SOCIAL ISSUES AND ENVIRONMENT
1. FROM UNSUSTAINABLE TO SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
Development is a process that creates growth, progress, positive change or the
addition of physical, economic, environmental, social and demographic components.
The purpose of development is a rise in the level and quality of life of the population,
and the creation or expansion of local regional income and employment opportunities,
without damaging the resources of the environment. Development is visible and
useful, not necessarily immediately, and includes an aspect of quality change and the
creation of conditions for a continuation of that change.1
The term sustainable development came into use after the use by the World
Commission or Environment and Development (WCED) headed by Dr. Gro Halem
Brundtland and the Director of World Health Organization (WHO) the origin of this
word was traced back to 1972 United Nation Conference on the Human Environment.
In the report ‘Our Common Future’, presented in 1987 sustainable development was
defined as the “development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs”.2
Unsustainable development occurs when the present progress at the expense of the
future generation. Example, irresponsible planning and environmental degradation
through exploitation of resources generates waste and pollution that damages
ecosystems. Such practices are not sustainable in the long term.3
1
https://sid-israel.org/en/what-is-development/
2
N K Uberoi, Environmental Studies, Page no. 617
3
https://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/the-built-environment/unsustainable-
development/
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMET
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable
development is an approach to economic planning that attempts to foster economic
growth while preserving the quality of the environment for future generations. Despite
its enormous popularity in the last two decades of the 20th century, the concept of
sustainable development proved difficult to apply in many cases, primarily because
the results of long-term sustainability analyses depend on the particular resources
focused upon. For example, a forest that will provide a sustained yield of timber in
perpetuity may not support native bird populations, and a mineral deposit that will
eventually be exhausted may nevertheless support more or less sustainable
communities. Sustainability was the focus of the 1992 Earth Summit and later was
central to a multitude of environmental studies.4
UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Unsustainable development now compromises the ability of future generations to
meet their needs. Global warming, destruction of the ozone shield, acidification of
land and water, desertification and soil loss, deforestation and forest decline,
diminishing productivity of land and waters, and extinction of species and
populations, demonstrate that human demand is exceeding environmental support
capacities. The annual increase in industrial production in 1989 is as large as that of
Europe's total production in the 1930s. The populations of 74 countries are doubling
every 30 years or less. Population growth increases poverty and deprived people are
forced to undermine the productivity of the land on which they live. It is extremely
difficult for people, or other species, to adjust to change at this rate.5
GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
4
https://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/what-is-sustainable-development.html
5
http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/unsustainable-development
There are three primary goals of sustainable development:
1. To minimize the depletion of natural resources when creating new
developments.
2. To create a development that can be maintained and sustained without causing
further harm to the environment.
3. To provide methods for retrofitting existing developments to make them
environmentally friendly facilities and projects.
The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect
outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and
environmental sustainability.
1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
6
17. Partnerships for the goals
6
https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals
FROM UNSUSTAINABLE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The economy has been expanding the standards of living are rising many diseases have been
checked and communication system has done revolution and progress in travel, trade,
technology and science. All these have resulted in gains of human welfare and economic
growth. There always has been demand of more and more resources including demand of
food like wheat, rice, corn, etc. green revolution has achieved higher yield.
As the population increased the stress on the environment also increased. Environment is our
life support system. It provides us with natural resources and energy. When we overuse our
natural resources, it becomes a matter of great concern as it leads to critical state. A number
of factors are responsible for the damage in the environment and rise in natural resources.
These factors are:
i. Rapid increase in population during last two centuries.
ii. Rapid development in technology particularly since the industrial revolution.
iii. Rise in consumerism dur to expanding economies and free market concept.
Problems related to pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, water crisis, soil degradation,
pesticides use release of harmful chemicals in water, air and land, urbanisation and all the
other environmental problems arise due to above factors. The effect of the environmental
problems is not only serious for the present generation but also for the future generation.
After the Rio Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, it had become clear
that there is a need to replace the present form of economic development that leads to
degradation of the environment with more sustainable form of development.7
2. PUBLIC AWARENESS
7
N K Uberoi, Environmental Studies, Page no.135
Public Awareness for the environment entitles practice in decision making and self-
formulation of a code of behaviour about issues concerning environment quality. To protect
our environment there is a strong need to acquire awareness to the total environment and its
problems. Public or mass should be aware of the environmental legislation along with
physical, social an aesthetic aspect of environment. The environmental regime is linked with
life support system having six elements: air, water, land, flora and fauna and sunlight.
Public awareness can be brought a out by environmental education for the individuals and
social groups. Real life environmental problems can be sorted out by developing attitude,
skills and abilities. The mass media such as radio, television, newspapers, posters, street plays
and magazines play a major role in spreading awareness.
UNSECO (1975) laid down a few objectives and guiding principles for the developing
environmental awareness at all levels in both formal and non-formal settings :
1. Attitude
2. Awareness
3. Evaluation ability
4. Knowledge
5. Participation
6. Skill
The overall goal of environmental education can be expressed in another form as three
principles and objectives:
To foster clear awareness of and concern about economic, social, political and
ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas.
To create new patterns of behaviour of individuals, groups and society as a whole
towards the environment.
To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values,
attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment.
To achieve these goals and objectives a continuous environmental education
programme needs to be run for all age groups. The curricula should be planned with
flexibility so that the material can be presented according to their needs and
aspiration. Public awareness about environment can be brought through formal
environmental education, non-formal environmental education and environmental
education for professional groups. The N.D. Tewari Committee Report (DST Report
1980) marked the beginning of environmental education in India.8
CONCLUSION
Many environmental problems are not difficult to solve if they are properly understood.
Thought the environment problems affect everyone. There are a lot of opportunities for
improving environmental quality and resources management at reasonable cost by properly
pricing and subsidy system. Also, we should also reserve resources for the future generation.
Policy makers work towards environmental preservation if there is a sufficiently large bank
of voters that insist on protecting the environment. Orienting the media to project pro-
environmental issues is an important aspect as several advertising campaigns frequently have
messages that are negative to environmental preservation.
8
Dr. Sharad Sinha, Dr. Manisha Shukla, Environmental Studies, Page no. 285 to 288
AMITY LAW SCHOOL, NOIDA
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND LAW PROJECT
(LAW 674)
TOPIC- SOCIAL ISSUE AND ENVIRONMENT:
FROM UNSUSTAINABLE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,
PUBLIC AWARENESS
SUBMITTED BY:
NAME: PRATYAKSHA MEHROTRA
PROGRAMME: BBA LL.B. (H)
SECTION: A
ENROLLMENT NO.: A3221522052
SUBMITTED TO: RITIKA BHARARA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my faculty
Advocate Ritika Bharara who gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on the topic Social Issue and Environment: From
Unsustainable to Sustainable Development, Public Awareness, which
also helped me in doing a lot of research and I came to know about so
many new things I am really thankful to her.
Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped
me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time frame.
INDEX
S.NO. PARTICULARS
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
2. INTRODUCTION
3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
4. UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
5. GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
6. FROM UNSUSTAINABLE TO
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
7. PUBLIC AWARENESS
8. CONCLUSION
9. REFRENCES
REFRENCES
1. Environmental Studies by Earch Bharucha
2. Environmental Studies by N K Uberoi
3. Environmental Studies by Dr. sharad Sinha, Dr. Manisha Shukla and Dr.
Rajandra Shukla
