Sustainable Development

Bhavik Khandhar

Introduction• Sustainable development:

Complying with today’s demands without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their wants

• Controlled development is the need of the hour

• Inaction will bring about the downfall of Planet Earth’s most intelligent species

Sub Divisions• Sustainable Development

encompasses:– Environmental

Sustainability– Economic Sustainability– Sociopolitical

Sustainability• Failure to harmonize

between these 3 components can prove detrimental to Homo Sapiens ultimately bringing about its downfall

Current Scenario

• Man is blissfully ignorant and insensitive to the equation between his actions on the surroundings

• Persistent blame game between citizens and government. But what about the environment?

• Need to raise awareness regarding the detrimental effects of uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources and increasing pollution levels amongst others that compromises our present and endangers our future

Environment sustainability• Innumerable earth summits coupled

with prescient ideation have led to the birth of infinite policies

• But ‘Introduction without Execution’ is baseless

• And ‘Execution without Implemental action’ further delineates the futility of it all

• Individual cognition is the best driving force:

‘Self help is the best help’

Community Actions/Problems

Practical Solutions

• RECYCLE, RECYCLE RECYCLE

• Conserve To Preserve: Banning paper bags, switching to cloth bags

• Intelligent utilization to obviate revitalization: Writing on both sides

Economic Sustainability• Decoupling economic growth from

environment• Incorporating eco-efficient measures

at the manufacturing and production stage

• Advocating Green Economy • Expediting enforcement of

environmental concerns into organizational management and strategizing

• Encouraging evolvement of regulatory institutions in tandem with cognitive ones

Industrial Waste Problems

• No specific disposal sites for industrial waste; nearby rivers bear the brunt

• Industries located in non-conforming areas cause water and air pollution besides waste pollution

• No consent from local governing bodies while setting up industries. Hence dealing with industrial solid waste becomes a menace

Industrial Waste Solutions

• Maintaining and allocating proper dumping grounds

• Organizing timely collection, treatment and disposal of liquid and solid wastes

• Issuing licenses to only those industries that abide by the law

Slum Waste Problems

• No segregation of methods for disposal of liquid and solid wastes. For both, the disposal methods are similar.

• This leads to overflow of garbage, creating an unhygienic breeding ground for micro-organisms which in turn leads to break outs of epidemics and pandemics of myriad diseases

Slum Waste Solutions

• Increasing the collection cycle of garbage every week

• Placing two garbage bins every 10 km with distinct tags: liquid waste and solid waste

• Amalgamation of civic responsibility, by the people and waste management strategies, by the government will help curb the problem

Community Actions/Problems

Practical Solutions

• Carpooling for local commuting

• Walking or cycling to cover short distances

• Using public transport All the above will lead

to a significant reduction in carbon footprint emissions

Practical Solutions• Introducing taxation

systems limiting a vehicle’s carbon dioxide emission or fuel consumption level

• Using cheaper alternative fuels

• Using hybrid & fuel cell vehicles

Socio political sustainability• Governmental duty to work

tirelessly for societal upliftment through incorporation of High Living Standards and Poverty Eradication

• Bridging the void between ‘Developing Economy’ and ‘Developed Economy’

• Initiating sensitivity toward the environment while framing policies

Community Actions/Problems• India’s burgeoning

population could have been an asset but is proving to be its biggest liability in terms of increasing crime rates and pollution levels

• Educating the rural and urban population about the necessities of sustainable development

• Throwing light on the inter linkage between self and environment.

Practical Solutions

• Providing free education schemes for the under privileged

• Increasing the number of schools in rural India

• Setting up inclusive schooling centers with equal opportunity for both sexes

Practical Solutions

• Elucidating myriad contraceptive techniques through advertisements, demonstrations and free lectures in order to curb population growth

Inner Awareness – Best Solution

• Solutions for sustainability will only work where most people connect with their cities, their environments, and each other on an everyday basis. This is where change occurs and is experienced immediately.

References

• Wikipedia• Google images• http://www.acea.be• http://www.lbl.gov• http://urbanindia.nic.in

The End