2. 2. Concepts of sustainable development
2.2.1. Sustainability
Sustainability thus means constraining human economic activity
so as to protect those life-support systems or seeks to conserve the
environment for the benefit of the future generations. In the absence of
sustainability, environmental policies seek to provide environmental good for
the current generation. JOHN (1997:192 and 202)
It means also the concern with intergenerational equity but
implementation of intergenerational equity requires the distribution of any
sacrifices required for sustainability. JOHN (1997:206)
At the world summit 2005 on environment and development, it
was noted that this requires the reconciliation of environmental, social and
economic necessities or demands. The «three" pillars of sustainability.
This view has been expressed as an illustration using three overlapping
ellipses indicating that three pillars of sustainability are not mutually
exclusive and can be mutually reinforcing.
The UN definition is not universally accepted and has
undergone various interpretations. What sustainability is, what its goals
should be and how these goals are to be achieved is all open to interpretation.
A universally accepted definition of sustainability is elusive because it is
expected to achieve many things. On the one hand, it needs to be factual and
scientific, a dear statement of a specific «destination". The simple
definition "sustainability is improving the quality of human life while living
within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems" through vague, conveys
the idea of sustainability having quantifiable limits. But sustainability is
also a call to action, a task in progress or "journey" and therefore a
political process. So, some definitions set out common goals and values.
The earth charter initiative on environment speaks that
"sustainability as a sustainable global society founded on respect from nature,
universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace".
According to JOHN (1997:52 and 53), there are three dimensions of
sustainability:
1. Economic sustainability spans three key elements of the
productive base of an economy manufactured capital, human capital and the stock
of knowledge along with the economy?s external indebtedness and the level of
economic inequality. Thus, economic sustainability refers to a pattern of
economic development that leads to lasting improvement in education status,
health status, economic quality, the stock of foreign assets and the stock of
manufactured capital and knowledge.
2. Environmental sustainability relates to the stock of
natural capital and changes in that stock. Specifically, it implies a temporal
pattern of natural resource use that base, including its land, renewable and
non-renewable natural resources and climatic conditions. Environmental
sustainability therefore involves reducing environmental stress and maintaining
or improving environmental quality, enhancing the wellbeing of current and
future generations.
3. Institutional sustainability encompasses the political
system, the civil and political rights associated with it, the extent and
efficiency of the market system, the system of property rights, the quality of
governmental policy, agencies and mechanisms of conflict management. These
dimensions of sustainability involves developing an institutional structure
that increases the wellbeing of current and future generations through enduring
improvements in the civil and political freedoms enjoyed by all members of
society and the emergence of well-functioning markets.
Breaking down sustainable development in this way makes it
possible to explore how economic, environmental and institutional systems
interact in the process of development. More important for measuring
sustainability, it also allows the construction of measures for each dimension
of sustainability and thus permits a more detailed examination of
sustainability across countries. JOHN (1997:53)
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