Sustainable Development

Sustainable development means to take economic benefit what can help to raise living standard present generation without affecting need of future generation. It means to conserve resources without affecting its quantity and quality. The main aim of sustainable development is to balance among population, various resources, various aspects of environment and development.

Concept of Brunt-Land Commission

UN General Assembly formed a Commission on Environment and Development under the chairmanship of Norwegian Prime Minister Grow Harlem Brundtland to suggest the world on Environment and Development in 198According to this commission, “Sustainable development is a process in which exploitation of resources is done to meet the need of present generation without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their needs”.

Principles of Sustainable Development

Some principles of sustainable development are as follows: -

1. The ultimate aim of sustainable development is to conserve the earth. It is to make the ecological system durable. Preservation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem is necessary for the purpose.
2. Sustainability of society depends on the availability of healthy residence, balanced diet, adequate health service, employment and quality education. If these elements are developed and become available to the people in society, it becomes a sustainable society. It assists in developing their positive attitude towards nature and living beings. The society is drived towards conserving the environment.
3. It is necessary to conserve all the living beings in the world. People should learn to conserve the natural resources in order to protect the living beings. Sustainable development focuses on it. National and international programs for the conservation of biodiversity should be conducted. There must be the co-ordination among the programmes.
4. People maintain their life by utilizing the limited means and resources found on the earth. But due to population growth, human needs like food, clothing, housing etc. increases. The means and resources available in the world cannot be increased to meet the requirements. Population control and management are essential for sustainable development. It will support the environmental balance.
5. People can play the vital role in the utilization and conservation of environment. The knowledge and skill on caring of the earth should be developed. Human resource is to be developed by providing education, health care and training. Human resource contributes to adopt the principles of sustainable development.
6. Sustainable development cannot be maintained personally. Joint effort of everyone is indispensable. In order to translate the concept of sustainable development into action, public participation should be increased. Therefore, positive attitudes of public should be developed in every programme of sustainable development.
7. Sustainable development has emphasized the conservation of social traditions, customs, religious places and cultural aspects of people. Diverse cultural heritage is invaluable contribution of the society, but superstition should be avoided. To conserve the cultural heritage is our duty. Its conservation supports sustainable development.
8. Development work must be within the carrying capacity of the earth. People cannot get those entire things that they require from the earth immediately. The earth has limited resources. The limited means and resources on the earth cannot be enough for the unlimited means of people. Over-exploitation of the resources has negative effects on the environment.
    

Importance of Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is necessary for the maintenance of the environment. The purpose of development work is people’s welfare. The target of development work is never achieved effectively if the adverse effects are ignored.

The importances of sustainable development are as follows: -

1. Sustainable development teaches people to make low use of means and resources. The use of mineral oil, drinking water, insecticide, chemical fertilizer, forest product should be minimized. This will lead to minimum use of means and resources for maximum benefit without wastage. It helps to conserve and promote the environment.
2. Sustainable development brings about changes in people’s knowledge, attitude and skill. It aware the people of the responsibility to use and preserve, natural resources like mine, forest, land, herb, etc. It creates the feeling that natural resources are the common property of all and nobody can use the property according to his personal will. It helps to conserve natural and social environment.
3. Sustainable development emphasizes on the progress of health, education, agriculture, tourism and social reform for the development of human beings. While making progress in these aspects, environment conservation and promotion should be conducted ahead in an integrated way.
4. People’s participation is to be given priority in development work in order to achieve the aim of sustainable development. It creates the interest of local people in development work and environment conservation with the feeling of ownership. In this way, it increases the public involvement at all levels of environment protection and promotion.
5. Limited but effective uses of means and resources are enough for the people to satisfy their basic needs. However, more development works are carried on due to greed. Limited and non-renewable means and resources go on decreasing in globally due to over-use. Development works should be conducted as per carrying capacity. Sustainable development aware the people for the involvement in the policy making for the concept of limit of development.
6. Sustainable development aims at achieving the goal of economic and social development without destroying the earth’s means and resources. It attempts to create the concept of maintaining the present work for the future and conserving the natural resources for future generation.

It is essential to apply the principles of sustainable development to different developmental activities. Development has various sectors such as agriculture, industry, energy, forest, fish-farming, transport, tourism and construction of infrastructures, etc. Principles of sustainable development should be applied while conducting these works.