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Sustainable development
1)The concept of Sustainable Development was formally defined in the report titled “Our Common Future”. This report was an outcome of the deliberation of a group constituted by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) and chaired by the then Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.
2)Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as the development that involves “meeting the need of present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
3)The word “sustainability” is derived from the Latin “sustinere” (tenere = to hold; sus= up). Therefore, Sustainability refers to a process which can be continued indefinitely without depleting the resource base on which it depends.
4)It is the practical goal towards which our interaction with the natural world should be directed. The guiding principles of sustainability cut across ecological, economic, social and cultural dimensions.
5)The concept of sustainable development is now well accepted at international, national and local levels. This has been emerging as a strong alternative model of development after a long debate and discussion since Rio Summit in 1992.
There is a broad consensus on the following transition to make future societies:
a)A demographic transition: from a continually growing population to one that is stable.
b)A resource transition to an economy that is not solely obsessed with growth, rather relies more on nature’s income and protects ecosystem capital from depletion.
c)A technological transition from pollution-intensive economic production to environment friendly processes.
d)A political/sociological transition
e)A community transition
Priority Areas for Achieving Sustainable Development
1. Down Population Growth:
This is essential for addressing all the other priority areas.
2. Reduce Poverty, Inequality and Third World Debt: Improving health, longevity and literacy, increasing employment etc. This is important for curbing the loss of species, the extent of land degradation and water pollution.
3. Make Agriculture Sustainable: This includes reducing soil erosion and decreasing the use of harmful agricultural practices. This is important for curbing the loss of biodiversity, land degradation and pollution.
4. Protect Forests and other Habitats: This includes reforestation and afforestation of wastelands, protection of other living resources, control greenhouse gases and ozone layer depletion. This is important for reducing air pollution, land degradation, depletion of energy and minerals
5. Make Water and Energy Use Sustainable: This includes improved energy efficiency, conserving energy and developing renewable energy resources. This is important for reducing air pollution, land degradation, depletion of energy and minerals.
6. Make Water Use Sustainable: This includes improving the efficiency of water use and protecting water quality. This is important for curbing water pollution and depletion and land degradation.
7. Reduce Waste Generation: This includes improving production processes, waste treatment and recycling processes. This is important for reducing air and water pollution and energy, mineral and water depletion.
Environmental Education for development
Environment studies enlighten us, about the importance of protection and conservation of the environment. At present, due to our aggressive consumerist lifestyle and carbon-intensive industrial development, we have created a large number of environmental issues in terms of magnitude, intensity and complexity at the local, regional and global levels. We shall study these issues and suggestive measures for mitigation in the Environment Studies. Let us discuss major environmental issues in the following paragraphs:
- Environmental issues are of international importance: It has now been well recognised that environment issues like global warming, climate change, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, marine pollution and loss of biodiversity are not merely national issues but are global issues and hence must be tackled with international efforts and cooperation.
2. Emergence of problems in the wake of modernisation and development: Development in the modern period has given birth to industrialisation, urbanization, modern transportation systems, Agriculture, Housing etc. When the West developed, it did so perhaps in ignorance of the environmental impact of its activities. Such a path is neither practicable nor desirable. The developing world now faces the challenge of developing without environmental degradation.
3. Explosive increase in population: World census reflects that one in every seven persons on this planet lives in India. Evidently, with 16 per cent of the world’s population and only 2.4 per cent of its land area, there is heavy pressure on natural resources including land. This emphasizes the need for efficient management of natural resources for the benefit of all.
4. Need for an alternative solution: It is essential, especially for developing countries to find alternative paths to the developmental goal. Such a goal would need to be distinct from the developed world in a manner that would conserve natural resources and avoid wasteful consumption.
5. Need for wise planning of development: Resources withdrawal, processing and use of the products have all to be synchronised with the ecological cycles in any plan of development.
Thus, our actions should be planned for the sustenance of the environment and development.
Conservation of Soil
Soil conservation is proven to increase the quality and quantity of crop yields over the long term because it keeps topsoil in its place and preserves the long term productivity of the soil. To grow enough food not only for ourselves but also for people in countries where there are food shortages.
Conservation of Water
1)Water conservation is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water usage.
2)According to Fresh Water Watch, water conservation is important because fresh clean water is a limited resource, as well as a costly one.
3)When we conserve water, we ensure that there will be enough for people to use in your community. Prudent and economic use of water makes a huge difference especially in times of drought, conservation helps make it so a given area has enough water to go around.
Conservation of Forest
1)Urbanization, expansion of agriculture and extraction of timber pose serious threats to forest worldwide.
2)Certain forest conservation and management processes have to be employed in the forests to maintain them. To get the desired quality of timber or pulp for the paper industry, monoculture forests of fast-growing trees such as poplars, certain conifers and eucalyptus have been cultivated by a human.
3)Existing forests are strongly manipulated to increase their yield of desired benefits, which includes weeding (the elimination of species which might compete with the seedlings of the desired species), thinning (eradication of individuals of the same species) and brushing (removal of leafless lower branches especially in conifers).
4)Forest Management also includes the controlling of a forest fire. Silviculture is a branch of forestry which is concerned with the establishment, development, care and reproduction of monocultures of valuable timber trees such as teak, sal, Sheesham and Kel.
Conservation of Wildlife
1)As part of the world’s ecosystems, wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes.
2)The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure the survival of these species, and to educate people on living sustainably with other species.
3)It is essential to prevent floods, fires, new deserts, and drought. The main objective of wildlife conversation is to make sure that their habitats will be preserved so that the future generations of both wildlife and human can enjoy it.
4)The conservation of wildlife is necessary for prevention of drought, new deserts, fires as well as flood.
5) Wildlife conservation ensures that the upcoming generations of human and wildlife will be surrounded by nature thereby understanding the significance of wildlife.
Movement to save Environment
1)An environmental movement can be defined as a social or political movement, for the conservation of the environment. The terms ‘green movement’ or ‘conservation movement’ are alternatively used to denote the same.
2)The environmental movements favour the sustainable management of natural resources. The movements often stress the protection of the environment via changes in public policy.
There are seven major movements that took place in India for the safety of Environment
- Bishnoi Movement
- Chipko Movement
- Save Silent Valley Movement
- Jungle Bachao Andolan
- Appiko Movement
- Narmada Bachao Andolan
- Tehri Dam Conflict
Eco-friendly technologies
1)Eco-friendly technology is also known as clean tech, green tech and environmental tech.
2)Eco- friendly technology can help preserve the environment through energy efficiency and reduction of harmful waste.
2)Solar energy is good for the environment because it reduces air pollution and uses less water.
3)Generating power from solar panels does not cause harmful emissions, so businesses and homes can rely on it.
4) Some examples of new eco friendly technologies are electric cars, LED light bulbs, and renewable energy, which is a kind of energy that’s produced from renewable energy sources such as the wind and sun instead of non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels.
Eco-friendly technology often involves some of the following:
1)Recycled, recyclable and/or biodegradable content
2)Plant-based materials
3)Reduction of polluting substances
4)Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
5)Renewable energy
6)Energy-efficiency
7)Multi-functionality
8)Low-impact manufacturing
