SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

“The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their

revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future”

                                        

                                                                                                        -Marya Manes

Introduction

    Sustainable development represents an opportunity to construct a new approach, and the success of these efforts has powerful implications for issues of peace and security

    In 1992, the Rio Declaration,presented at UNCED said that "peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible. In the Brundtland Report, sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

Elements of sustainable development

    Sustainable livelihood, sustainable economic growth, living in harmony with nature, and appropriate technology are the core elements of sustainable development. Social sustainability can harbor gender equality, development of people, communities, and cultures to help achieve a reasonable and fairly distributed quality of life, education, health care across the globe. 

Environment and Economic Sustainability

    Environment and Economy are independent and need each other. Hence development that ignores its impact on the environment will destroy the environment that sustains life forms. It can be achieved by environment conservation, investment in renewable energy, saving water, and innovation in sustainable construction and architecture. Economic Sustainability focuses on equal economic growth that generates a wealth of all, without harming the environment. It helps in eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions.

Integration of Scientific and Traditional knowledge

    If the people can contribute their local resources and practices into the process of change, the development becomes not only sustainable but also get accelerated. Traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge are combinedly called Community knowledge. To achieve Sustainability in many areas, it requires community knowledge also. Indigenous knowledge is also a potential source for the conservation of biodiversity.It has been recognized in India through initiatives such as National Ayush Mission (NAM) and the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).

Global Issues related to Sustainable Development

    As a global problem, climate change requires a global solution which leads to a rise in the sea level, despite mounting efforts over the past 20 years, the loss of the world’s biodiversity continues. Deforestation, desertification, drought, flood, soil erosion which was threatening our nature. Recently, Australia's bushfire crisis, the loss here is almost hard to fathom. A staggering 1.25 billion animals are now estimated dead. Therefore tackling climate change and fostering sustainable

development are two mutually reinforcing issues.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

    United Nations (UN) has launched the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and SDG.This universal, integrated, and transformative agenda aims to spur actions that will end poverty and build a more sustainable world over the next 15 years. There are 17 goals and 164 specific targets to be achieved by 2030. Reaching the goals requires action on all fronts from government, businesses, civil society and people everywhere all have a role to play. But SDG's are not legally binding.

Roadblocks to Global Initiatives

    Resolving the ‘sovereignty' by the member of states with growing environmental interdependence and the need for concerted action. The major hurdle World facing is the North-South divide as the North world has just over 20% of the world's energy. On the other hand, the South comprising a developing nation still struggling to provide the basic need for its population. Being nobody's property like the ocean, space, and Antarctica may act as a disincentive for protection.

Regional Initiatives

    Regional mechanisms are effective means for addressing transboundary issues such as atmospheric pollution and pollution of shared rivers and water bodies, which nations are unable to solve on their own. Regional mechanisms have higher chances of success. As the European Union (EU) enforced certain environmental principles regionally. SAARC adopted Environment Action Plan (1997) Convention on Cooperation on Environment has been ratified by all member states and entered into force in 2013.

Community Initiatives

    A significant initiative comes directly from the community level for sustainable development IUCN, 1948 has provided a secretariat for several important international conventions. Biodiversity Act, 2002 is almost completely built on inputs from a network of NGOs working across the country. Similarly, the Chipko movement and Save the Silent Valley movements were results of community efforts.

Progress and Challenges Ahead

Progress

    As per the Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2019, Extreme poverty has declined considerably. By Immunization the under -5 mortality rate fell by 49% between 2000 and 2017. The vast majority of the world's population now has access to electricity. 186 parties have ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change. Marine protected areas are doubled since 2010. Many countries are making concerted efforts to address illegal fishing. More than 70 countries in the European Union now have more than 300 policies and instruments supporting sustainable consumption and production.

Challenges

    As per the Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2019, Extreme poverty declined from 36% in 1990 to 8.6% in 2018 but the pace of poverty reduction is starting to decelerate as the world struggles to respond to entrenched deprivation. Extreme poverty is three times higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Tremendous improvements in gender parity in education but problems like low representation in

legislatures, violence against women continues. The natural environment is deteriorating at an alarming rate like ocean acidification, global warming, extinction of several species, and local degradation.

Conclusion

    The process of sustainable development must be feasible and operational, it is important to establish a common focus that can integrate the outlook and efforts of various participants in development, worldwide realizing the diversity, in terms of geography, society, economics, level of science and education standards. Developed countries need to limit the usage of fossil fuel and plastics and to encourage public and private investment that aligns with the SDGs. All stakeholders must work together to conserve, restore, and sustainably use natural resources. The much deeper, faster, and more ambitious response is needed to unleash the social and societal norms and policies that are supporting the current, unsustainable status quo. A far more optimistic future is still attainable only by drastically changing development policies, incentives, and actions.

References

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2. Holden, E., Linnerud, K. and Banister, D., 2017. The imperatives of sustainable

development. Sustainable Development, 25(3), pp.213-226.

3. ICSU, I., 2016. Review of the Sustainable Development Goals: the science perspective.

Paris: International Council for Science (ICSU); 2015.

4. Keeble, B.R., 1988. The Brundtland report:‘Our common future’. Medicine and War,

4(1), pp.17-25.

5. NCERT Class 11, Economics book.

By,

Affra Thusneem S

Tamilnadu