Chapter three

Environment and development

 Introduction
• What is environment?
• Environment is a system which provides natural surroundings
for the existence of organisms (including humans) and which
is a prerequisite for their further evolution.
• Abiotic(physical and chemical aspects of an organism's
environment, not containing or supporting life) components
of environment (atmosphere, water, minerals, energy etc.) and
biotic components of environment (organisms – from the
simplest to the most complex) are its main elements.
• To summarize, it is all which surrounds us. It is noteworthy
that this is essentially an anthropocentric (non-biological)
definition perceiving environment as one in which a man can
live.
Approaches to environment,….
• Ecological Approach: Environment is a set of
all factors with which a living subject interacts,
and of all surroundings which encompass it.
• Thus, it is everything that a subject influences,
directly or indirectly.
• A subject can be an organism, a population, a
human or whole human society.
• Usually, the notion of living environment is
conceived in the sense of human environment.
Approaches to environment,….

• Biological Approach: 'environment' denotes the

surroundings of an organism or a species,
eventually the ecosystem in which an organism or
a species lives.
• At the same time, it is a physical environment and
other organisms with which the organism or the
species enters into contact (interacts).
• The notion of biome(major ecological
community) is very similar to a living
environment.
Significance of the Environment
 1. The environment provides both renewable
and non-renewable resources to man
• Renewable resources are those resources which are
replenished easily over time, and hence can be used without
the possibility of the resource becoming depleted or
exhausted.
• Examples of renewable resources include trees in the forests,
fishes in the ocean, etc.
• Non-renewable resources, on the other hand, are those
resources which can get exhausted or depleted over time as
they are used up.
• Examples of non-renewable resources include fossil fuels and
minerals like petroleum , natural gas, coal, etc.
• Thus these resources need to be used carefully, while keeping
in mind the requirements of the future generations.
 2. Absorbing harmful wastes
• The environment is also an absorber of
harmful wastes and byproducts, that is, it
assimilates waste products.
• The smoke from chimneys(pipes) and exhaust
pipes of vehicles, sewage from cities and
towns, industrial effluents are all absorbed by
the environment.
• These harmful wastes and byproducts are
absorbed, cleaned and recycled by various
natural processes.
 3. Sustaining life
• The environment also sustains life by providing bio
diversity.
• The genetic variations created by the pressures exerted
by the environment on various life forms allows those
life forms to adapt, evolve and produce genetic
variations which can survive in harsh environments.
• Hence the environment produces and maintains
relationships between different life forms and the
abiotic components and sustains life.
• It is therefore important to preserve these life forms by
preserving the environment.
4. Used as aesthetic value
• Apart from the biological significance of the
environment, the environment is also important
from the aesthetic point of view.
• It provides scenery and landscapes to us which
are priceless to us, and often play an important
role in man‟s culture around the world.
Environmental Problems
 Environmental Problems
• With the advance of human civilization, human
wants have expanded and diversified.
• This has led to a rapid depletion of natural
resources.
• Many resources are being used up at a rapid rate,
which has caused over-utilization and depletion of
many resources.
• With the rapid use of resources, a lot of
accompanying environmental problems has
cropped up.
 Environmental Problems
• These include pollution of air and water,
degradation of natural resources like soil and
forests, and the depletion of non-renewable
resources like fossil fuels and minerals.
• In the sections below you will explain about
these environmental problems and understand
the significance of their impact on the economy
and the planet earth.
 Pollution
• The term pollution refers to an undesirable change in the
quality of a natural resource or the natural ecosystem.
• The change may be harmful to life immediately or over a
long period of time.
• Thus, pollution adversely affects the health of living beings.
Pollution is caused by a pollutant. A pollutant is a waste
material or substance which causes an undesirable change in
a natural resource or ecosystem.
• Smoke, dust and poisonous gases in the atmosphere and
industrial effluents and sewage from cities in water are
some common examples of pollutants. Further, human
activities also generate heat and create noise or harm to
living beings in a multitude of other ways.
