Publisher, New York.

Brown, L.R. (1981), Building a Sustainable Sociev, W.W. Norton, New York.

Kothari, R. (1982), Environment and Development in Asia and the PaciJic: p

Experiences and Prospects, UNEP.

Meadows, D.H., et. al. (1972), The Limits to Growth, Signet, New York.
htt~://www.wri.orq/~ro~iect/sd-pams
POI PDIEnglishl
htt~://www.un.org./esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD
POIchapterl 1.htm
htt~://www.ecoeco.orll/pdf/stern.pdf

3.8 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS POSSIBLE -

ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
1) What is the need for sustainable development?
Answer: The need for sustainable development arises for two important
reasons. Those are: (i) the current system of development considers
development of mankind alone and ignores the interdependent ecosystem;
and (ii) it treats environment as a commodity.
 What do you mean by sustainable development? Sustainable Development

Answer: According to the Brundtl and Commission "Sustainable

development" is that which "meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." It
has three components: a) Economy - economic activity should serve the
common good, be self-renewing, and build local assets and self-reliance. b)
Ecology - humans are part of nature, nature has limits, and communities are
responsible for protecting and building natural assets. c) Equity - the
opportunity for full participation in all activities, access, benefits, and
decision-making of a society. It has three objectives: i. Economic efficiency,
ii. Social acceptability, and iii. Ecological sustainability

Check Your Progress 2

1) What do you mean by Gross Sustainable Development Product?
Answer: The Gross Sustainable Development Product is the total value of
production after giving due care to the social capital and natural capital of a
region over a specified period of time.
2) What is the Environmental Kuznets Curve?
Answer: In simple terminology, the EKV shows the relationship between
the environmental degradation and the per capita income. The proponents
of EKV are of the opinion that in the early stages of economic growth,
degradation and pollution increases, but beyond some level of per capita
income, the trend reverses, so that at high income levels, economic growth
leads to environmental improvement. This implies the environmental impact
indicator is an inverted U shaped function of per capita income.
Check Your Progress 3
1) What are the important measures for the promotion of sustainable
t development?
Answer: The conservation of land, water and energy resources is fundamental
to promotion of sustainable development. Appropriate action has to be taken
for the conservation of scanty resources. Development of technologies, which
would minimize the environmental damages, such development requires
scientific knowledge and continuous investment. Increasing awareness of
the public and policy makers on environmental quality and natural resources
issues is critical to sustainable development.
2) Write a few good practices for sustainable development.
Answer: Some countries have initiated good practices which are concomitant
with the promotion of sustainable development:
a) In Brazil, the bio-fuels programme has saved the country $100 billion in
external debt-a fact that makes such fuels attractive in many countries.
b) In China, the promotion of vehicles that are more efficient and have
similar "footprints" has the potential to address both energy security
concerns and infrastructu~-econstraints in a fast growing economy.
In South Africa, the implementation of carbon capture and storage technology
brings benefits in tenns of technology transfer.