Sustainable Development Unit 12
UNIT 12 : SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
UNIT STRUCTURE
12.1 Learning Objectives
12.2 Introduction
12.3 Concept of Sustainable Development
12.4 Characteristics of Sustainable Development
12.5 Need of Sustainable Development
12.6 Education for Sustainable Development
12.7 Let Us Sum Up
12.8 Further Reading
12.9 Answers To Check Your Progress
12.10 Model Questions
12.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you will be able to -
l define the concept of sustainable development;
l list the characteristics of sustainable development;
l describe the importance of sustainable development; and
l explain the role of education on sustainable development.
12.2 INTRODUCTION
In the previous unit, you have gone through a lot about environment,
its different components, different hazards that come to environmental
security and the different provisions taken by organization of national and
international importance, government. But you should be very clear that
only protecting and conserving environment from the hazards is not enough,
we have also protect it for future. With the excess use of technologies, the
greenery of the earth is decreasing which may threaten our future
generation. We earn money not only for present expenditure but also save
it for future expenditure, so as with the environment. We have to be serious
about future ecological balance. In this unit, we are going to discuss such a
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topic related to use and conservation of environment for future under the
heading of 'Sustainable Development'.
12.3 CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The term "sustainable development" was used at the time of the
Cocoyoc Declaration on environment and development in early 1970's.
Since then it has become a trademark of international organizations which
are dedicated to achieve the goal of "environmental beneficial
development".
The concept of sustainable Development emerged only after the
industrial revolution, followed by transport-revolution and urbanization,
which are the cause of environmental degradation. This concept is a
response to warnings that the world is facing environmental crisis, unless
we become aware, there will be no resource left for future. The question of
sustainable development has emerged due to overexploitation of resources
as well as mismanagement of technology.Sustainable Development is
considered as a process of improving the quality of human life while living
within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems. It carries the premise
of development that can be achieved without an undue exploitation of the
natural resources. Eco-development is a concept of sustainable
development in which all developmental activities are performed in such a
way that regional ecological balance can be maintained.
In 1983 the United Nations Commission on Environment and
Development was created and in the year 1987, the Commission issued
the Brundtland Report. This report highlighted that equity, growth, and
environmental maintenance are simultaneously possible as well as the
report ensured that each country is capable of achieving its full economic
potential while at the same time enhancing its resource base. It emphasized
three fundamental components to sustainable development. These are-
environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity. Living within
our environmental limits is one of the central principles of sustainable
development.
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Sustainable Development Unit 12
The most widely used and a common definition of sustainable
development was given by-World commission on Environment -
"Sustainable Development is the development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs"
Again, the World Conservation Strategy Report defined sustainable
development as 'the integration of conservation and development to ensure
that modifications to the planet do indeed secure the survival and wellbeing
of all people'.
On the basis of the above definitions it can be marked that
sustainable development means meeting four objectives at the same time:
l Social progress that recognizes the needs of everyone;
l Effective protection of the environment;
l Prudent use of natural resources; and
l Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and
employment.
12.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable development can be characterized as follows:
l Interdependence: understanding the connections and links between
all aspects of our lives and those of other people and places at a
local and global level, and that decision taken in one place will affect
what happens elsewhere.
l Citizenship and Stewardship: recognizing that we have rights and
responsibilities to participate in decision-making and that everyone
should have a say in what happens in the future.
l Needs and Rights of Future Generations: learning how we can
lead lives that consider the rights and needs of others, and that what
we do now has implications for what life will be like in the future.
l Diversity: understanding the importance and value and diversity of
lives- culturally, socially, economically and biologically- and that all
our lives are impoverished without it.
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l Quality of Life: recognizing that for any development to be sustainable
it must benefit people in an equitable way, it is about improving
everybody's lives.
l Sustainable Change: understanding that there is a limit to the way in
which the world, particularly the richer countries, can develop and
that the consequences of unmanaged and unsustainable growth are
increased poverty and hardship, and the degradation of the
environment, to the disadvantage of us all.
l Uncertainty and Precaution: realizing that as we are learning all the
time and our actions may have unforeseen consequences we should
adopt a cautious approach to the welfare of the planet.
LET US KNOW
l The concept of sustainable Development
emerged only after the industrial revolution,
followed by transport-revolution and urbanization,
which are the cause of environmental degradation.
l The three fundamental components to sustainable development
are-environmental protection, economic growth, and social
equity.
l The most widely used and a common definition of sustainable
development was given by-World commission on Environment
- "Sustainable Development is the development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs."
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Q 1: What is Eco-development?
...................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
Q 2: In which year was World Commission of Environment formed?
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
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Sustainable Development Unit 12
Q 3: Write two characteristics of Sustainable development.
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
12.5 NEED OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Increasing environmental degradation had depleted our planet
Earth, which has affected not only the eco-system but also degraded the
quality of living.Therefore to save the planet from this threat, sustainable
development is the need of the hour.To maintain the eco-system,
sustainable revolution will have to take place rapidly and consciously on
many different levels and in many different spheres.
