Sustainable Development: Meeting the needs of today's population without compromising the needs of future generations. Today sustainable development is usually considered to include environmental, social and economic sustainability (see definitions below). If development includes social, economic and environmental aspects then it is considered to be sustainable development.
Stewardship: The act of overseeing the protection of something e.g. rainforests.
Conservation: The act of preserving and protecting something.
Environment: The things that surround you. In Geography when we talk about the environment we normally mean the natural things that surround you e.g. trees, rivers, mountains and lakes.
Environmental Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Definition: Improvements in the standard of living that do not cause long-term damage to the environment that impact future generations.
Definition: Development that includes everyone, where everyone has the right of economic improvement. The development should be long-term and devoid of corruption and burdening debt.
Definition: Development that is inclusive and ensures an improvement in the standard of living for all. It should incorporate everyone and ensure equal access to healthcare, education, resources, etc. while respecting individual cultures.
What does it include:
Protecting biodiversity
Stopping human caused climate change
Elimination of acid rain
Elimination of damage to ozone layer
Reduction of pollution (air, water, noise, etc.)
Management of resources e.g. fish, water
What does it include:
Access to finance
No corruption (kleptocratic governments)
No absolute poverty
No extortion
No nepotism
Debt removal?
,What does it include:
Freedom of speech
Health and safety at work
Access to clean water and sanitation
Access to needs i.e. water, food, shelter, clothing
Environmental sustainability is actually Millennium Development Goal number seven. The goal has four targets The targets are:
Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources
Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss
Target 7c: Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
Target 7d: Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020
The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)
The ESI was developed by Yale University and was published between 1999 and 2005. It tracked 21 measure of environmental sustainability including pollution levels and resource management. However, in 2005 it was decided to replace ESI with EPI. The EPI rather than comparing sustainability strategies of different countries, looked at outcome orientated indicators. The EPI places Iceland at the top of its index and Sierra Leone at the bottom.
UNEP and CITES
UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP coordinates the UN's environmental programmes and aims to assist developing countries with environmental issues. It was founded in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP's six main priorities are listed below. One of the most pressing is climate change and to help in the battle it established the IPCC in 1988.
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES entered force on the 1st July 1975. Its aim was to ensure that the international trade in wild plants and animals did not endanger their existence. Participation in CITES is voluntary, but once participation is agreed upon it is legally binding and countries need to adapt their national laws accordingly. About 5,000 animals and 28,000 plants are protected under CITES. Protected flora and fauna are listed under one of three appendices depending on their level of threat. CITES hold meetings roughly every three years to discuss the protection ob new plants and animals. The last meeting was in Qatar in 2010 and then next one is in Thailand in 2013. At its last meeting, CITES failed in an attempt to ban the trade of bluefin tuna (see below).
Below are some examples of attempted, successful and possibly failed sustainable development case studies. Sipadan is a good example of environmental sustainability. The Amur leopard is well-funded but possibly fatally delayed conservation method. The bluefin tuna highlights the balance between economic development and environmental sustainability - unfortunately it would appear that economic development is currently winning out. Finally Masdar is a sustainable city of the future which will hopefully be a blueprint for sustainable development in the future.
Sipadan Marine Park (sustainable tourism)
Sipadan is a small oceanic island located in the Celebes Sea off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It was formed by coral growth on the top of an extinct volcano. The island rise 600 metres from the seabed, Sipadan is at the centre of one of the riches marine habitats in the world. The surrounding ecosystems contains over 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of type of coral. Because of its unique and diverse ecosystem, Sipadan became a popular mecca (an extremely popular destination) for divers - because of its popularity a number of hotels were built on the island. However, because of its popularity the island did suffer some environmental damage. Noise and light pollution disturbed nesting turtles and water pollution and litter harmed bird and sea life.
Because of the environmental damage the Malaysian government decided that it needed to develop the tourism industry around Sipadan more sustainably. In 1993 the island became a bird sanctuary and in 2004 the government forced the closure of all hotels on the island. A quota was also set on the number of divers allowed to visit Sipadan each day. The total permissible number of divers is 120 a day, with no night diving allowed. Permits to dive have to be applied for in advance. In 2005 the island was proposed as a National Marine Park and the government is now aiming for UNESCO world heritage status. Research has suggested that the number of turtles have increased since protection measures were put in place.
The development of sustainable tourism on Sipadan is important because:
It will preserve the biodiversity of the island and surrounding ecosystem
It will create long term income from tourism. If Sipadan was over-dived or over-fished then its biodiversity and therefore attractiveness would reduce and tourists would decline.
