T owards sustainable development

1. Unit 8 Towards sustainable development

2. Man is part of the nature and he is bound to obey the laws of nature. He depends on his environment for food, water, air, space and shelter. • These are to be managed in a scientific manner for availing the generations to come. • Meeting the needs of people for natural resources and conserving or protecting the natural resources and the environment, this “linkage” has been identified and named as “Sustainable Development. • In the year 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held at Rio de Janeiro, recognized the pressing environment and development problems of the world. • Adapting Agenda 21 for sustainable development. • The first principle of Rio declaration is the Sustainable Development.

3. Sustainable Development is defined as, ‘the development to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. Sustainable Development must balance the needs of society, the economy, and the environment. The three important components of sustainable development are : • Economic development (like industrial development, creating job opportunities, utilization of natural resources for developing the quality of life). • Community development (food, shelter, cloth, education). • Environmental Protection (utilization of resources in a sustainable manner).

4. The framework for the integration of developmental strategies with environmental protection. i. Uses of excessive resources are to be reduced ii. Waste minimization iii. Enhancing scientific, management of renewable resources Unsustainable developmental activities : • In Egypt, Aswan Dam – priceless archeological sites and building were destroyed with valuable ecosystems and fishing grounds. • Dam on the Yangtze River. Affected more than 2 million farmers and villagers on the catchment area of that dam. • The Narmada Valley Project. It has been planned to construct 31 major dams, 135 medium dams and 3000 minor dams in this project by the year 2040. Affects more agricultural area and more wild animals

5. Sustainable Development Indicators (SDI) Economic indicators, social, environmental and institutional indicators are to be considered. Sustainability : Accords stability in two ways. Resistance stability is the ability of a system to remain stable Resilience stability is the ability of the system to recover Characteristics of a Sustainable Society i. material process ii. cyclic nature iii. no waste material or pollution iv. output from one system will be used as inputs to other systems v. only renewable energy will be used vi. human population will be either stable in size or gradually declining

6. POPULATION Group of individuals of a species (Monospective Population) or more species (Polyspecific Populations) Group of populations is a given range of environment is community POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS • Density • Growth and growth curves (linear, sigmoid, bell shaped) • Age distribution (pre-reproductive, reproductive and post reproductive populations) • Natality • Mortality • Migration • Competition (Intra and interspecific)

7. World Population Distribution At present approximately 75% of the world’s population is distributed in the developing regions. Only 25% of the population is distributed in developed regions. Percentage Distribution of Population in different regions

8. ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS • Inquiry is defined as the attempt to discover truths about the world. • Philosophy is defined as the area of inquiry that attempts to discover truths involving fundamental concepts, such as god, mind, free will, knowledge, truth, right/ wrong, etc. • Ethics is a branch of philosophy that primarily discusses issues dealing with human behavior and character. • Environmental Ethics – analyzing about human use of Earth’s limited resources. • Ecology and economics to help provide a basis for sustainable decisions on environmental use.

9. Issues and Possible Solutions • Environmental pollution, • Over-population, • Over exploitation and increased consumption of non-renewable resources, • Various problems due to improper distribution money, food, housing, education, work, recreational opportunities and facilities, etc. • Prejudice of people in class, culture, religion, etc. • War and • Non-peaceful use of power Immediate need to re-examine our values and the ways in which these problems influence our lives.

10. Consumerism and Waste Products • Consumerism is economically appeared in the constant purchasing of new goods and services, with little attention to their true need, durability, product origin or the environmental consequences of manufacture and disposal. • Materialism is one of the end results of consumerism. • At present, children are being targeted in increasing consumption. • Parents on the one hand have a hard time raising children; while on the other hand, kids are being increasingly influenced by commercialism.

11. Consumption has the following impacts : • Depressing the environmental resource base • Aggravating inequalities in the resources and • Accelerating the environmental problems • Every element of the production process of all materials has an impact on the global ecological balance. • Luxuries have been turned into necessities

12. Important issues around consumerism • What are the impacts on the environment, society and individuals due to the process of production? • What are the impacts of certain forms of consumption on the environment, on society, on individuals? • What are the basic necessary things and what are the luxurious things? How do demands on items affect the requirements placed upon the environment? • How do consumption habits change as societies change? • How much of what we consume is influenced by their needs versus our needs? • What is the impact on poorer nations and people on the demands of the wealthier nations and people that are able to afford to consume more? • What is the material value influencing our relationships with other people? • What are the impacts that have on our personal values?