The need of sustainable development can be discussed in the following
ways-
l Conservation of Resources: The prime need of sustainable
development is the conservation of natural resources. It is essential
to sustain the resources both for present and future usage. Indeed,
one of the key features of sustainable development to prevent
environmental depletion and contribute towards new development.
l Management of resources: Only preservation of resources is not
enough. If the resources are not managed properly, it is equivalent
to depletion. For a worldwide sustainable growth, there is a need for
efficient and effective management of available resources, which is
the prime objective of sustainable development.
l Sustainable Technology: Sustainable development is essential
because it ensures the involvement of sustainable technologies based
upon the use of non-renewable resources by taking advantage of
the renewable energies.
l Sustain Biodiversity: Unsustainable development and
overconsumption practices often harm the biodiversity, creating
imbalances. Sustainable development is essential as it encourage
the use of renewable energy resources like organic farming practices
that do not harm the biodiversity.
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Unit 12 Sustainable Development
l Financial Stability: Development of renewable energy technologies
not only helps in conserving the resources, but also helps in sustain
financial stability of the country or a nation.
l Managing Climate change: Depletion of the earth impacts on the
climate also. Global warming is the vivid example cause of the climate
change. Sustainable development is important to mitigate this climate
change as its practice can reduce the use of natural resources like
oil, natural gas and coal.
l Sustainable plantation: Another importance of sustainable
development lies on the sustainable plantation. Sustainable
development focuses on sustainable agricultural methods such as-
effective seeding techniques and crop rotation to promote high yield
as well as it tries to maintain the integrity of the soil which produce
food for a large population.
l Ensure quality of life: Sustainable development is essential to
maximize human wellbeing or quality of life by fulfilling their life needs
without compromising it.
ACTIVITY
Name some of the activities that are taken by the
village farmers to sustain agriculture.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Q 4: Discuss the importance of sustainable
development.
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
12.6 EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
On the basis of the above discussion, it is clear to you that
sustainable development is the practice of using guidelines for being
environmentally responsible and saving energy to create new development
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Sustainable Development Unit 12
projects. It is essential for conservation of resources as well as ensuring
the quality of life. But for developing new development project people must
be made aware of the significance of the sustainable development and
the way of sustaining the resources. There can be no powerful measure
than education which can empower people with the knowledge of
sustainability. Environmental education is the powerful tool of making
people aware of the environmental threats and sustainable development.
In the words of Mishra, "Environmental education appears to be a process
that equips human beings with awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes and
commitments to improve environment".
Environmental Education and Sustainable Development:
As mentioned above, environmental education plays an important
role in sustainable development. The role can be discussed in the following
ways-
l Environmental education is important tool for achieving sustainable
utilization resource.
l Environmental education can develop values and skills necessary
for conservation and wise utilizations of natural resources leading
sustainable development.
l It can bring about awareness and develop concern for the long term
effect of development activities upon the environment.
l It can foster love towards the nature that help people to understand
the essential harmony between man and nature.
l Environmental education can make people understand the problem
of development as an international issue.
l Environmentally informed and educated citizens can understand their
role at local and regional level as well as the role of government to
make international environmental agreements to achieve sustainable
development across the globe.
l Environmental education will make the people aware of all those
factors that lead to depletion of the resources.
l Population education which is an important part of environmental
education will help the common man to be aware of the danger of
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overpopulation leading to reduction of resources. Thus, population
education can help a lot in maintaining sustainability of the resources
by minimizing the population.
l Environmental education can help the people living in earth to make
intelligent and conscious utilization of the resources keeping in view
their maximum limit.
On the basis of the above mentioned discussion, it can be said that
environmental education is a tool which can make people understand the
meaning and importance of sustainable development.
LET US KNOW
l According to Mishra, "Environmental education
appears to be a process that equips human
beings with awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes
and commitments to improve environment".
l Environmental education can develop values and skills necessary
for conservation and wise utilizations of natural resources leading
sustainable development.
12.7 LET US SUM UP
l The term "sustainable development" was used at the time of the
Cocoyoc Declaration on environment and development in early
1970's.
l Sustainable Development is considered as a process of improving
the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of
supporting ecosystems.
l It carries the premise of development that can be achieved without
an undue exploitation of the natural resources.
l Eco-development is a concept of sustainable development in which
all developmental activities are performed in such a way that regional
ecological balance can be maintained.
82 Environmental Education
Sustainable Development Unit 12
l The three fundamental components to sustainable development are-
environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity
l The most widely used and a common definition of sustainable
development was given by-World commission on Environment -
"Sustainable Development is the development that meets the need
of the present without compromising the ability of future generation
to meet their own needs"
l Sustainable development is essential for Conservation of Resources,
Management of resources, Sustainable Technology as well as
Ensuring quality life.
l Environmental education is the powerful tool of making people aware
of the environmental threats and sustainable development.
l In the words of Mishra, "Environmental education appears to be a
process that equips human beings with awareness, knowledge,
skills, attitudes and commitments to improve environment".
l Environmental education can make people understand the problem
of development as an international issue.
12.8 FURTHER READING
1) Bhattacharya, K, Bhattacharya, R. and Sharma, S. (2012).
Environmental Education. Guwahati: Assam Book Depot.
2) Sharma, P.D. (1990). Ecology and Environment. Meerut : Rastogi
Publishers.
3) Sharma, R.A. (2010). Environmental Education. Meerut : R.Lall Book
Depot.
4) Sigh, S. and Dubey, A. (1989). Environment Management. Allahbad
University
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