CE 403
Socio-economic Aspects of Development
Projects
{Sustainable Development
Lecture-3
16/23 Aug 2020
Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, PEng
Sustainable Development
Outline
❑ Why Sustainable Development ?
❑ Principle of Sustainable Development
❑ Key Concepts of Sustainable Development
❑ Sustainable Development is About Equity
❑ Objectives of Sustainable Development
❑ Strategic Imperatives for Sustainable
Development
❑ Necessary Conditions for Sustainable
Development
Why Sustainable Development ?
❑The specific concern is that those who enjoy the fruits of
economic development today, may be making future
generations worse off by :
❑ Excessively degrading the earth’s resources, and
❑ Polluting the earth’s environment
A new approach to development that integrates the production process with :
(i) resource conservation, and (ii) environmental enhancement
is therefore, essential for sustenance
Sustainable development is development that lasts
Sustainable Development : Definition & Example
"Sustainable development is Using recycled materials or
development that meets the needs of renewable resources when building
the present without compromising the is an example of sustainable
ability of future generations to meet development. ... Building a new
their own needs." ... Sustainable community in a previously
development is in the news every day undeveloped area without destroying
as the world copes with climate change, the ecosystem or harming the
biodiversity loss, conflict and resource environment is an example of
scarcity. sustainable development.
Definition Example
Operational Definition : Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development : Background 1987
Gro Harlem Brundtland
The Brundtland
Gro Harlem
Commission was created
Brundtland is a
by the United Nations in
Norwegian politician,
1983 to reflect about
who served three terms
ways to save the human
as Prime Minister of
environment and natural
Norway (1981, 1986–89,
resources and prevent
and 1990–96) and as
deterioration of
Director-General of the
economic and social
WHO (1998 to 2003).
development. Born : 20 April 1939 (age 81)
Principle of Sustainable Development
The general principle of "Sustainable
sustainable development development is
adopted by the World development that meets
Commission on
the needs of the present
Environment and
Development (WCED)
without compromising
(Our Common Future, the ability of future
1987, often referred to as generations to meet
Brundtland Report) : their own needs.”
This has become a widely accepted goal of development in recent time
(A) Key Concepts of Sustainable Development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development therefore, means meeting the
includes two key concepts:
basic needs of all and
(i) The concept of “needs”,
extending to all the opportunity
in particular the essential to satisfy their aspirations for
needs of the poor; and a better life.
(ii) The idea of
“limitations” that are But it also implies acceptance of
imposed by technology and consumption standard that are within
society the bounds of ecological possibility
and to which all can aspire
(A) Key Concepts of Sustainable Development
❑ Polices to meet human needs
must, therefore
❑ Increase productive capacity
(to meet the basic need of all)
and
❑ simultaneously widen Assure that demographic
opportunities for “equitable” growth remains in
(“fair and impartial”) harmony with the earths’
advancement (for satisfying
aspiration for better life); and natural support systems
(A) Key Concepts of Sustainable Development
❑ Sustainable development is best understood as a
process of change in which
i. the use of resources,
ii. the direction of investments,
iii. the orientation of technological development, &
iv. institutional changes
all enhance the potential to meet human needs both
today and tomorrow.
(B) Sustainable Development is About Equity
(i.e., biased and unfair development is not sustainable)
❑ “Sustainable development” is about For instance, the emissions
equity -“intergenerational” and of greenhouse gases,
“intra-generational”
generated mainly by highly
❑ Intergenerational equity however, would industrialized countries, lead
not be achieved with present-day social to global warming and
inequity that results when the economic flooding of low-lying
activities of some groups of people countries eventually leading
continue to jeopardize the well being of
people belonging to other groups or living to displacement and
in other parts of the world impoverishment of millions
(Example : Climate change) of low income population.
(C) Objectives of Sustainable Development
(C) Objectives of Sustainable Development
Social Objectives of Sustainable Development
(C) Objectives of Sustainable Development
V. Decisions taken at the national or
I. The objectives are even local level may actually have
interrelated. international consequences
–economic, social and
II. These objectives, if ignored, will environmental.
threaten to slow down or reverse VI. Also national policies are often
development. inadequate to effectively deal
III. Balancing so many diverse with many challenges of
objectives of development is sustainability.
however, an enormous challenge VII. International cooperation
therefore, on a wide range of
for any country. so-called trans-boundary and global
IV. Furthermore, many aspects of problems of sustainable
sustainable development are development becomes
global. indispensible.
(D) Strategic Imperatives for Sustainable Development
i. Enhancing growth iv. Meeting the essential
ii. Making economic needs of the expanding
population.
growth less energy v. Ensuring a sustainable and
intensive and more stabilized population level.
equitable vi. Reorienting technology
and managing risk
iii. Conserving and vii. Merging environmental and
enhancing the resource economic concerns in
base decision making
(E) Necessary Conditions for Sustainable Development
Establishing and
Eradicating extreme
preserving peace in all
poverty –in each
regions and all countries
country as well as
globally (Example: Crisis in the
middle-east)
Finally
The Rio Declaration, “Human beings are at the
adopted by the UN center of concern for
Conference on Environment sustainable development.
and Development
(popularly known as the They are entitled to a
Earth Summit held in Rio healthy and productive
de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992) life in harmony with
states: nature”
End of Sustainable Development
