Notion of sustainable development: A confluence of social, environmental and economical progress
In the wake of environmental degradation, global warming and climate change, there is much talk about green technologies and sustainable development. Presently, no precise and universally acceptable definition of sustainable development is available. Therefore, we need to regard sustainable development as an eclectic and notional concept.
When seen as a notion and a view point, sustainable development allows people to come up with diverse and alternative models of sustainable development to experiment with. A wide array of views is in circulation under the umbrella of sustainable development. The paths are many but the aim is one.
The notion of sustainable development is at the confluence of social, environment and economical progress with the values of equity and integration. The more the overlapping of these three areas of development, the more sustainable is the development.
Furthermore, sustainable development is also being perceived as a pattern of ‘resource use’ that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that the intellectual, material, social and spiritual needs are not only met in the present, but also in the indefinite coming times.
A cursory review of literature indicates that the notion of sustainable of development is related to the following main ideas.
Harmonizing the ‘carrying capacity of the natural systems’ of the environment with the social challenges of humanities like education, health, governance, market and economy.
Maintaining equilibrium with the basic ecological support system of the environment.
Creating a development model harmonizing environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and socio-political sustainability.
Giving back to the society and nature as much you take from it.
According to World
Submit -2005, the practical aspect of sustainable development lies in creating a development structure of four interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of development, namely, economic development, social development, environmental protection and culture.
Many think that consideration of the preservation of cultural diversity, including religious diversity, is as necessary for humankind, as much the bio-diversity is for nature in the case of sustainable development.
Thus, sustainable development is not to be understood in terms of economic growth alone, but integrating it with the environmental protection and green component of development along with coupling it with the intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual development of human beings.
In the light of foregoing, we need to base the development on a value system that respects contextual diversity and cultural diversity of human beings with a broad public participation is decision making in the policies and processes of development.
Sustainable development demands the environment not only to been in terms of its natural component but as a combination of nature and culture. Sustainable development recognizes the diversity of culture and their natural contexts.