LECT 2-Sustainable Dev

Master of Technology – Environmental Planning
Date: August 14, 2008
Rutool Sharma
Faculty of Planning & Public Policy

Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology (CEPT) University, Ahmedabad
Session 2 Sustainable Development
Examples
LESSONS FROM OTHER CIVILIZATIONS & SOCIETIES

 Carthage - at the height of its civilization and power had more than one million
inhabitants and had an abundant food supply from the cultivation and grazing
in the fertile lowlands between the coast and Atlas mountains.
 Rome conquered Carthage and decided to make Carthage a colonial food

supplier for the Roman empire.
 A cycle of irreversible land degradation began, which impoverished people

through history to present.
 Rome opted for intensive cultivation with maximum yield per acre.
 When the fertility began to decline, it planted even more intensively to “make
up” the declining yield.
 Productivity naturally declined even more.
Source: Topsoil & Civilization by Dale and Carter

Examples
 Rome spread cultivation and grazing into marginal and upland areas,
triggering a cycle of erosion
 This triggered the cycle of erosion and declined productivity which ultimately
ruined the land forever.

Examples
 In contrast, civilization of Egypt persisted from the time of Cleopatra until the
20th century on a “sustainable” basis
 The annual spring flooding of the Nile provided both water and a replenishment
of soil nutrients
 Ironically, now in 20th century, Aswan Dam was constructed due to which this
stable system declined
Results
- Decline in soil fertility due to addition of artificial soil fertilizers
- Severe impacts upon health, sustenance and ecology
- Alteration in hydrology due to salt water intrusion into delta region

Conceptual interaction of Economic & Natural systems
Minerals / Nutrients
Silt
Clear / denuded land
Land / Habitat
Living natural resources

(forests, fisheries, species)
Products Economic Natural
Systems Renewable energy Systems
Non-living natural resources

(fuels, minerals, water, air)
Thermal energy
Gases like carbon dioxide
Air / water pollution, solid waste
Source: Principles of Sustainable Development, F. Douglas Muschett

Contents
CONTENTS
1. Definitions
2. Evolution of the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’
3. Bruntland Report
• Key concepts
• Concept, Principles and Importance of ‘Sustainable Development’
• Major outcomes
1. World’s response to the concept
2. Application of Sustainable Development

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Definition (Bruntland Report)
Sustainable development
passing on to future generations
an equal or preferably enhanced stock
of economic, natural, social and human capital.

Definition (Bruntland Report)
 It is a process of developing land, cities, business,

communities, and so on that “meets the needs of the present
without comprising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.”
 It's about the kind of world we want to leave for posterity.
 What sort of world would we like to leave for our children and
their grandchildren?

Definition
Hawken -- Sustainability as “an economic state where the demands placed

upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing
the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations” (1993).
Common -- “To sustain is to support without collapse and the sustainability

problem is taken to be: how to address problems of inequality and poverty in
ways that do not affect the environment so as to reduce humanity’s future
prospects” (1995).
Dryzek -- “The legitimate development aspirations of the world’s peoples

cannot be met by all countries following the growth path already taken by the
industrialized countries, for such action would over-burden the world’s
ecosystems;” however, since improving the conditions of the world’s poor is a
desired international goal, economic growth should be promoted “in ways that
are both environmentally benign and socially just. Justice here refers not only
to distribution within the present generation, but also to distribution across
future generations” (1997).

Definition
Elkington -- “It’s the principle of ensuring that our actions today do not limit
the range of economic, social, and environmental options open to future
generations” (1998).
Meadows -- “Sustainable development is a social construct, referring to the

long-term evolution of a hugely complex system — the human population and
economy embedded within the ecosystems and biogeochemical flows of the
planet” (1998).
Berke and Conroy -- “A dynamic process in which communities anticipate

and accommodate the needs of current and future generations in ways that
reproduce and balance local social, economic, and ecological systems, and
link local actions to global concerns” (2000).
More than 100 definitions of Sustainable Development have

come-up, however the definitions put forward by Brundtland
Commission is most widely accepted and followed definition.
Evolution of the concept

• The concept of ‘sustainability’ or ‘sustainable development’

has been discussed at international medium since long time.
• Certain publications in late 1960’s and early 1970’s inspired

interest in the environmental movement.
a. In 1962 - Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’

b. In 1968 - Garret Hardin’s ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’
• Many people in the 1960s predicted a doomsday in the 1960s.
• Called for an immediate moratorium on growth, for they

believed growth to be the root cause of environmental
destruction.

1972 (UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm)
• The relationship between economic development &

environmental degradation was first placed on the international
agenda.
• Set up United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which

today continues to act as a global catalyst for action to protect
the environment.

• However, in the succeeding years little effort was done to

integrate environmental concerns into national economic
planning and decision making.
• Overall, environment continued to deteriorate, resulting in

global problems such as
- Ozone depletion
- Global warming
- Water pollution grew more serious
- Destruction of natural resources accelerated at an alarming rate

1983 (UN set up the World Commission on Environment and

Development - WCED)
• Environmental degradation, which had been seen as a side

effect of industrial wealth with only a limited impact, was
understood to be a matter of survival for developing nations

1987 (World Commission on Environment and Development)
- Published a report entitled ‘Our common future’
- Report was prepared under leadership by Gro Harlem Brundtland

of Norway
- The Commission put forward the concept of ‘Sustainable

Development’ as an alternative approach to one simply based on
economic growth.
- Defines “which meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs”.
- The document is also known as ‘Brundtland Report’

Brundtland Commission started looking for environmental issues:
• People responded with many interrelated issues: jobs, health,

ecological productivity, education, international trade
Conclusion:
“Sustainability is not as much about the environment as it is

about our communities and economic systems and their
future survival”

Bruntland Report

Bruntland report
• Report developed guiding principles for sustainable

development
• Reasons for critical global environmental problems:

- Enormous poverty of the South
- Non-sustainable patterns of consumption & production in the North.
• Report suggested to formulate a strategy, now-common term

‘Sustainable development’.
• In 1989, the report was debated in the UN General Assembly,

which decided to organize a UN Conference on Environment
and Development.

The concept of Sustainable Development
Point 1:
• The major objective of development is to satisfy human needs

and aspirations.
Needs: food, clothing, shelter, job etc.
Aspirations: better quality of life
• In developing countries these needs of people are not satisfied.
• Poverty is widespread and imbalance is common
• In such situation, the ecological crisis / environmental

degradation will occur and cannot be avoided
• Sustainable Development requires meeting the basic needs of all

and extending to all the opportunity to satisfy their aspirations.

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 organizations on the environment's ability to meet
present and future needs.

Point 2:
Living
Standards
Consumption
standards
• Consumption standards – within bounds of ecological possible

and to which all can reasonably aspire.

Point 3:
Population
Pressure on
resources
• Demographic developments are not in harmony with the

changing productive potential of the ecosystem
• Over-exploitation of resources - to meet the ever-increasing

needs of the people

Point 4:
• Increasing human intervention of natural systems

- diversion of natural water courses,
- extraction of minerals,
- emission of harmful gases, etc.
• These interventions are becoming more drastic in scale and

impact
• Sustainable development must not endanger the natural systems

that support life on Earth i.e. the atmosphere, water, soil and
living beings

Key concepts of sustainability
• Today’s needs should not compromise on the ability of future

generations to meet their needs;
• A direct link exists between the economy and environment;
• The needs of the poor in all nations must be met;
• In order for our environment to be protected, the economic

conditions of the world’s poor must be improved;
• In all our actions, we must consider the impact upon future

generations.

Key principles
It puts together two irreconcilable principles:
a. Environmental Sustainability
a. Economic Development
This has led to two interpretations of Sustainable Development:
• Eco-centric: which puts Global Ecology first
• Anthropocentric: which puts human well-being first

Importance of the concept
Concept of Sustainable Development is not only development

which will conserve our resources and not destroy and damage
them, as our present development models are doing.
Sustainable Development is important because it is development

for all and not for few in the society.
Sustainable development is one of those rare concepts and

strategies that theoretically leaps far beyond political divisions and
unites all of humanity around such common values and concerns
as human health, ecosystem health, security, justice, education,
jobs, and the future.

Major outcomes
World’s natural resources already strained, & could not accommodate

the development of the rest of the world, through rapid industrialisation
and conspicuous consumption, to the standard of living enjoyed in
developed countries.
Development not about getting richer, but about meeting essential

human needs & aspirations – emphasis on quality of & not quantity of
economic growth.
In order to sustain the progress of humanity, overriding priority to be

given to meeting essential human needs, e.g. education, health, clean
air & water.

Major outcomes
When essential needs have been met, aspirations can legitimately

be pursued, at a level that all can reasonably aspire to, & within
ecological capacity.
Technological innovation alone insufficient, social re-organisation

also required.
Sustainability implied a concern for equity between generations, a

concern that had to be logically extended to equity within each
generation.

World’s response to the concept

The report had profound impact at the international level and in

countries all around the globe.
This report helped to shape the international agenda and the

international community's attitude towards economic, social and
environmental development.
1992 - The "United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development" (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro
- largest gathering of world leaders that has ever taken place.

- 177 countries in the world attended the "Eco Summit", more than 100 of
them represented by the Head of State.

The Earth Summit Agreements:
In Rio, 108 representatives of various countries - adopted three

major agreements aimed at changing the traditional approach to
development:
1. Agenda 21: a comprehensive programme of action for global

action in all areas of sustainable development;
2. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development: a series

of principles defining the rights and responsibilities of States;
3. The Statement of Forest Principles: a set of principles to

underlie sustainable management of forests worldwide.

In addition, following two legally binding Conventions were opened

for signature at the Summit:
1. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change:

preventing global climate change
2. The Convention on Biological Diversity

Application of Sustainable Development

Areas of application
Sustainable development is wide-ranging in its application

reaching out to:
1. Land use, including forestry;
2. Water;
3. Air and pollution control;
4. Industry;
5. Energy;
6. Human resources

Application of Sustainable Development
Practical application of Sustainable Development:
1. Choose projects which are not resource-consuming, which are not

resource damaging and resource destroying.
2. To build into every project into the means of conserving the

resource which have to be used, renewing resources which have
to be consumed and countering the damage and pollution to
environment that emerges as a result of development.

Ineffectiveness
A. Law, legislation etc. – implementation
- Interpretation is not well defined. It depends on the view

point of the observer.
- Knowledge regarding Rights & Duties not clear
- Less Legal awareness and approach to law / court is

difficult, time consuming and costly
- Mindset to avoid going to court

Ineffectiveness
B. Conflicts between the environmental requirements on one

hand and the day-to-day economic needs of the people.
Example:
Supreme court ordered the closure of large number of mines in the

Mussoorie hills. We have been enforcing it and stopped the mining
activities. But whereas the mining activities have been stopped and
reforestation of that area is underway, the problem of the hundreds of
people who have lost their jobs as a result of the closure of the mines
has not been considered. Similarly when because certain iron mines
have not complied with the rules and regulations and there is an order to
close them, there is the human problem of throwing out of employment
several thousand people working in them. When we talk of
environmental requirements on the one hand and the perceived conflict
with the basic economic needs of the people – not talking of the
economic gains but the bare earnings of the worker to feed and clothe
his family.`

Ineffectiveness
 One of our former Prime Minister said: POVERTY POLLUTES
 We need to attend the basic requirements of people.
 For this, the process of development which benefits the poor

people will have to be accelerated and they will have to be
satisfied.
 We will have to recognize that the conflict is real, that the

problem of the economic needs of the people is real and that it
has to be addressed.
 When that happens, then automatically, they will contribute also

to a better environment.

