What Is Sustainability?
" Few people realize that conservation is not a technical but a social problem. World societies are losing their ethical and cultural roots, replacing
them with thow-away consumerist ideals and, ultimately, lifestyles. Conservation must therefore become, and be seen as, a people affair."
Dr Claude Martin, Director General WWF International
'Sustainability' is a new word coined to define the relatively recent and hazardous situation that confronts humankind. It means 'the ability to
maintain itself in-definitely', and it matters because for the first time in its long history the earth is in danger of losing that ability. Our planet
cannot maintain, or sustain, itself at the current rate of resource use.
Human beings have always tended to believe that nature's bounty is endless and to assume that the earth can withstand endless dumping of
garbage and pollution. Today it is clear that this is not the case. The reality is that we are degrading the earth at such a rate that it is unable to
recuperate or to regenerate the things we need to survive: wildlife, mineral resources, the atmosphere itself.
Conservation organizations use the term 'sustainable' in several contexts.1 They refer to 'sustainable use', 'sustainable development', a
'sustainable economy'. What is meant by these concepts?
- 'Sustainable use of resources' means using natural resources, such as forests, rivers, and fisheries, for food, medicine, firewood,
building and so on, while remaining within the limits of environmental capacity.
- 'Sustainable development' means improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the earth's finite
resources. It means meeting the needs of the present generation, particularly the needs of the poor, without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.
- 'A sustainable economy' is the product of sustainable development. It maintains the overall stock and productivity of human capital,
man-made capital, and natural capital.
Put simply, sustainability can be described as having a bank account or an investment which produces interest. If we live off the interest, not the
capital, then the future will be secure. But if we live off the capital, it will disappear altogether in the course of time.
We are a part of nature. Without it we could not survive. But we are also human beings who, by using nature's resources, improve the quality of
our lives. Sustainability does not demand that our legitimate human needs be ignored. That would be unrealistic and impractical. What it
demands is a balanced relationship between human beings and nature.
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