Tourism is a growing industry and without proper management, the island will come under increasing pressure
It is following international guidelines set out on sustainable tourism at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992
The Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard is one of the rarest animals in the world. It is estimated that only about 30-35 individuals survive in the wild. The Amur leopard is now only found in the mountainous areas of Russia's far east. The Amur leopard has become threatened because of poaching (hunting), deforestation (habitat loss), inbreeding and development projects like railways and gas/oil pipelines. Another endangered animal, the Siberian tiger is also found in similar locations. Over recent years, 13 international and Russian NGOs have joined together to make the Amur leopard and tiger alliance (ALTA). They have developed a comprehensive conservation programme:
Anti-poaching methods
Forest fire-fighting to reduce habitat loss
Compensation for farmers who have lost livestock
Public awareness schemes
Protected areas
There are also zoo breeding programmes where there are an estimated 300 Amur leopards. There are plans to try and reintroduce some of these animals to the wild.
The bluefin tuna is now a critically endangered species. The Atlantic bluefin tuna which can reach weights of 450kg is primarily found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean - it is now extinct in the Caspian and Black Sea. Other species exist in the Pacific and around Australia. The bluefin tuna is a prized fish and is extremely popular in Japan. Because of its popularity it has been heavily overfished. Estimates calculate that the species has declined by 72% in the Eastern Atlantic and 82% in the Western Atlantic. Because of its rapid decline a recommendation was made the CITES to ban the fishing and international trade of bluefin tuna. Unfortunately many EU countries abstained from the vote so the proposed ban did not pass.
The bluefin tuna industry is estimated to be worth up to $7.2 billion, with a single fish selling for $396,700 in 2011. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has attempted to set limits on the amount of bluefin tuna that is allowed to be caught. Their scientists claim that 7,500 tonnes is a sustainable limit, but it is estimated that upwards of 60,000 tonnes are still caught annually. In support of conservation Greenpeace have put bluefin tuna on their red list. Further attempts of an international ban will be made through CITES, but if Japanese objections and European abstentions continue, a ban is unlikely. Aquaculturalists have made recent attempts at rearing bluefin tuna commercially to try and reduce the demand for wild tuna.
For a slightly more comprehensive and effective fish conservations scheme, read about the EU's fishing quotas: conservation strategies.
Masdar, UAE
Masdar in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to be the world's leading sustainable city and the first to become carbon neutral. The project started in 2006 and is estimated to cost $22 billion to build and take eight years to complete (although the current financial crisis has pushed phase 1 completion back to 2015). The city will cover and area of 6km2 and be home to about 50,000 people and 1500 businesses. It is estimated that a further 60,000 people will commute to the city daily.
Masdar is aiming to becoming carbon neutral by:
Producing all of its energy through renewable sources (solar, wind, geothermal and hydrogen)
Eliminating waste through recycling. Biological waste will be used as fertiliser. Any waste that cannot be recycled will be incinerated to generate electricity.
Pedestrianising the city and only using public transport within its boundaries.
Designing buildings that both maximise natural light and allow air to circulate, reducing lighting and air conditioning.
Educating all citizens every year on sustainability methods.
Desalination of water using solar energy and recycling of grey water for irrigation.
Sustainability and the environment
Sustainable Development: Meeting the needs of today's population without compromising the needs of future generations. Today sustainable development is usually considered to include environmental, social and economic sustainability (see definitions below). If development includes social, economic and environmental aspects then it is considered to be sustainable development.
Humans failing Sustainability audit - BBC article
Stewardship: The act of overseeing the protection of something e.g. rainforests.
Conservation: The act of preserving and protecting something.
Environment: The things that surround you. In Geography when we talk about the environment we normally mean the natural things that surround you e.g. trees, rivers, mountains and lakes.
Environmental Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Social Sustainability
EU agree renewable energy targets - BBC article
Energy saving Green Deal comes closer - BBC article
Rice, Straw and Coconuts the new alternative to wood - BBC article
Concrete Source: MIT scientists turn the concrete jungle green - BBC article
UK minimum wage increases - BBC article
A History of microfinance - Guardian article
Chinese political prisoner wins Nobel Peace Price - BBC article
Male pay still exceeds female pay - BBC article
Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is actually Millennium Development Goal number seven. The goal has four targets The targets are:
Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources
Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss
Target 7c: Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
Target 7d: Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020
The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)
The ESI was developed by Yale University and was published between 1999 and 2005. It tracked 21 measure of environmental sustainability including pollution levels and resource management. However, in 2005 it was decided to replace ESI with EPI. The EPI rather than comparing sustainability strategies of different countries, looked at outcome orientated indicators. The EPI places Iceland at the top of its index and Sierra Leone at the bottom.
UNEP and CITES
UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP coordinates the UN's environmental programmes and aims to assist developing countries with environmental issues. It was founded in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP's six main priorities are listed below. One of the most pressing is climate change and to help in the battle it established the IPCC in 1988.
