“Natural Resources are not what we’ve rightfully inherited from our ancestors, but what we’ve borrowed from our future generations…” Now isn’t this reason enough for us to work for a development, that encompasses economic prosperity, environmental protection and social well-being, and that can be perpetuated to our future generations? Due to the need for such a development the term “sustainable development” has emerged; technically defined by the Brudtland Commission as “the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
The main need of this special genre of development arises when natural resources are getting used up faster than our mother nature can replenish it. And this hyper-speed of humans is due to the population over-explosion, the super-fast industrialization and urbanization in the world and the big bug of consumerism. Thus, implementing Sustainable Development is the need of the hour. That’ll include steps right from switching off tube lights even without the announced “Earth Hour”, setting up renewable energy tapers.
A fantastic example of the implementation of sustainable development is the Lake Baikal region of Russia, which contributes 1/5th of the world’s freshwater and extends its habitat to 1800 species found no where else on the globe. To conserve this, George D. Davis, designed the concept of “Zoning” to implement sustainability in this region of 52 acres. He zoned this area into a total of 23 including landscapes, reserves, green belts, poultry yards, industrial parks etc. This ensured economic prosperity, employment opportunities, social well being, and a better standard of living. But most importantly this method conserved a piece of environmental legacy, which can be gifted (read returned) to our future generations.
Like every other idea, even the idea of sustainable development has been subjected to vast critique. The people who voice the need of this type of development are labeled as “plain old talkers” as they don’t take enough pains to ensure its implementation. The vagueness of the term disturbs many philosophers and educationalists like John Baden and Luc Ferry. Moreover, Sylvie Burnel, the Third World expert, feels that the developed countries impose sustainable development on the developing ones. They continue to provide prime importance to their economic prosperity (thus degrade the environment) and force the developing countries to prioritize environmental conservation (and, thus, to lag behind economically). Is this fair!?
In a nutshell, sustainable development is in our hands. We can choose to implement it on our levels or to contribute to the critique above, by just crying over its need and forcing it on each other. Hence, this is a war between our own thoughts and actions. So guys, walk your talk, use the wisdom-weapon, and fight hard…ALL for our Mother (Earth) and our Children (future generations)…here comes sustainable development!! :)
(Compiled by Rajashree Gandhi;inputs by Aliya Farooqui)
Kaanda-Lehsun 
very good! must congratulate rajashree and aliya!
Thanks a tonne!
This is a really good article, I especially like the first Statement. It actually makes you think, every critically, like ‘ Who are you to use up this resource?’