Sustainable Development PDF

10/20/2023 Sustainable Development Introduction and Concepts Roadmaps Toward Sustainable Development Human and Environment in Stockholm in 1972. – This led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Our Common Future, 1987. – Brun...

10/20/2023 Sustainable Development Introduction and Concepts Roadmaps Toward Sustainable Development Human and Environment in Stockholm in 1972. – This led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Our Common Future, 1987. – Brundtland report to the World Commission on sustainable development created by the United Nations. Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. – Principles for sustainable development. – The Action Plan, called Agenda 21, contains 40 chapters of detailed recommendations for how to achieve sustainable development. Johannesburg in 2002 (World Summit on Sustainable Development) – recognized that these targets must include the reduction of poverty in the world, giving sustainable development a more economic and social focus. 1  10/20/2023 Pillars of Sustainable Development Human Beings Environment Development The Concept The word SUSTAIN means to support for a prolonged period or to keep an effort going continuously. With reference to development, sustainability means to keep the productivity and wealth of our society going continuously into the distant future. 2  10/20/2023 Definitions Sustainable Development Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Our Common Future, Brundtland Report 1987. Or A dynamic process which enables all people to realize their potential, and to improve their quality of life, in ways which simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth's life support systems. Definitions Sustainable Economy – one characterized by development decisions, policies and practices that do not exhaust the National resources and respect the cultural experiences of societies. Sustaining Society – one that lives in harmony with nature and within itself. 3  10/20/2023 Definitions Sustainable Future – A healthy environment, economic prosperity and social justice are pursued simultaneously to ensure the well-being and the quality of life of present and future generations. Education is crucial to attaining that future. Sustainable Environment – The national resources are able to sustain life, health and acceptable progress, and to renew themselves. The objectives Recognizes the needs of everyone – Everyone should share in the benefits of increased prosperity and a clean and safe environment. – Improve access to services, tackle social exclusion, and reduce the harm to health caused by poverty, poor housing, unemployment and pollution. – Our needs must not be met by threatening others, including future generations and people elsewhere in the world, unfairly. 4  10/20/2023 The objectives Effective protection of the environment – Act to limit global environmental threats, such as climate change; – Protect human health and safety from hazards such as poor air quality and toxic chemicals; and – protect things which people need or value, such as wildlife, landscapes and historic buildings. The objectives Prudent use of natural resources – the use of non-renewable resources like oil and gas efficiently and develop alternatives to replace them in due course. – Renewable resources, such as water, should be used in ways that do not endanger the resource or cause serious damage or pollution. 5  10/20/2023 The objectives Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment – Everyone can share in high living standards and greater job opportunities. – Production of high quality goods and services that consumers throughout the world want, at prices they are prepared to pay. – Prepare and train a workforce that is equipped with the education and skills for the 21st century. – Develop businesses ready to invest, and an infrastructure to support them. Approaches Putting people at the centre: – Sustainable development must enable people to enjoy a better quality of life, now and in the future. Taking a long term perspective: – Radical improvements have to begin now to safeguard the interests of future generations. – At the same time we must meet today's needs. Taking account of costs and benefits – Decisions must take account of a wide range of costs and benefits, including those which cannot easily be valued in money terms. 6  10/20/2023 Approaches Creating an open and supportive economic system – Sustainable development requires a global economic system which supports economic growth in all countries Combating poverty and social exclusion – Everyone should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, through access to high quality public services, education and employment opportunities, decent housing and good local environments. Respecting environmental limits – Serious or irreversible damage would pose a severe threat to global society. – Defining such limits is difficult, so precautionary action needs to be considered. Approaches Using Scientific Knowledge – When taking decisions, it is important to anticipate early on where scientific advice or research is needed, and to identify sources of information of high caliber. – Where possible, evidence should be reviewed from a wide- ranging set of viewpoints. Transparency, information participation and access to justice. – Opportunities for access to information, participation in decision-making, and access to justice should be available to all. 7  10/20/2023 Principles The Precautionary Principle Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. Polluter pays Principle Much environmental pollution, resource depletion and social cost occurs because those responsible are not those who bear the consequence. The principles Integration Ensure that economic decisions adequately reflect environmental impacts including human health, and that environmental initiatives take into account economic consequences. Stewardship The recognition that we are caretakers of the environment and economy for the benefit of present and future generations. 