 Air pollution
• Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals,
particulate matter, or biological materials that
cause harm or discomfort to humans or other
living organisms, or cause damage to the
natural environment or built environment into
the atmosphere.
• Major air pollutants include sulphur-oxides,
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide (which is also a major greenhouse
gas), toxic metals, and particulate matter.
 Effects of air pollution
• The health effects caused by air pollution may
include difficulty in breathing,
wheezing(breeze with un clear sound),
coughing and aggravation of existing
respiratory and cardiac conditions.
• These effects can result in increased
medication, increased doctor or emergency
room visits, more hospital admissions and
premature death.
 Sources of Air Pollution
• Major artificial sources (caused by human
beings)of air pollution include: Smoke from
power plants, factories, incinerators, furnaces, etc.
• Exhaust of vehicles and automobiles like cars,
buses, bikes, airplanes, ships, etc.
• Chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers and dust
from farming and other agricultural practices.
• Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol(a
container with gas and pressure) sprays and other
solvents(diluters).
Sources,..
• Waste deposition in landfills generates
methane(fuel gas), which also contributes to
global warming.
• Major natural sources of air pollution include:
Dust from natural sources, usually barren land.
Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by
animals, for example cattle.
• Smoke, particulate matter and carbon monoxide
from wildfires.
• Volcanic activity, which produce sulphur,
chlorine, and ash particulates.
 Water pollution
• Water pollution is the contamination of water
bodies (example lakes, rivers, oceans and
groundwater) by pollutants discharged directly
or indirectly into water bodies without
adequate treatment to remove harmful
compounds.
• Major sources of water pollution include
industrial chemicals and effluents, nutrients,
waste water, sewage, etc.
 Effects of water pollution
• A number of waterborne diseases such as cholera,
typhoid, diarrhea etc. are produced by the
pathogens present in polluted water, affecting
human beings and animals alike.
• Water Pollution affects the chemistry of water. The
pollutants, including toxic chemicals can alter the
acidity, conductivity(transmission ability) and
temperature of water.
• It also kills life that inhabits in water-based
ecosystems like fish, birds, plants, etc. and hence
disturbs the natural food-cycle, which causes
instability in ecosystem.
 Sources of Water Pollution
Major sources of water pollution include:
Discharge from sewage treatment plants and sewage pipes
from cities and towns.
Industrial effluents released by factories into water bodies.
Chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural
farms which constitute runoff from farms.
Contaminated storm water from storm water drains in
cities.
Release of heated or radioactive(dangerous, harmful) water
by power plants into water.
Oil spills and leakages from tankers and oil rigs.
Growth of algae in water bodies.
Development
• In the field of economics, development is related
to increase in production of products and services
within an economy.
• The basic indicator used for development is the
gross domestic product, defined as “an aggregate
measure of production equal to the sum of the
gross values added of all resident, institutional
units engaged in production (plus any taxes, and
minus any subsidies, on products not included in
the value of their outputs)” .
Development ,….
• This way it was recognized that there is no
single model of development appropriate and
desirable for all countries.
• At the same time emerged the idea of
“sustainable development”, emphasizing the
questions related to demographic processes,
considerate use of natural resources and
mutual influences between a human and his
living environment.
Development ,….
• There is no consensus on how to define the notion of
development at present.
• The causes of this differentiation can be found in the
historical contexts of the approaches to development.
• Economic growth was regarded as central to the
development endeavors up to the 1970's/80s.
• Gradually, development came to be interpreted as
multidimensional concept which should encompass
material, social, environmental, political and cultural
components (with all of them having a direct impact on
the quality of human life).
Environment & Development
Environment & Development
• The environment„ is where we live; and development
is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot
within that abode.
• The two are inseparable. Environmental crises not
only involve social, political & economic aspects but
also pose a philosophical problem.
• The undeniable relation between development and
economic growth produces significant interactions
between development and the environment, both
physical and man-made.