UNEP's six priorities are:
www.unep.org/
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES entered force on the 1st July 1975. Its aim was to ensure that the international trade in wild plants and animals did not endanger their existence. Participation in CITES is voluntary, but once participation is agreed upon it is legally binding and countries need to adapt their national laws accordingly. About 5,000 animals and 28,000 plants are protected under CITES. Protected flora and fauna are listed under one of three appendices depending on their level of threat. CITES hold meetings roughly every three years to discuss the protection ob new plants and animals. The last meeting was in Qatar in 2010 and then next one is in Thailand in 2013. At its last meeting, CITES failed in an attempt to ban the trade of bluefin tuna (see below).
http://www.cites.org/
Had CITES had its day? - BBC article
Examples of Environmental Sustainability
Below are some examples of attempted, successful and possibly failed sustainable development case studies. Sipadan is a good example of environmental sustainability. The Amur leopard is well-funded but possibly fatally delayed conservation method. The bluefin tuna highlights the balance between economic development and environmental sustainability - unfortunately it would appear that economic development is currently winning out. Finally Masdar is a sustainable city of the future which will hopefully be a blueprint for sustainable development in the future.
Sipadan Marine Park (sustainable tourism)
Sipadan is a small oceanic island located in the Celebes Sea off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It was formed by coral growth on the top of an extinct volcano. The island rise 600 metres from the seabed, Sipadan is at the centre of one of the riches marine habitats in the world. The surrounding ecosystems contains over 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of type of coral. Because of its unique and diverse ecosystem, Sipadan became a popular mecca (an extremely popular destination) for divers - because of its popularity a number of hotels were built on the island. However, because of its popularity the island did suffer some environmental damage. Noise and light pollution disturbed nesting turtles and water pollution and litter harmed bird and sea life.
Because of the environmental damage the Malaysian government decided that it needed to develop the tourism industry around Sipadan more sustainably. In 1993 the island became a bird sanctuary and in 2004 the government forced the closure of all hotels on the island. A quota was also set on the number of divers allowed to visit Sipadan each day. The total permissible number of divers is 120 a day, with no night diving allowed. Permits to dive have to be applied for in advance. In 2005 the island was proposed as a National Marine Park and the government is now aiming for UNESCO world heritage status. Research has suggested that the number of turtles have increased since protection measures were put in place.
The development of sustainable tourism on Sipadan is important because:
The Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard is one of the rarest animals in the world. It is estimated that only about 30-35 individuals survive in the wild. The Amur leopard is now only found in the mountainous areas of Russia's far east. The Amur leopard has become threatened because of poaching (hunting), deforestation (habitat loss), inbreeding and development projects like railways and gas/oil pipelines. Another endangered animal, the Siberian tiger is also found in similar locations. Over recent years, 13 international and Russian NGOs have joined together to make the Amur leopard and tiger alliance (ALTA). They have developed a comprehensive conservation programme:
There are also zoo breeding programmes where there are an estimated 300 Amur leopards. There are plans to try and reintroduce some of these animals to the wild.
Rare leopard faces Extinction - BBC article
Two Rare Amur Leopard Cubs Born - BBC article
Russian reserve created for Amur leopard and tiger - BBC article
Bluefin Tuna (a conservation failure?)
The bluefin tuna is now a critically endangered species. The Atlantic bluefin tuna which can reach weights of 450kg is primarily found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean - it is now extinct in the Caspian and Black Sea. Other species exist in the Pacific and around Australia. The bluefin tuna is a prized fish and is extremely popular in Japan. Because of its popularity it has been heavily overfished. Estimates calculate that the species has declined by 72% in the Eastern Atlantic and 82% in the Western Atlantic. Because of its rapid decline a recommendation was made the CITES to ban the fishing and international trade of bluefin tuna. Unfortunately many EU countries abstained from the vote so the proposed ban did not pass.
The bluefin tuna industry is estimated to be worth up to $7.2 billion, with a single fish selling for $396,700 in 2011. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has attempted to set limits on the amount of bluefin tuna that is allowed to be caught. Their scientists claim that 7,500 tonnes is a sustainable limit, but it is estimated that upwards of 60,000 tonnes are still caught annually. In support of conservation Greenpeace have put bluefin tuna on their red list. Further attempts of an international ban will be made through CITES, but if Japanese objections and European abstentions continue, a ban is unlikely. Aquaculturalists have made recent attempts at rearing bluefin tuna commercially to try and reduce the demand for wild tuna.
Ban on Blue Fin Tuna fails - BBC article
Bluefin tuna fails to make UNs list of protected fish - Guardian article
Masdar, UAE
Masdar in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to be the world's leading sustainable city and the first to become carbon neutral. The project started in 2006 and is estimated to cost $22 billion to build and take eight years to complete (although the current financial crisis has pushed phase 1 completion back to 2015). The city will cover and area of 6km2 and be home to about 50,000 people and 1500 businesses. It is estimated that a further 60,000 people will commute to the city daily.
Masdar is aiming to becoming carbon neutral by:
Work Starts on Gulf Green City - BBC article
Masdar - Abu Dhabi's carbon neutral city - BBC article