Sustainable Development

Sustainable development has been defined in various ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:

• the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
• the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."

All definitions of sustainable development require that we see the world as a system—a system that connects space; and a system that connects time.

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     There are 15 principles which address the three major aspects of Sustainable Development: environment, economy and community which in turn will generally be for ecological, human and social development.

As years pass, the degradation of sustainable system increases and the environment has transited to a severe level affecting the natural resources. There have been freshwater shortages, tropical forest destruction, species extinction, urban air pollution and climate change.

We can help through these actions:

• Revive growth
• Change the quality of growth
• Meet essential needs and aspirations for jobs, food, energy, water and sanitation
• Ensure sustainable level of population
• Conserve and enhance the resource base
• Re-orient technology and manage risk
• Include and combine environment and economics considerations in decision-making 

These seven actions are needed to ensure a good quality of life for people. Moreover, we can do more by changing. Produce, consume and organize ourselves differently. This can help us to be on the track toward a sustainable development. It will continue to change over time but emphasizes the need for concern for equity and fairness, long-term view and systems thinking. To fully achieve the sustainable development, the need for cooperation between the sectors is needed. The success of acquiring this is depending on how we act on it and the effort we make to change and help.

*WILL BE UPDATED

References:

United Nations Under-Secretary General and the United Nations Environment Programme (1999). "Overview: Outlook and recommendations,"Global Environment Outlook 2000, London: Earthscan. Retrieved on September 30, 2010 from http://sdgateway.net/introsd/criticalactions.htm also: http://grid.cr.usgs.gov/geo2000/ov-e/0012.htm

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. 43. Retrieved on September 30, 2010 from http://www.iisd.org/sd/

References:

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. 43. Retrieved on September 30, 2010 from http://www.iisd.org/sd/