 Environment & Development
• As Braudel, states: “the actual situation of a
civilization depends, to a significant extent, on the
advantages or disadvantages of its geographical
space (surrounding environment).”
• In a world functioning through free-market
economies and in an era dominated by finance
capital, the fact that economic growth is the main
focus of development policies is inevitable.
• However, the rise of neoliberal ideas and policies
coincided with the invigoration of
environmental/ecological movements.
Environment & Development
• These movements contributed to awakening about increasing
pollution problems, irrational use of natural resources, etc.
• Moreover, the intensifying inequalities between the developed
and the developing world (reflected in major humanitarian
disasters such as those in Africa between 1981 and 1984, when
over a million people starved to death because of continuous
draught) also aroused global concern.
• Hence, the leaders of the world were driven to adopt a new
development paradigm, focused not only on economy, but a
more broader one as well.
The concept of sustainable
development, SD
 The concept of sustainable development, SD
• Goods and services are produced to satisfy human
wants.
• The production of various goods and services
requires resources- both man-made and natural.
• As more goods are produced, more resources are
used up.
• The process of production not only uses up
resources, but also causes other problems.
• For example, when goods are produced in factories,
the factories emit smoke which pollutes the air we
breathe.
 The concept of,….
• Similarly, sewage discharged into rivers pollutes
our drinking water.
• As the demand for goods and services keeps
increasing , so does the demand for resources.
• As a result, resources are getting depleted and also
being damaged irreparably.
• As we cut down forests, pollute the air and rivers,
and mine minerals from the earth, we destroy
nature.
• Such a destruction of nature is adversely affecting
human life.
 Sustainable development, SD
• What is sustainable development?
• The concept of sustainable development arises due to
the change of human perception as to what
development is.
• Development perspectives shifted gradually, leading to
what we perceive today as sustainable development.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, the focus was on the economic
growth and productive capacity of a country.
• However, in the 1970s, the focus shifted to equity
matters, i.e., social development and income
distribution, as awareness grew of the prevailing gap
between rich and poor.
SD,……
• In the same period, environmental protection came into
the picture as one component of development: knowing
the impact of economic growth on the environment.
• Hence, sustainable development is perceived broadly
nowadays.
• Accordingly, the most frequently cited definition of
sustainable development is “development which meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs” (World
Commission of Environment Development: WCED,
1987).
• It calls for attention to be paid to the interest of future
generations while attempting to satisfy our present needs.
 SD,……
• Sustainable development was introduced as a global priority in
the so-called “Earth Summit,” in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992.
• Then, in 2002 and 2012 most of the world‟s countries refreshed
their commitments to achieve sustainability.
• Sustainable development consists of three pillars: economic
development, social development, and environmental protection .
• It is further noted that “the goal, and indeed the ultimate test, of
sustainable development is the convergence among the three
trajectories of economic growth, social development and
environmental protection”.
• This shows that sustainable development can be achieved if and
only if those three elements are satisfied cumulatively. These
dimensions have equal and interrelated importance; the absence of
one will impede others .
The three pillars of SD

Economic
growth

Pillars
of SD
Social Environmental
development protection
SD,……
• It is well articulated that stressing the
environmental and social dimensions of
sustainable development in the absence of
economics neglects the financial capital needed to
pay for progress.
• Building up the economic and social pillars of
sustainability while neglecting the environment
degrades the natural capital needed for growth.
• Focusing on economics and the environment
without attention to social factors can lead to
green growth for a few.
SD,……
• Various actions and measures in a wide variety of
sectors have led to great improvements in the social and
the environmental field.
• Nevertheless, a lot of great challenges still remain.
• Our world is a field of inequalities, while global
environment is under constant threat.
• This is a major reason leading to criticism on
sustainable development from various points of view.
• A usual accusation is that sustainable development has
become “a catch phrase” rather than a factual
motivation for action.
• Let us discuss these three pillars in a little more detail.
1. Environmental Sustainability
• Environment is the foundation of every existence of life and
activities.