8  10/20/2023 The principles Shared Responsibility Acknowledge the responsibility of all the community for sustaining the environment and the economy, in a spirit of partnership and open cooperation. Scientific and Technological Innovation We should research, develop, test and implement technologies essential to further environmental quality, including human health and economic growth. The principles Waste Minimization We should endeavor to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover the products of our society. Enhancement We should enhance the long-term productive capability, quality and capacity of our natural ecosystems. 9  10/20/2023 The principles Prevention Anticipate, prevent or mitigate significant adverse environmental (including human health) and economic impacts of policy, programs, and decisions. Conservation Maintain essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life-support systems of our environment; harvest renewable resources on a sustained yield basis; and make wise and efficient use of our renewable and non-renewable resources. The principles Rehabilitation and Reclamation Endeavor to restore damaged or degraded environments to beneficial uses. Global Responsibility Think globally while acting locally. Requires that we: recognize there are no boundaries to our environment that there is ecological interdependence among nations. There is a need to work cooperatively internationally, to accelerate the merger of environment and economics in decision making and to develop comprehensive and equitable solutions to problems 10  10/20/2023 How to implement the Concept and Principles Efficient Use of Resources We should encourage and support development and application of systems for: – proper resource pricing; – demand management; – resource allocation including incentives and disincentives; and – full environmental costing of decisions and developments. Public Participation Establish appropriate forums to encourage and provide opportunity for: – consultation and meaningful participation in decision-making processes by all the community; – Ensure due process to redress those affected by policies, programs, decisions and developments. 11  10/20/2023 How to implement the Concept and Principles Understanding and Respect Aware that we share a common physical, social and economic environment; Understand and respect different social and economic views, values, traditions and aspirations; Consider the aspirations, needs, and views of various regions and groups in the community. How to implement the Concept and Principles Access to Adequate Information Encourage and support the improvement and refinement of our environmental and economic information base and promote the opportunity for equal and timely access to information by all the community. 12  10/20/2023 How to implement the Concept and Principles Integrated Decision-Making and Planning Encourage and support decision-making and planning processes that are open, cross-sectoral, efficient, timely, and relevant to long-term implications. How to implement the Concept and Principles Substitution Promote the ways and means of the development and use of substitutes for scarce resources where they are both environmentally sound and economically viable. 13  10/20/2023 Questions to Take Home 1. What is the goal of sustainable development? 2. Why do you think it has been so hard to put sustainable development into practice? 3. What does sustainable development mean for your own lifestyle and community? Population : Concept and Theories Concept of Population Several Interpretations 14  10/20/2023 Conceptualization Definition Population, the inhabitants of a given area, but perhaps most importantly, the human inhabitants of the earth (numbering about 8 billion in 20023), Who by their increasing numbers and corresponding increasing needs can seriously affect the global ecosystem. Other Interpretations; in ecology Population is a group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a given area. Members of a population often rely on the same resources, are subject to similar environmental constraints, and depend on the availability of other members to persist over time. Scientists study a population by examining how individuals in that population interact with each other and how the population as a whole interacts with its environment. 