Ineffectiveness
C. Awareness
• Awareness is abysmally low, not only among the illiterate and

uneducated, but among all people, including educated and
uneducated, urbanities and ruralities.
• Awareness – in terms of the entire society
• The housewife will sweep her house, make it absolutely

spotlessly clean, and take all the rubbish and dump it over the
wall of the next house.
• Awareness promotion

Ineffectiveness
D. Impact Assessment
• No scientifically designed tools for measuring sustainable

development
• Tools of measurement of sustainability should be able to put

down in figures, that this is the exact damage in rupees and
paisa, this is what happens if you take the two together, this is
the end result
• Details about each activity and impact of each of these activity

on nature and its magnitude

Our common future
“The environment cannot be effectively protected without

economic development,
and
Economic development cannot be sustained without

environmental protection”

Thank You !

LECT 2-Sustainable Dev

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Master of Technology – Environmental Planning

Date: August 14, 2008

Faculty of Planning & Public Policy

LESSONS FROM OTHER CIVILIZATIONS & SOCIETIES

 Rome conquered Carthage and decided to make Carthage a colonial food

 A cycle of irreversible land degradation began, which impoverished people

 Productivity naturally declined even more.

Source: Topsoil & Civilization by Dale and Carter

LESSONS FROM OTHER CIVILIZATIONS & SOCIETIES

Source: Topsoil & Civilization by Dale and Carter

Session 2 Sustainable Development

LESSONS FROM OTHER CIVILIZATIONS & SOCIETIES

Source: Topsoil & Civilization by Dale and Carter

Session 2 Sustainable Development

Living natural resources

Non-living natural resources

Source: Principles of Sustainable Development, F. Douglas Muschett

2. Evolution of the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’

1. World’s response to the concept

2. Application of Sustainable Development

Session 2 Sustainable Development

Session 2 Sustainable Development

passing on to future generations

an equal or preferably enhanced stock

of economic, natural, social and human capital.

Session 2 Sustainable Development

 It is a process of developing land, cities, business,

 It's about the kind of world we want to leave for posterity.

Session 2 Sustainable Development

Hawken -- Sustainability as “an economic state where the demands placed

Common -- “To sustain is to support without collapse and the sustainability

Dryzek -- “The legitimate development aspirations of the world’s peoples

Session 2 Sustainable Development

Meadows -- “Sustainable development is a social construct, referring to the

Berke and Conroy -- “A dynamic process in which communities anticipate

More than 100 definitions of Sustainable Development have

Session 2 Sustainable Development

• The concept of ‘sustainability’ or ‘sustainable development’

• Certain publications in late 1960’s and early 1970’s inspired

a. In 1962 - Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’

• Many people in the 1960s predicted a doomsday in the 1960s.

• Called for an immediate moratorium on growth, for they

Session 2 Sustainable Development

1972 (UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm)

• The relationship between economic development &

• Set up United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which

Session 2 Sustainable Development

• However, in the succeeding years little effort was done to

• Overall, environment continued to deteriorate, resulting in

- Water pollution grew more serious

- Destruction of natural resources accelerated at an alarming rate

Session 2 Sustainable Development

1983 (UN set up the World Commission on Environment and

• Environmental degradation, which had been seen as a side

Session 2 Sustainable Development

- Published a report entitled ‘Our common future’

- Report was prepared under leadership by Gro Harlem Brundtland

- The Commission put forward the concept of ‘Sustainable

- Defines “which meets the needs of the present without

- The document is also known as ‘Brundtland Report’

Session 2 Sustainable Development

Brundtland Commission started looking for environmental issues:

• People responded with many interrelated issues: jobs, health,