• The definitions of SD touch on the importance of
intergenerational equity. This concept of conserving resources
for future generations is one of the major features that
distinguish sustainable development policy from traditional
environmental policy, which also seeks to internalize the
externalities of environmental degradation.
• Strong sustainability considers natural capital(such as
availability of fertile land, water for irrigation, forests, mining,
etc.) as a provider of some functions that are not substitutable
from the human-induced capital.
Environmental Sustainability
• These functions are highlighted by defining
sustainability as a mortgage to the future generations of
a stock of natural capital not less than that enjoyed by
the present generation. Sustainability is expressed in
terms of non-declining natural capital.
• The overall goal of sustainable development (SD) is the
long-term stability of the economy and environment;
this is only achievable through the integration and
acknowledgement of economic, environmental, and
social concerns throughout the decision making process.
• Without sound and pragmatic environmental policies the
goals of sustainable development can not be achieved.
2. Economic growth
• Markets run for profits and seldom take into account the
social and environmental interests; and so affect
sustainability. But growth without sustainability has no
more values. Growth may also promote inequality in
income and wealth among different sections of the society.
• The neoclassical economic theory of environment and
natural resources is based on:
1) the notions of individual preferences and subjective
assessment of the value of consumer goods and factors of
production (ie, marginal utility, subjective cost)
2) the technology, and finally
3) the market mechanism, which allocates the limited
resources to alternative uses in order for the individual choices
to be satisfied.
Economic growth
• The concepts of external economies, as well as
those of public and free goods, are central to
the interpretation of the market mechanism
failure to protect the environment and natural
resources.
• Therefore, state regulation measures are
proposed, in order to address market failures
so as to ensure effective and sustainable use of
natural resources and the environment to be
achieved.
 3. Social development
• Social development is a key pillar of sustainable
development.
• Fostering social development in terms of education,
health care, empowerment of women, reduction of
social inequality and discrimination on the basis of
caste, ethnicity, religion, and gender will promote
economic justice and contribution of the socially
marginalized sections towards growth and development.
• Social development is influenced by a number of factors
such as literacy ratio and demographic indicators
including fertility, mortality, age at marriage, sex ratio,
and dependency ratio. Social inequality in participation
in economy, politics and cultural development largely
affects social development.
Social development
• Even though Africa has been witnessing some
achievements in social development, its
progress on gender and women's
empowerment indicators is slow; it still has to
face considerable challenges within post-2015
development frameworks (ECA, 2015).
• As part of the continent, the same also holds
true for Ethiopia, where the gender-based
problem is still very much prevalent and
impedes social development.
Social development
• In this respect, emphasis must be taken to the role
of empowering and educating women in reducing
population growth, maintaining healthy
family/society and avoiding the badly socialized,
stereotyped perception of society towards women.
• As one instrument of women's empowerment
(OECD, 2012), educational access should be
equally given to women.
• The education of girls and women plays a
tremendous role in social development for
achieving sustainable development goals.
The Global Sustainable development goals(GSDGs)
• The Global SDG has got 17 major goals with a number of indicators
under each goal. They are the following.
Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern
energy for all
GSDGs,…
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and
decent work for all
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive
and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production
patterns
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and
its impacts
GSDGs,…
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas
and marine resources for sustainable development
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial(earthly) ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to justice for all
and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
at all levels
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and
revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable
Development.
 SDGs in Ethiopia
• Ethiopia has also adopted the global SDGs, prioritizing selected
major six goals, and begun implementing in 2016 which will be
expected to be achieved in 2030. These six goals are the
following:
1. Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition
and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all
ages.
4. Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5. Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive &
sustainable industrialization & foster innovation
6. Goal 14. Conserve & sustainably use the oceans, seas & marine
resources for sustainable development.
 SDGs in Ethiopia
Besides, the country has also set the goal of
becoming one of the low middle income
economies in Africa by 2025.
• By the current situations of socio-economic
and political realities, do you think that
Ethiopia can/would achieve both goals by the
aforementioned years? Discuss.
End of Chapter Three
Thanks for attention!