SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

Developing countries to-day face the twin crises of environmental deterioration and
maldevelopment more seriously than ever before. This is despite so many U.N. World
conferences including Rio Summit on Environment and Development (1992) and the
Copenhagen social Summit (1995).
Concern has been raised at these U.N. conferences by political leaders and vociforous citizen
groups, showing that there is no lack of concern.
But the more powerful forces and institutions that represent the dmominant trend of globalization
and liberalization overwhelm the efforts of the environmentally conscious and those who care
about eradicating poverty.
The third world countries are sinking deeper into environmental problems although global and
national knowledge about ecology has grown manifold in the last two decades.
In Asian region alone the major problems are:
Land
850 million hectares of soil that is degraded is in Asia and the Pacific accounting for 24 percent of
the regions land.
Forests
Deforestation remains one of the major environmental issues in Asia due to industrialization,
agricultural expansion and forestry product trade. Deforestation in the Asia Pacific region
increased from 2 million hectares per year during 1976-81 to 3.9 million hectares per year during
1981-90. Tropical forest area decreased by 6.7 percent during 1981-90 and natural tropical forest
area by 11.1 percent, the highest rate observed for this type of forest as compared with other
regions.
Water
Increasing water scarcity is the likely scenario for many countries in Asia. Fresh water availability
of below 1000 cubic meters per capita per year indicates water scarcity. Singapore is already
water scarce, while Iran and India are heading in that direction. Atmosphere
The rapid 3.6 percent annual growth of every demand for the whole region in 1990-92 is an
important implication of economic growth in Asia; Urban air pollution is serious in many major
cities in the region, while health threats arise from indoor pollution. Acid rain has emerged as a
significant problem.
Biodiversity
The drive for increased agricultural production has resulted in the loss of genetic diversity. The
flora and fauna of region are threatened now more than ever before. India is expected to produce
75 percent of its rice with just 10 varieties by 2005, as compared to 30,000 varieties traditionally
cultivated; 1500 varieties of rice disappeared in Indonesia during 1975-90. Due to coastal habitat
loss and degradation marine biodiversity is also being lost
URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS

Urbanization generates the environmental stress with region which is related to poverty as well as
economic growth and affluence. The rise of cities has been accompanied by a proliferation of
slums and squatter settlements without access to basic infrastructure, clean water and sanitation,
with associated health risks; the lack of basic infrastructure also results in local environmental
degradation.
Mean-while urban environmental problems resulting from growth and affluence include
congestion, increasing air and water pollution, loss of productive agricultural land, loss of coastal
habitats to conversion and land reclamation over extraction of ground and water resources
resulting in land subsidence, and deforestation as a consequence of increased demand for
construction timber.
This information gives just a few slices of the environmental challenges before us.
Bearing the main brunt of the problems are the local communities and the poor, who live close to
the natural environment and whose land, forests and resources are being negatively affected by
the forces of global and national commerce. The communities and groups in developing countries
which are adversely affected by globalization and commercialization are: -
Local Communities in rural and urban areas which have to make way for development projects
as economic growth and modernization continues to sweep across the region. These include
farmers and indigenous people making way for large dams, mining projects, logging of forests,
Conversion of land to plantations and urban settlers and squatters who have to make way for
urban projects such as highways, golf courses & hotels, office buildings and housing estates.
Rural Villagers and Urban squatter areas near toxic dumps or hazardous industries which are
usually located in areas where the poor communities live, and workers facing hazards at the
work-place including toxic chemicals, heavy metals and dangerous work processes.
Small farmers who may find that, as a result of agricultural liberalization, they will have to reduce
the prices of their products (thus reducing their net incomes) some of them) may have to close
their farms as being uncompetitive.
Govt. and public employees (including of public enterprises) who face retrenchment from their
jobs as a result of privatization, Lower income and poor consumers who may no longer be able to
receive the same level of subsidised health care, water supply, housing or welfare services as
Governments reduce or eliminate social spending or change their financing system towards the
cost recovery and the user must-pay approach.
Because of poverty and the unemployment situation, many children are forced to work, often in
conditions of misery; while many women are pressurized into prostitution.
Hopes Belied
The ecological crises continues to unfold at breakneck speed under the influence of commercial
interests, now driven even further by the competitive pressures of globalization. At the same time
the globalization process has pitted company against company, country against country and
individuals against one another. Under the vicious fight for market shares and for profits to
survive globalization and liberalization have replaced every environmental and social item on the
high priority agenda list. More-over because of its unequal nature, globalization may benefit a
small number (of countries, of people) but alienates, marginalizes and even impoverishes large
number of countries and peoples.
Some years ago, at the Earth Summit, 1992, hopes had been high that the world’s political
leaders had at last recognized the environmental crises and would take steps to forge a new
North South partnership to tackle both environmental and development problems together in a
package and through a comprehensive plan.
Ten years later, these hopes seem to have vanished. The RIO plus Five Summit at the U.N. in
New York concluded in June 1997 without a political statement because the divide between North
and South countries was too wide to bridge.
In the years after the RIO Summit the environment has dropped many notches down the global
and national agendas. More-over, “development” by which is meant the solidarity or partnership
shown towards people in developing countries to help them eradicate poverty and social ills, is
also fast vanishing as a principle and an agenda item, in the countries of the North and thus in the
international agenda.
The major reason is that, in the years after RIO the process of globalization linked to liberalization
has gained so much force that it has undermined, and is undermining, the sustainable
development agenda. Commerce and the perceived need to remain competitive in a global
market and to pamper and cater to the demands of the companies and the rich have become the
top priority of Govt. in the North and some in the South. The environment welfare of the poor,
global partnership have all been dislodged and sacrificed in this wave of free market mania.