CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs” –World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. In
simple terms sustainable development is a guiding principle that focuses on
sustaining natural resources and the world’s eco systems in line with human
development.
Challenges of Sustainable Development
1.War and Instability
When there is turmoil, instability and war between nations it stands to reasons
that sustainable development cannot occur. For instance the war in Ukraine
has had an impact on sustainable development. In fact, one of the biggest
issues that has affected countries outside of Ukraine are issues surrounding
food sustainability since Ukraine and Russia are big producers of wheat and
barley.In fact, Russia and Ukraine account for around 30% of all exports around
the world, which is a big figure and ultimately has a significant impact on food
production and availability. This is one of the effects of globalization is that
nations have become dependent on each other to support their own standards
of living.It is difficult to maintain a civil society and the well-being of people
when there is war or the threat of conflict over a country. In these cases,
sustainable development goals cannot be easily met.
2.Suitability and Availability
Another issue is the ability of a nation to implement sustainable development
programmes in their country. It is common for developed nations to suggest to
developing nations that the process they use in their own countries should be
future proofed and sustainable, but this raises the question whether this is
firstly possible and secondarily pragmatic. This is why developing countries
need subsidies and support from the developed world to help them reduce
their liabilities towards non-sustainable enterprises.Take for example forestry.
In some countries their vast forests are resources that they can use to improve
the lives of their citizens. However, this might come at a cost to biodiversity
and of the natural resources that are being consumed.It can be easy for a
western developed nation to suggest that these forms of economic
development should be reduced. Greenhouse gas emissions and
environmental issues are important but without incentives and buy-in from
governments, policy makers and the private sector, it is unlikely that
sustainable development initiatives surrounding will be a priority.Sustainable
development programmes need to be tailored to fit the local context. They
need to take into consideration the current level of developmental stage each
country is currently at, and support them accordingly, to implement
competitive and useful sustainable development programmes that do not
hinder their development. There is no point in addressing global sustainable
developmental issues at a cost of the progress and improvement of other
developing nations.In many cases where there are issues surrounding
environmental degradation it is important to introduce modern technologies
that can help provide better synergies between the use of a country’s
resources and its sustainability of that resource.
3.Governmental Issues
Other issues relate to what initiatives Governments may want to sign-up to,
and how keen they are on sustainable development. Most governments sign
up to issues surrounding global warming and other climate issues, but not
always. In some cases, there is a political initiative to reject environmental
issues and sustainable development goals to instead address the immediate
needs of their country or populous. For example – promoting and supporting
legacy fossil fuel industries because they play a big part in supporting deprived
local communities and areas. Closing certain industries without replacing them
can lead to certain communities suffering job losses and poverty. In these
locations many governments are resistant to change related to sustainable
development programmes.Often political parties can get into power based
around supporting certain stakeholders and groups that are opposed to and
have incompatible view with sustainable developmental goals. For instances,
gaining support from the fossil fuel companies and lobbyists. Once in power it
is difficult for a government to then reverse those policies with more
sustainable decision-making since their support base have incompatible
agendas.Ultimately, sustainable development needs to take place within the
right political climate for it to be successful and often sustainable development
only works if it offers positive results for the government in question.

4.Poverty & Unemployment

One of the goals of sustainable development is to end poverty but this is no
easy task and cannot be done without addressing a number of other issues
that contribute to poverty.Some of the issues relate to inequalities and
economic opportunities that people face. This can be inequalities between
different countries. It’s well known that people in developed nations tends to
be (as a whole group) better off financially than those individuals who live in
developing nations.However, inequalities can occur within a country itself. For
example, the difference in wealth that may be found in urban areas when
compared to some rural locations where employment can be difficult to obtain
or is less well paid. Or, rural opportunities are only available in certain
industries, such as the agricultural sector. Take for instance the difference to
access to employment between someone living in New York compared to an
individual located in the American Rust Belt.Inequalities also occur between
men and women. In many countries women lack access to well-paid
employment or any employment at all. Often, sustainable development
programmes in term of employment initiatives have goals related to equality
of opportunity.Without addressing the issues surrounding the causes of
poverty within any given community, then it can be difficult to reduce poverty,
and in turn also difficult to address some of the wider goals and challenges of
sustainable development.The social sciences look at how individuals interact
with each other. The case studies and socio scientific research that academics
carry out can help us understand what the challenges are in a particular
community and help us address those issues.A lot of work has been done to
reduce poverty but there still is a massive amount to do. Take for example that
it is estimated that 650 million people still go hungry and do not have enough
food. Food security is a problem and may get worse due to population
growth.One of the key inputs for sustainable development which is linked to
increased poverty and a lack of progress in terms of development is the access
that citizens have to electricity. Energy poverty is a major issue that affects the
poverty of an individual. This has been one of the key goals of sustainable
development and significant improvements have been made in this area. As
recently as 2020 it is estimated by the World Bank that just over 90% of the
world population now has access to electricity. However, there are big gaps in
some of the poorest nations where a large percentage of their populations do
not have access to electricity.Unfortunately, addressing poverty and global
development has become more difficult after 2020 with additional global
challenges such as the global downturn, recession and a slow recovery from
the Covid-19 pandemic.The Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on global
economic and caused an increase in poverty around the world. Take for
example just one statistic – where the pandemic pushed just under 5 million
people into poverty in South East Asia alone.

5.The Global Economy

The financial crisis that occurred post-coronavirus has also had a negative
impact on sustainable development goals. At any point when there are global
financial issues – the poorest people are at risk of being affected. Some
countries can be shielded from these downturns – while others that rely on
trade with western nations that are experiencing a downturn may suffer as a
consequence of globalization. Take for example the downturn in the United
States and its impact on one of their biggest supplier, Mexico.Due to the
interconnectedness of world trade, there are many synergies between nations
around the world, and what affects one country can also impact another
indirectly.
6.Population Growth
Another potential challenge for sustainable development is population growth.
As the United Nations say themselves in their reports – population growth in
developing countries can be seen as both a success and a challenge for the
future. The larger the world’s population the more resources are needed to
ensure that people remain out of poverty and have utilities such as fresh water
and electricity.

Factors responsible for migration of people

EXPLAIN WATER SCARCITY IN INDIA

TYPES OF SOLID WASTE AND ITS SOURCES

ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT, ITS OBJECTIVES
AND EIA PROCESS