15  10/20/2023 Contd. o an interbreeding group of individuals characterized by genetic continuity through several generations. o a group of individuals collectively occupying a particular geographic locale. o any group that is distinguished by a particular trait or situation. Modern Population Growth In the late 20thC, a major population difference arose in the comparative growth rates of the developed (0.6%) and developing (2.1%) nations. Africa's annual growth rate is about 3%, compared to 1.7% for Asia, 0.7% in Latin America, and 0.3% in Europe. If current rates hold steady, many developing countries will double their populations in 25 years or less, compared to 50 years or more for industrialized nations. Most of the countries in the Third World are in a condition of high birthrate and declining death rate, contributing to what is known as the population explosion. 16  10/20/2023 Population Control A declining birthrate depends to a large extent on the availability and use of birth control, high living standards that make unnecessary the production of additional children to provide necessary and inexpensive labor. Family planning is national policy in many industrial countries, such as Japan and most of Europe. Many developing countries have followed the lead of India (which has since 1952 conducted an extensive, but not totally successful, birth control program) in trying to promote family planning as national policy. These countries include China, Kenya, Pakistan, Taiwan, Turkey, Egypt, and Chile. A number of nongovernmental organizations concerned with population growth have also appeared. Zero Population Growth, an educational group founded in 1970, aims to stop population growth, first in the United States and then in other countries. On the international level, besides the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the United Nations Economic and Social Council provides birth control aid to underdeveloped nations. 17  10/20/2023 THEORIES OF POPULATION Malthusian, Boserup, and the Club of Rome THOMAS MALTHUS 1766-1834. Born near Guildford! Wrote ‘An essay in the First Principle of population’ first published in 1798 THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF MALTHUS: Food is necessary for human existence Human population tends to grow faster than the power in the earth to produce subsistence The effects of these two unequal powers must be kept equal Since humans tend not to limit their population size voluntarily - “preventive checks” in Malthus’ terminology. Malthus recognized that population if unchecked, grows at a geometric Rate: 1 2 4 8 16 32 However, food only increases at an arithmetic rate, as land is finite-1 2 3 4 5 6 18  10/20/2023 AND THEREFORE HE SAID…. War, famine, disease. CHECKS Malthus suggested that once this ceiling (catastrophe) had been reached, further growth in population would be prevented by negative and positive checks. He saw the checks as a natural method of population control. They can be split up into 2 groups NEGATIVE CHECKS (DECREASED BIRTH RATE)…. Negative Checks were used to limit the population growth. It included abstinence or postponement of marriage which lowered the fertility rate. Malthus favored moral restraint (including late marriage and sexual abstinence) as a check on population growth. However, it is worth noting that Malthus proposed this only for the working and poor classes 19  10/20/2023 POSITIVE CHECKS (INCREASED DEATH RATE) Positive Checks were ways to reduce population size by events such as famine, disease, war - increasing the mortality rate and reducing life expectancy. Critique of Malthus WAS MALTHUS RIGHT? There has been a population explosion Africa – repeated famines, wars, food crisis, environmental degradation, soil erosion, crop failure and disastrous floods – so was he right? BUT….. Technological improvements which he could not have foreseen The increased amount of cropland due to irrigation 20  10/20/2023 Club of Rome THE CLUB OF ROME Group of industrialists, scientists, economists and statesmen from 10 countries Published ‘The Limits to Growth’ in 1972 THE CLUB OF ROME – BASIC CONCLUSION…. If present growth trends in world population continue and if associated industrialization, pollution, food production and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime in the next 100 years. The most probably result will be sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity Critique of Club of Rome IS THE CLUB OF ROME RIGHT? Don’t panic yet! Doesn’t take human dimension sufficiently into account Human race is adaptable and innovative Human responses have changed – e.g. alternative sources of fuel (to replace fossil fuels), HYVs seeds to prevent starvation in parts of Asia HYVs- High Yielding Variety seeds 21  10/20/2023 Boserup ESTHER BOSERUP 1965, Boserup believed that people have the resources of knowledge and technology to increase food supplies. Opposite to Malthus – she suggested that population growth has enabled agricultural development to occur Assumes people knew of the techniques required by more intensive systems and used them when the population grew The argument is the pressure forces to innovate, Demographic pressure (population density) promotes innovation and higher productivity in use of land (irrigation, weeding, crop intensification, better seeds) and labor (tools, better techniques). 22  10/20/2023 Boserup evaluated Boserup argued that the changes in technology allow for improved crop strains and increased yields. Genetically Modified crops, Green revolution’ BUT…. Boserup admits overpopulation can lead to unsuitable farming practices which may degrade the land E.g. population pressure as one of the reasons for desertification in the Sahel region (so fragile environments at risk) Boserup’s theory based on assumption of ‘closed’ society -not the case in reality (migration) 23