Sustainable development and environmental destruction

The term sustainable development is used to express the process of sustained socio-economic development that is able to survive and sustain in the face of the conditions to which any society in any State may be exposed. One of the conditions for sustainable development is that it be structurally balanced and not lead to crises´-or-turmoil that lead to a relapse, because it depends on independent engines of growth based on local economic fundamentals. Sustainable development is not dependent´-or-biased development, and it includes mechanisms for expansion and connectivity in achieving the Goals. Economic thought since the end of World War II has suggested that development does not occur without investment´-or-without the modernization and development of productive forces, including manpower. The best investment is achieved by relying on domestic savings, using surpluses resulting from dealing with abroad,´-or-by encouraging foreign capital and providing a package of advantages and incentives to attract foreign investors. The modernization and development of the productive forces is carried out through the introduction and use of technology and technological development and knowledge-centered, and there is no development of knowledge without the development of education and the improvement of the standard of living of people in society.
The destruction of the environment and growing populations are hampering development efforts in the world s poorest countries, according to World Bank reports. According to its annual report on the environment, some poor countries lose between four and eight percent of their GDP due to losses caused by low productivity, misuse of natural resources and environmental degradation. Declining and declining forest areas, soil depletion, insufficient water resources and degradation of fisheries threaten the quality of life and health of millions in poor countries and make them more vulnerable to disasters. The World Bank report confirms that real savings rates in about 30 countries have become negative while annual per capita income is declining in 20 other countries.
The term "sustainable development" is used to express the pursuit of a kind of justice and equality between present and future generations. For most people, the term development means striving to improve the standard of living and obtain a better life, usually measured by the level of income, the use of available resources and the level of technological progress. Sustainable development thus has environmental, social and economic goals.
The environmental issue is evident in sustainable development through the three renewable resources on which human life depends: land, water and air.
The features of environmental degradation are illustrated by the following indicators:
• Every year, erosion destroys about 6 million hectares of agricultural land in the world.
• Waterlogging and salinization wipe out an estimated 1 million hectares worldwide.
• Every year, the world loses 16 to 20 million hectares of tropical and other forests.
• Environmental practices in land and water management result in a decrease in the quality of 1 million hectares of soil, equivalent to 11% of fertile soil.
The magnitude of the human impact on the environment, whatever the level of development, is related to the size of the population, per capita consumption and the environmental damage caused by the advancement and use of technology to produce what is consumed. People living in developed countries have the greatest negative impact on the global environment. The negative environmental impacts in developing countries are expected to be compounded by high rates of population growth and the ever-increasing number of people who aspire to a better life by any means, leading to the potential for increased damage to the environment.
Certainly, consumption patterns and resource use in the advanced industrialized countries (the countries of the North) are primarily responsible for environmental degradation in the countries of the North and environmental degradation in the countries of the South. Especially with regard to the disappearance of forests and associated water exchanges, soil erosion, desertification and the environmental cloud that hangs over major industrial cities. These effects are accompanied by less obvious effects, including:
• Accumulation of carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere.
• Reduced fish yields due to overfishing, worldwide.
• Contamination of land and water resources with chemicals and other hazardous substances.
Pollution in renewable freshwater supplies also threatens human health and safety. We can illustrate this with the following indicators:
• An estimated 1300 million people lack access to clean drinking water.
• An estimated 1,800 million people lack access to sanitation.
• Around 2,000 million people have their lives at risk due to diseases carried by contaminated water, of whom about 4 million die annually.
• More than 30 countries with about 400 million people suffer from water scarcity, defined as less than 1,000 m3 of water is available per person per year.
• About 80 percent of the world s freshwater is used for agriculture.
Water scarcity can hinder economic development, as industrialization increases demand for water, especially in its early stages.
Therefore, today more than ever, it is imperative to significantly increase opportunities for millions who today feel that they have no share in the dividends and benefits of economic and social progress and to continue to do so while maintaining the right ecological balance.
The Bank s findings did not take into account the projected effects of climate change, which threaten to undermine long-term development efforts and the ability of hundreds of millions of people in developing countries to lift poverty. Changing global climate patterns will lead to a decline in agricultural production in tropical countries and those in the southern tropics, especially sub-Saharan Africa.
The Bank s environmental strategy is based on an integrated orientation of environmental concerns with the aim of formulating strategies to reduce poverty rates and determine whether´-or-not lending is possible. Economic growth should not be at the expense of people s health and future opportunities due to pollution and the degradation of natural resources and ecosystems. Environmentalists have attacked the World Bank for financing development projects such as the construction of large dams and the IMF s lending method.
Development is not achieved by imitation of the experiences obtained by developed countries.´-or-follow the same steps that their economies have gone through. The ability to organize experience and knowledge is an essential element of development, and the lack of sufficient expertise delays development by stages and years. Development is possible but needs action and follow-up.
Prof. Dr. Moustafa El-Abdallah Al Kafry
Faculty of Economics - Damascus University

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