The Link Between Environment and Development
Development and environmental management are inextricably linked. The Earth’s physical resources (land, atmosphere, oceans) and biological systems provide the humans with goods (food, timber, medicines) and essential services such as purification of air and water, soil generation, maintenance of soil fertility and pollination of crops, among others. The earth’s natural systems stabilize the Earth’s climate, offer protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, provide aesthetic beauty and support for the world’s diverse cultures.
Global environmental problems and the ability to meet human needs are linked through a set of physical, chemical, and biological processes; when human activities affect one component of the earth system, there are often ramifications to other components as a well. For example, a change in the earth’s climate would likely reduce bio-diversity, change the distribution and productivity of forests, and increase the rate of loss of stratospheric ozone. Like the conversion of forests to other types of land cover can increase greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and thus contribute to change climate, reduce biological bio-diversity, and affect water resources.
Environment
Environment includes the physical factors of the surrounding of human beings including land, water atmosphere, climate, sound, oduor, taste, the biological factors of living things, and the social factors of aesthetics, and includes both the natural and the built environment. It can be viewed as the totality of nature and its components.
Development
Development is a term used with different connotations. In word and sense, development is not static, and this makes it difficult to gasp. In addition, the term development depends on value concepts, that is, what is seen as a favorable socio-economic situation and what is not. Development is a normative concept and is further complicated by the fact that different social actors have different and often conflicting objectives.
The Brandt commission Report, for example, states: “the term development characterises, in a broad sense, the desired social and economic progress- and there will always be different nations of what is desired” (Brandt commission Report, 1980). As an approximation, development can be defined as “The process for improving the living conditions of the whole population living in a certain area or country”
The dimensions of Development
Economic: more production and income
Social: equity, justice, less poverty
Human: education, health, gender equality
Cultural: indigenous cultural values versus foreign culture
Political: participation of various socio-economic groups in political decision making at different levels.
Technological: environmental sustainability of development.
All dimensions need to be seen as part of development, and must be aware of trade-offs and synergies between these dimensions. Economic, social, political, human and ecologically sustainable development are essential dimensions of development, that is the improvement of living conditions for the present and future generations of the whole population.
Sustainable development (SD)
Thus sustainable development is thus defined as a development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of nature generations to meet their own needs. The concept of sustainable development includes: The idea of cost effective development which neither impairs the environment nor restrains productivity in the long run; Reducing the exploitation of non- renewable resource and expanding the use of renewable ones; Shifting to a grater local control over resources and their use by providing for grater decentralization and more local decision making and directing economic activities to the micro-level in order to reach indigenous and poor social groups
Sustainable development does not mean stopping economic growth. Ecological concepts can be combined with economic progress.
The Critical Triangle of Development
Sustainable development can best be visualized in the ‘critical triangle’ of development, with three Es: environment (ecological development), equity (social development) and economic development. Economic development has to do with creation of material wealth (goods and services) to meet the human basic needs. Sustainable development should also guarantee inter and intra generation equality with respect to meeting all basic needs. Ecological development means protection and conservation of our natural resources. These three are inter-dependent and mutually reinforcing components of SD.It is certain that, with one fifth of humanity living in dire poverty, and many more in conditions of acute insecurity, the needs of the present generation are not being met.
Environment as an Economic Resource
Development can be conceptualized as the manipulation of factors of production to generate goods and services to satisfy human needs and even wants. The four traditional factors of production (land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship) are part and parcel of the environment.
There are five different yet inter-connected and inter related environmental components seen as critical in economic growth and development, i.e., SD=f (NC, FC, HC,SC,PC) where SD is sustainable development and natural capital; (NC) comprises of nature’s ‘free goods’ such as land, water, climate (Natural resources). Financial Capital (FC) comprises of stocks of readily available money for investment. Human capital (HC) includes all that goes into the improvement of the status and quality of humans’ lives such technical skills, education, and medical care. Social capital (SC) includes all that that enhances people’s propensity to cooperate, wok together and network, and the benefits accruing from such. Physical capital 9PC) Comprises of all forms of infra- structural and technological development by humans in the pursuit of development.
Major Global Environmental Issues
Some of the major global environmental issues that the world is facing include the following: Climate change (Global Warming), ozone layer depletion, marine pollution, build-up of persistent organic pollutants, loss of biological diversity, desertification and land degradation, degradation of freshwater, deforestation and unsustainable use of forests.
Major challenges for development (comprehensively summarized in the millennium development goals) include reducing poverty; providing energy services without environmental degradation; providing access to water to meet basics needs and developing healthy urban environments.
Estimates shows that about 1.1 billion live on less that a dollar per day; 2.7 billion on less than 2 dollars a day. About 1.3 billion live without clean drinking water; 2.6 billion without proper sanitation and 2 billion without electricity. 800 million are malnourished; 25 billion tons of topsoil is lost annually, yet the available food will need to double in the next 25 years or so due to population and economic growth. One third of the population live in water-stress areas and this is projected to double by 2025; 50% of Africans suffer from water-related diseases. In developing countries, about 220 million urban residents lack access to portable drinking water; 350 million have no access to basic sanitation and one billion have no solid waste collection service.(http://www.unmilleniumproject.org/)
With increasing population size, level of consumption and choice of technology, it is therefore a great challenge to meet these needs without adverse impact on the environment if care is not taken.
Conclusion
Humans and the environment shape each other and thus must exist co- harmoniously. Humans exploit the natural capital for development to meet their basic needs and wants. To continue to do this on the long-term; they must develop a culture of managing/exploiting natural resources sustainable. That is, up to the level where there is self –regeneration for the renewable natural resources; and by reducing exploitation of non-renewable resources and expanding the use of alternatives.
‘No-one’ half of the globe can exist without the other as we all depend on the ‘common resources.’ We must all be united in securing our common inheritance: the developed world and the developing world; the poor and the not so poor; those whose livelihood depend directly on the natural resources and those who do not.
By Charity Irungu
Charity Irungu holds a PhD (2003) in Agricultural Economics from the
She has lectured at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology;