Unit : 03

Module 17: Issues and Challenges of Sustainable

Development

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will able to

 Learn about the issues and challenges of sustainable development
 Understand how to overcome the challenges

Introduction

Several challenges threaten the progress towards achieving the sustainable

development goals. The food crisis, energy crisis, financial crisis, global economic
recession, climate change is all standing tall in the way to achieve sustainable
development. However, all the above are inter connected and an integrated holistic
solution have to be found to overcome the challenges.
Sustainable development is a bridge between environmental, economic and social
goals, between governments, society and business, between science and policy between
policy and action. To achieve sustainable development let us see the issues and
challenges in detail.

Issues

1. Streaming the agriculture produce farmers are facing a lot of issues

• Inadequacy of appropriate transport system for distribution reduces the
potential returns on investments made by farmers
• lack of pricing policies from farmers to consumers
• insurance to protect them from natural hazards
All these have to addressed to ensure the food chain sustainability (Figure 1).

1
 Figure 1 Agriculture produce

2. Providing clean energy

• Petrol consumption is increasing even though oil prices is also rising (Figure 2)
• Switching over to renewable - alternate energy by the common man should be
made easy by appropriate policies be it in domestic, commercial and industrial
sector

Figure 2 Petrol consumption

3. Income inequality
Employment needs to be provided so that there is no income inequality (Figure 3)
among the public. People are moving from urban to rural areas which further
creates unemployment issues.

Figure 3 income inequality

2
4. Protecting the endangered species
The overconsumption and expanding human population pose a very high risk of
extinction for some species, creatures, and natural resources.
Over 40% of the currently existing species on earth are predicted to become
extinct.

Figure 4 Endangered species

Challenges of sustainable development

1. Population
Population (Figure 5) is a major challenge for the sustainable development.

Figure 5 Population
The world's population peaked at 6 billion people at the start of the twenty-first
century and is projected to stabilize between 10 and 11 billion people over the
ensuing fifty years. As more young people enter the workforce, there will be a need
to enhance the amount of productive employment possibilities.
2. Freshwater
It is essential for all life on earth and one of the most important natural resources.
Access to freshwater (Figure 7) is one of the most important issues in modern
human rights since it is crucial to human dignity and rights.

3
 Figure 7 Freshwater
A significant obstacle to sustainable development is the scarcity of clean drinking
water in many parts of the world. By 2025, if development continues at the current
pace, every second person will experience a water deficit. Despite the fact that
there is still a severe water shortage, inefficient water consumption is a catastrophe
that can be avoided. Else this will result in unbalanced water management
practices. With significant organic and bacterial contaminants being left untreated,
access to clean drinking water has also become an important issue.
3. Ground Water Depletion
Untreated sewage and municipal refuse are often dumped into waterways in many
of the cities. Due to inadequate sewage treatment infrastructure, metropolitan
areas are particularly vulnerable to this contamination. There is a severe water
deficit across the country as a result of the declining ground water levels (Figure
8), particularly during the summer. However, to tackle this problem to some extent,
in recent times, government has made rain water harvesting mandatory.

Figure 8 Drought
4. Hunger
The number of individuals who are malnourished remains a significant barrier to
sustainable development. Consumption may have increased as a result of the

4
 decline in food prices over the past 30 years, but yet in some parts of the world,
food is not available (Figure 9) because of lack of money, agricultural land, drought
conditions etc.

Figure 9 Hunger
5. Poor Healthcare
Sustainable development is hampered by concerns regarding human health
(Figure 10). The health industry is developing only in urban areas, and access to
it, is also heavily influenced by one's financial situation.

Figure 10 Poor healthcare

In many instances, deaths in underdeveloped nations can be prevented. In the
upcoming years, humanity should devote more time and resources to the fight
against diseases. The most recent UNDP report also stated India's inability to offer
its access to health facilities to the entire population.
The availability of good health care facilities is intimately tied to social progress
and economic development. The Community Health Centers, which are in charge
of overseeing the rural medical facilities, either lack employees or employ
personnel who are unwilling to live and work in rural areas. They frequently lack
the infrastructure and medical tools required to provide good health care to the
remote locations.
6. Deforestation
The rate of depletion of the world's and India's forest resources is on the increase
(Figure 11), and it is getting to be alarming. The culprits behind this threat include
people, businesses, governments, etc.

5
 Figure 11 Deforestation
The objectives of sustainable development are left behind, as trees are cut down
in the name of construction projects to cater to the needs of the growing population.
The loss of biodiversity (Figure 12) is the most important issue caused by
deforestation. Forest devastation results in the demise of numerous plant species
with significant medical value in addition to endangered animal species. It has a
significant impact on global warming as well. The water cycle is also impacted by
deforestation. It decreases the amount of water in the groundwater and soil.

Figure 12 Biodiverstiy
One of the main contributors to climate change is the degradation of rain forests.
Both atmospheric moisture and carbon dioxide stay in the atmosphere as a result
of deforestation. Deforestation weakens the soil's ability to hold together, causing
erosion, flooding, and landslides (Figure 13).

Figure 13 Landslides

6
 Every day, thousands of trees are cut down to make paper, extract lumber, clear
land for industries, tourist destinations, and housing colonies—actions that do little
to advance environmental causes.
7. Increasing Pollution Levels
The declining air quality is widely acknowledged as a significant contributor to
pollution (Figure 14), particularly in urban areas.

Figure 14 Pollution
Industrial, indoor, and vehicular pollution are some of the causes of air pollution.
Numerous industries that emit smoke and other chemical pollutants into the air are
to blamed for the pollution in metropolitan areas. This is further compounded by
the annual rise in vehicle pollution. The tremendous increase in the number of
vehicles sold is causing severe traffic bottlenecks. Asthma, respiratory issues,
hearing loss, and other major health risks are a constant consequence of this.
In many of the developing countries where people still use wood, dung cakes, and
crop residues, for cooking, it results indoor air pollution. It is believed that girls in
particular are at more health risk (Figure 15) as a result of staying indoors doing
domestic tasks.

Figure 15 Health risks

7
8. Climate Change
Another challenge preventing us from achieving sustainable development is
climate change (Figure 16).

Figure 16 Climate change

It is expected that the world average temperature (Figure 17) may rise by 2°C to
3°C by 2050 and 3.7°C to 5.6°C by 2100.

Figure 17 Carbon dioxide

In many parts of the world, the changes in climate, particularly the rise in
temperature, have already had an impact on a wide range of physical and
biological systems, including shrinking of glaciers, freezing of water and breaking
up of ice on rivers and lakes (Figure 18) at odd extended period of time, and
extinction of some plant and animal species.

Figure 18 Melting of ice

Poor health conditions among people, reduced natural resources caused by the
abrupt changes in climate are some of the consequences of climate change. The
social and environmental facets of society have also suffered because of climate
change. The worsening of human societies and natural systems is reflected by the
8
 damage and death caused because of droughts (Figure 19), floods, heat waves,
windstorm etc.

Figure 19 Droughts
Crop failures, food shortages, communicable diseases (Figure 20), environmental
degradation, etc are some of problems being caused by rising temperatures and
carbon emissions.

Figure 20 Communicable diseases

9. Air and water pollution from industries

Industrial development is required for a nation’s prosperity. However, the air and
water pollution are caused by the factories (Figure 21) built to produce or refine a
wide range of products.

Figure 21 Industrial hazard

The air we breathe is contaminated with a variety of hazardous substances,
including chemicals, which can cause fatal conditions including cancer, asthma,
(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) COPD, eye rashes, etc. Industries
discharge hazardous waste and poisonous materials into water sources,

9
 contaminating the water in rivers, lakes, ponds, and steams, resulting in severe
epidemics in people, animals, and aquatic life. In the name of progress, we are
seriously damaging the environment.
10. Education for all
For any sustainable development, education (Figure 22) is one of the most
fundamental and crucial elements. Every member of the society needs to be
educated.

