Definition
Sustainable Development
Refers to the ability of the current generation to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
- In economics the issue of sustainable development has risen because of the conflicts between economic growth and sustainability.
- While maintaining economic growth has been mostly achievable, doing it sustainably has been a challenge.
Note however that while it is important to consider sustainability issues while focusing on economic growth, it is no less crucial to not overly focus on sustainability and which may disturb the human kind to achieve their needs and wants.
Relationship Between Sustainability and Poverty(HL Only)
- Poverty has been one of the causes of environmental destruction, because:
- Poor people without having essentials skills or equipment such as:
- Knowledge of how to maximize resource efficiency
- Modern technology for e.g agriculture
- Lack the ability to be sustainable, and hence overexploit their natural resources to satisfy their needs and wants.
- In the process of doing so:
- They cause a degradation to the natural environment, by causing e.g soil erosion, which decreases the productivity of the soil, hence less crops can be grown there.
- Since they overexploit natural resources in an unsustainable way, they do not allow for the natural resource to regenerate, hence they have to find other agricultural lands to use for the satisfaction of their needs.
- Moreover poor people have less chances of borrowing money from the banks to start an initiative to break out of this poverty cycle.
- As a result they continue this lifestyle, with depletion the natural resources and living an unsustainable life.
- Poor people without having essentials skills or equipment such as:
