Within the global context of unpredictabililty
and changing scenerios, with their constant flow of infromation and the
reliance on intelligence, small and poor rural or urban communities must
develop strategies and programs to support their own development.
Traditionally, development has taken place through
the replacement of natural resources by man-made assets. The process of
replacement involves, in many cases, the replacemnt of resources that were
accessible to local community use, with man-made assets that are private
and not accessible to the people.
Given that natural assets appreciate over time
and man-made assets depreciate, the traditional process of development
has not increased but instead decreased the asset value of communities,
resulting in accelerated erosion of their base asset base and that of future
generations. Similarly, the increase in land value, long regarded as the
yardstick for development often resulted in the escalation of land prices
beyond the capacity of the community. Such conditions ultimately lead to
the marginalization of the community.
The challenge that communities face therefore,
is not simply to earn a living at a continuing level of mere subsistence,
but to attain meaningful transformation towards higher standards of living
and a better quality of life. This approach guarantees a healthy environment
for future generations.
Session 1:1 introduces
the concept of community development and examines the nature of process
to improve persons at the grassroots in a global scenario of change and
Session 1:2 the Nature
of sustainable development, we focus on how sustainable development approaches
alter the mindset and create new opportunities. We see how it alters behavior
in most facets of life and in so doing make the transition to a sustainable
way of life.
Session 1:3 introduces
methods to monitor, evaluate, and measure the effects of community development
processes. Enviornmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an increasingly important
tool in determining, planning and ultimately managing the development programs
and environmental systems. The aim of this section is to explain the procedures,
methods and techniques which can be used to predict the environmental consequences
of any development to be undretaken, be they natural, social, or economic.
On completing this Unit, you will be able to:
1. Place the value of different categories of resources (capital) in perspective
within the context of today's world.
2. Understand notions of development and the processes that go with them.
3. Identify skills that are required to foster the development process
4. Identify components of the process and their role.
5. Formulate a concept for a system of development and suggest ways of
Planning for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean
Edited by Asad Mohammed and Dennis Pantin
Port of Spain - Trinidad - 1994
"Perspectives on Sustainable Development" - Angela Cropper
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