Figure 22 Education
It is important for providing social, economic, and political inclusion as well as for
a lasting integration of people, especially those who have been "excluded" from
society's mainstream. Given the synergies and favorable externalities that it
creates for people's well-being, it is the best social investment. Necessary impetus
has to be provided for providing education to the masses.
11. Threat to Biodiversity
The earth's biodiversity (Figure 23) is an important resource that must be protected
and used wisely.

Figure 23 Threat to biodiverstiy

The survival of biodiversity is severely hampered by widespread habitat
degradation and contamination of the soil, water, and atmosphere. Due to
improper use, the biological resources are in danger of becoming extinct. Although
the issue can be resolved by placing severe restrictions on the excessive use, the

10
 path towards sustainable development has been severely delayed because of a
lack of desire by mankind.
12. Consumption of fossil fuels
Use of fossil fuels like coal and oil (Figure 24) present a significant obstacle to
sustainable development.

Figure 24 Threat from fossil fuel utilization

Because of fossil fuel utilization emission concentrations may reach between 650
and 700 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2e) by 2050 and
between 800 and 1,300 ppm of CO2 e by 2100, according to certain forecasts as
per Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD report 2012.
There is a dire need to switch over from fossil fuel utilization to renewable energy
(Figure 25). Over the next 10 to 15 years, the important task will be to provide
dependable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly energy. There are several
alternate routes available for generating energy that are sustainable. These paths
call for ambitious policies, improved international cooperation, including
implementation methods, behavioral changes, and previously unheard-of levels of
investment.

Figure 25 Renewable energy

13. Funding
To assist the adoption of green technologies, capacity building, and access to
public transit, housing, water and sanitation, energy, health care, and education,
international collaboration and funding (Figure 26) is required.

11
 Figure 26 Funding
Richer cities need policies to encourage renewable energy and to reduce
inefficiency and wasteful consumption. Regulatory measures are important for
deciding on the pricing structures, taxes and subsidies both for households and
industry.
14. Poverty
Another significant issue is poverty (Figure 27), which affects roughly 25% of
people worldwide, who earn less than $1 per day. Sustainable development also
means inclusive development.

Figure 27 Poverty
India has the most number of people living below the worldwide poverty line,
despite its best efforts to combat poverty.
15. Monitoring and Measuring the attainment of SDGs
Data collection itself is a challenge. How to gauge SDG (Figure 28)
accomplishment is another challenge.

12
 Figure 28 SDG
The Indian government has acknowledged that it is hard to accurately gauge
progress due to data availability concerns.
Other challenges include:
• governmental conflict between short term profit and long-term investment on
sustainable technologies.
• corruption
• Natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis (Figure 29) cause a major
upheaval.

Figure 29 Tsunamis
Proper disaster management strategies (Figure 30) have to be in place. Lack of it
will make people susceptible to both nature and man-induced disasters. It may
lead to loss of lives, infrastructure and resources.

Figure 30 Disaster

13
 In the village of Ramche in Nepal (Figure 31), the only source of water was shaken
off course by an earthquake of 2015, As a result the village is undergoing severe
water crisis. They are driven to use e-coli-contaminated water for cooking and
drinking in desperation since they cannot afford bottled water.

Figure 31 Ramche Nepal

It is our generation which is compelling future generations to inherit an
unsustainable ecological system. Sustainable development need to based on
• guaranteeing food, water, health, education, employment for all
• providing equitable management of the world’s resources,
• providing equitable distribution of wealth
We know about the issues and challenges that we face. However we also have
answers on how to achieve sustainability i.e. how to work towards achieving the
17 SDGs. A concerted effort (Figure 32) is required by every individual, community,
organization and government.

Figure 32 Concerted effort will save lives

Summary
In this module we have
 Learnt about the issues and challenges of sustainable development
 Understood how to overcome the challenges

14