13. Environmental education: Methods to Propagate Environmental Awareness Environmental awareness needs to be created through formal and in­formal education to all sections of the society. i) Among students through education ii) Among the Masses through mass-media iii) Among the planners, decision-makers and leaders Role of Non-Government Organizations (NGO's) • The "Chipko Movement" • The "Narmada Bachao Andolan" • Kalpavriksh • The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) • The World Wide Fund for Nature - India (WWF, India) • Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Before we can all take up the task of environmental protection and conservation, we have to be environmentally educated and aware. It is aptly said "If you want to act green, first think green."

14. APPLICATION OF IT IN ENVIRONMENT a. Remote Sensing : It is an art (aesthetic), science (optic / sensor), and technology (rocket / orbit) of obtaining information about the terrestrial objects (Land / Water / Air) through aerial cameras / sensors from space platforms (balloons / kites / aeroplanes / satellites) for preparation of schematic maps for the benefit / solving problems of the society. The military surveyors and mapping organizations (Survey of India) and urban planners use aerial photographs of various scales (1:1000 to 1 million) for the said purposes. The uses from agriculture, forestry, earth sciences, Meteorology, Engineering, planning, and other discipline use the explosive satellite data 9digital and analog for preparation of various schematic maps. b. Geographic Information System (GIS) : It is a computer based information processing / schematic map preparation system using vector (line) and raster (pixel) data. It is applied to update the maps / layers, preparation of complex schematic maps and also for various mapping practices.

15. c. Global Positioning System (GPs) : It is a new addition in mapping of resources, survey of terrestrial positions and understanding the location of various stationary and moving objects. It was developed for identifying / locating the ships and later it is applied in various fields including identification of location in non-inhabited areas, higher altitude zones, moving vehicles. d. Meteorology : We have already come across various instances, in which lives of thousands of people were saved due to prediction of cyclones quite in advance, giving time for safeguarding one self. Thus saving lives and property. This could not have been achieved without use of IT. The weather is studied throughout the globe with the help of various weather stations on land as well as through satellites. The data generated is processed, analyzed and projected using computer, which are directly connected to satellites, there by giving a chance for forewarning of probable calamities.

16. APPLICATION OF IT IN HEALTH IT is playing a key role in the health industry. IT has varied applications right from the diagnosis, where there are latest tools like CT scans, Ultrasound Sonography etc. which use IT as their basis for diagnosis of ailments. Most of the ICU’s (Intensive Care Units) are now using computers to monitor the progress and condition of the patient, under going treatments. Apart from this, with help of IT, expert opinions from doctors away from the place can be sought with help of IT tools like video conferencing etc. apart from this it can be used in the analysis and research on various potential medicines / drugs to be used in medical treatments.

17. Green building • Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort

18. Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

19. Green building… • Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources • Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity • Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

20. Green building brings together a vast array of practices and techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of new buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques, such as using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well.

24. The concept of “Green Building” aims at increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources - energy, water, materials - while reducing the impact of the building on human health and the surrounding environment during its life cycle, through better design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal and recycle of waste. Maximizing the use of day lighting, reducing the burden on the electricity usage, optimizing the cooling and heating loads of a building are few of such measures.

25. Green building…. • Green buildings are designed to have a longer life-cycle, and help conserve natural resources like water, while consuming minimal power and energy

26. The Clean Development Mechanism • The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the "flexibility" mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol (IPCC, 2007). It is defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, and is intended to meet two objectives: (1) to assist parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is to prevent dangerous climate change;

27. CDM…. • (2) to assist parties included in Annex I in achieving compliance with their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments (greenhouse gas (GHG) emission caps).

28. CDM • Objective (2) is achieved by allowing the Annex I countries to meet part of their caps using "Certified Emission Reductions" from CDM emission reduction projects in developing countries (Carbon Trust, 2009, p. 14).This is subject to oversight to ensure that these emission reductions are real and "additional." The CDM is supervised by the CDM Executive Board (CDM EB) and is under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties (COP/MOP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

29. CDM.. • The CDM allows industrialized countries to invest in emission reductions wherever it is cheapest globally (Grubb, 2003, p. 159). Between 2001, which was the first year CDM projects could be registered, and 2012, the end of the Kyoto commitment period, the CDM is expected to produce some 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in emission reductions.Most of these reductions are through renewable energy, energy efficiency, and fuel switching (World Bank, 2010, p. 262). However, a number of weaknesses of the CDM have been identified (World Bank, 2010, p. 265-267).