Recent years, an important question
has come on the surface. Whether the level of development in many developing
countries, is fairly low? Whether they are facing the problem of
increasing population? On the other hand, in developed countries, main worry is
about sustainability of development in terms of wasteful consumption? So, the
important question that arises is what is sustainable development?
The term 'sustainable development'
was first used by the 'World Conservation Strategy' in 1980. According to Brundtland Report, sustainable development means meeting
the needs of the present generation without compromising with the needs of the
future generations.
Thus, sustainable development refers
to development which should keep going. It is the creation of
sustainable improvements in the quality of life of all people through increase
in real income per capita, improvement in education, health and general quality
of life and improvements in quality of natural environmental resources. In
other words, it is a situation in which economic development does not decrease
over time.
'Sustainable development' refers
also to a path of development in which options of future generations are not
compromised by the path taken by the present generation.
In this context, two facts are more
crucial to be discussed as below:
(a) Present production technology
makes use of non-renewable (exhaustible) natural resources which includes coal,
gas and petroleum or renewable natural resources like forests, animals and
water, the regeneration of which becomes difficult.
(b) Present production technology
pollutes atmosphere and water bodies with garbage, litter, smoke and poisonous
gases. Nature has some assimilative capacity.
If pollution level is too high, the
nature may not be able to assimilate it. On the other hand, if non-renewable
natural resources deplete fast, future generations may not have enough stock
for its use.
Thus, if we continue growing our
economies the way, we do, it may become impossible to continue with the level
of development reached. Therefore, sustainable development requires the
preservation of stock of resources and exhaustible natural resources.
Objectives:
The main objectives of sustainable
development are stated below:
(i) It
aims at the creation of sustainable improvements in the quality of life for all
people.
(ii) Increasing economic growth
through meeting basic needs i.e. rising the standard of living.
(iii) Providing chance to
participate in public life and helping to clean environment.
(iv) Promoting intergenerational equity.
(v) Aiming at maximizing the net
benefits of economic development, and
(vi) Aiming at accelerating economic
development in order to conserve and enhance the stock of environmental, human
and physical capital without making future generations worse off.
COMPREHENSION
1. Decide if these statements are true or false; then,
justify your answer.
a. Sustainable development means meeting the
needs of the future generations without compromising with the needs of the
present generation.
Truer Falser
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b. Sustainable development refers to development
which stops at a given time.
Truer Falser
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c. Non-renewable (exhaustible) natural resources
such as coal, gas and petroleum can be reproduced and found again.
Truer Falser
………………………………………………...………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………….........................………...
d. Sustainable development doesn’t requires the preservation of stock of resources and
exhaustible natural resources.
Truer Falser
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2. Answer the following questions briefly, in your own
words as far as possible.
a. When was the term 'sustainable development'
first used?
………………………………………………...………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………….........................………...
b. How can sustainable development be created?
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c. What are some kinds of non-renewable
(exhaustible) natural resources?
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d. Give two examples of the objectives of
sustainable development.
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3.
Put the words between brackets before the appropriate definition/ meaning.
(Consumption, per capita, decrease,
path, crucial, exhaustible, renewable, poisonous, deplete)
A……………………………….: to become less, or to make something become less.
B……………………………….: extremely important or necessary.
C……………………………….: a set of actions,
especially ones which lead to a goal or result.
D……………………………….: If you state an
amount per capita, you mean that amount for each person.
E……………………………….: describes supplies of
something which can be used completely so there are none left.
F……………………………….: describes a form of
energy that can be produced as quickly as it is used.
G……………………………….: the amount used or eaten.
H……………………………..….: very harmful and able to cause illness or
death.
I……………………………...….: to reduce something in size or
amount, especially supplies of energy, money, etc.
4.
What do the underlined words in the text refer to?
- They
(Paragraph 1) :
…………………….……….…………
- It
(Paragraph 3) :
…………………….….………………