The concept of Sustainable Development formally defined in the report titled "Our Common Future." This report was an outcome of deliberation of a group constituted by the World Commission on Environment and Development and chaired by the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as the development that involves "meeting the need of present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition of sustainable development initiated a lot of debate. The scientists thought that the term 'need' and 'development' had not appropriately defined in the report. The need can not be generalized universally. It varies from place to place and person to person.
Similarly, development was also not adequately defined. The report explains development as something people do improve their lives. Therefore it becomes amenable to varied interpretations. A more precise definition with clearly spelled-out goals remains elusive.
Herman Daly, an ecological economist, referred to sustainable development as an "oxymoron." Do you know what an Oxymoron is? Oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two usually contradictory terms into a compressed paradox. The definition of 'development' is not precise enough to make it more in favor of nature conservation than on buildings, roads, factories, infrastructure, etc. The Oxford dictionary meaning of development is "a stage or advancement."
On the other hand, "sustainability" is derived from the Latin "sustinere." Dictionaries provide more than ten meanings of sustain, the main ones being to "maintain," "support," or "endure." Furthermore, as has been pointed out by Michael Redclift, the sustainability discussion has gradually, over the years, moved almost imperceptibly away from "human needs" to "human rights." Therefore sustainability refers to a process that can be continued indefinitely without depleting the resource base on which it depends. Consequently, it is the practical goal towards which our interaction with the natural world should direct. The guiding principles of sustainability cut across ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
The concept of sustainable development is now well accepted at international, national, and local levels. This has been emerging as a robust alternative model of growth after a long debate and discussion since the Rio Summit 1992. Sustainable development means different things to different people. There are three essential disciplines traditionally concerned with the processes involved in conceptualizing sustainable development. The subject of economics is mainly concerned with growth, efficiency, and the optimum use of resources.
On the other hand, sociologists mainly focus on human needs and concepts like equity, empowerment, and social cohesion. Ecologists show their most significant concern for preserving natural systems, for living within the carrying capacity of the environment, and for dealing efficiently with the population. Today this sectarian approach to development adopted by the disciplines mentioned above has been rejected. Now, it has argued that sustainable development will be achieved.
It has been said that sustainable development is an ideal which no societies today have achieved anything resembling it. Nevertheless, as with justice, equality, and freedom, it is important to uphold sustainable development as an ideal - a goal toward which all human societies need to be moving
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