Lecture 7: Sustainable Development Flashcards
What is Sustainable Development?
dvlpment meeting needs of present w/o compromising ability of future gen to meet their own needs
Why need Sustainable dvlopment ?
- Growing concern over how dvlpment progressed at unsustainable pace-> esp its impacts on environ
- World Commission on environ and dvlopment (WCED)/Brundtland Commission (1987) presented report entitled ‘Our Common Future’ & introduced new concept - SD
-SD bcame one of most success approach & continue help shape international agenda & international community’s attitude towards econ, social, environ dvlopment (TRIPLE Bottom-line)
How is global agenda for change due to worldwide environ concern helpful?
- help define shared percept n of long-term environ strategies
- identify aspirational goal for world community to protect, enhance environ in long run
- recommend ways involving greater cooperation among dvloping countries, seek balance btw ppl, resources, dvlpment & environ (triple bottom line)
- involve many diff stakeholders across scale (international community) eg govts, TNCs, SMEs
What did Brundtland Report claim?
- poverty reduce sustainability & accelerate environ pa
create need for balance btw econ & ecology - hope that multi-lateralism (global cooperat n btw nations is impt) cld reemerge to help achieve SD
- human-nature/environ r/s: SD environ no exist separate fr human actions, ambitions & needs
What are some global challenges identified?
a) [Social-Economic] - Gap between rich and poor is widening:
DCs often compelled, face international & domestic pressures to overexploit environmental resource base ➔ Present development trends leave poor people poorer, more vulnerable
b) [Environ] - Human activities threatened to radically alter environ (irreparable damage):
Econ development prioritised over environ dvlopment➔increased econ activities, resource extraction, rising global consumption of resources due to increasing population growth → degradat n of environ
c) [Political] - Institutional Gaps:
Those working w managing natural resources, protecting the environment r institutionally separated fr those responsible for managing econ
What are some identified global challenges
a. (social-econ) gap btw rich & poor widening
b. (environ) human activities hv threatened to radically alter environment irreversibly
c. (political) institutional gaps
those working w manage natural resource & protect environ r institutionally separated fr those responsible for manage econ
What are 3 key tenets of SD
- involves maximising goals across 3 interdependent dimensions (econ, social and environ), & yet may involve trade-offs.
- The concept of ‘needs’ in particular the essential needs of world’s poor
- The idea of ‘Limitations’ imposed by current level of tech & how society is organised on environ ability to meet present & future needs.
Elaborate on Tenet 1 on maximising goals across three interdependent dimensions
challenges - trade-offs when man pursue econ, social dvlpment
pursuit of econ dvlpment closely associated w
- over-extracting resource eg mining, over-fishing, timbre logging
- destroy environ (eg deforestation, ghg emit)
- conflict over resource (eg water wars btw India and Bagladesh)
- (IMPT) pursuit of opportun for 1 grp of ppl over needs other grp of ppl
How to achieve SUD? Those living in:
LDCs
- meet demands for jobs, food, water, sanitation, energy b4 adopt environ conservat n & SD
DCs
- adopt lifestyles within planet’s ecolog means -> curb our consumpt n
Elucidate tenet 2 on MEETING THE ESSENTIAL NEEDS OF THE WORLD’S POOR
Social & econ dvlpment crucial even as we seek to protect environ:
A world where poverty endemic always prone to ecolog & other catastrophes -> vicious cycle
To achive SD, must meet essential needs of the poor
Ppl living in poverty might place add n stress on resources -> create downward spiral
eg deforestat n for firewood (poor destroy resources to survive)
- caused soil erosion, reduced crop yields
=> may lead to floods, other disasters, & -vely affect social well-being of pop n, esp poor
Expound on tenet 3 on addressing ideas of limitations (tech & social organisat n)
Concept of SD implies limits. Limitat n imposed by:
i. present state of tech
ii. social organisat n on environ resources, ability of biosphere to absorb effects of human activities.
We have to address these limits to make SD possible
tech & social organisat n can both b managed, improved to make way for new era of econ growth
- widespread poverty is not inevitable
- SD require meeting basic needs of all, extend to all opportun to fulfil their aspirat n for btr life
BUT, it is recognised that:
process not easy nor straightforward -> (painful) choices must be made
To achieve SD, political willingness of ALL nations must be present
Elaborate on limitat n imposed by current lvl of tech
Current tech limits ability to maximise resource use
eg use fossil fuel to generate electricity, power industries is UNSUSTAINABLE in long run due to carbon emissions -ve impact on environ
-> carbon emissions hv lifetime of 100yrs, provides extensive time for long wave radiat n to b absorbed, cause more long wave radiat n to b trapped in atmosphere, re-emitting heat into earth, lead to global warming
Elaborate on limitat n imposed by current lvl of society
Limitat n oso exist due to current social organisation
-> very capitalistic in nature where profit maximisat n/econ growth tends to b prioritised over environ/ social needs
- how resources r utilised eg BP oil spills due to human error
- inefficient process of resource extract n & extensive use of land for dvlpmental purposes w/o due considerat n to environ
What directions does Brundtland Report suggest to help attain SD?
- Revive, change quality of growth
- Meet essential human needs
- Ensure sustainable lvl of pop n
- Conserve, enhance resource base
- Re-orient tech, manage risk
- Merge environ, econ in decision making
Elucidate reviving, changing quality of growth
DCs
- change quality of growth, towards less-material, energy intensive growth (less waste, less pollution)
- growth shldn’t b based on overexploit environ, produce material gds for consumpt n
LDCs
- focus investments, efforts on eliminating poverty (by create jobs) & satisfy essential human needs
Must consider income distribut n eg Large scale commercial agriculture -> increase revenue
BUT: dispossess large no of small farmers -> inequitable income distribut n (income inequality results)
- shd rely on small scale cultivat n -> more sustainable over long term
- changing quality of growth require changing our approach to dvlopment efforts & consider all its effects
- not just concern abt end pdt but oso side effects
eg hydropower -> produce more electricity BUT cld oso disturb rare ecological system - econ-social, environ dvlopment shld be mutually reinforcing
Elaborate on meeting essential human needs
- Jobs
- pace of dvlopment must generate sustainable work opportun to fulfill minimum consumpt n standards (ie enough jobs + income to meet basic consumption) - Food
- more & btr distribut n of food needed to address undernourishment
- must grow food ecologically sound, not compromise long-term prospects for food security - Energy
- cnt b universally met unless energy consumpt n patterns change
- most urgent problem is needs of poor 3rd World households, depending on fuelwood (unsustainable, environ unfriendly source) - Housing, water supply, sanitat n
- deficiencies in these areas (and health care oso environtally impt), indicates environ stress
- In LDCs:
i. failure to meet these needs one of major cause of many communicable disease eg malaria, gastro-intestinal infestat n, cholera, typhoid
ii. pop n growth & RU migrat n threatened exacerbate problems
- Planners must find ways rely more on supporting community initiatives, self-help efforts, use low-cost tech
