'Sustainable development is not only a necessity, but also an exceptional opportunity to help the world's poorest peoples.' (Johannesburg World Summit 2002) - How far do you agree with this statement?

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Steve Aston

Sustainable development is not only a necessity, but also an exceptional opportunity to help the world’s poorest peoples.’ (Johannesburg World Summit 2002).

How far do you agree with this statement?

Introduction

Sustainable development is a rather fluid term, but the Brundtland Commission describes it as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (1).

The Johannesburg World Summit was held in reaction to a lack of progress in implementing Agenda 21, which included the following principle:

‘The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority. International actions in the field of environment and development should also address the interests and needs of all countries’.

Sustainable development is most easily identifiable in LEDCs, which are clearly referred to above. It encourages independence and self-reliance as opposed to the subservient role that short- term aid provides. Sustainable development in LEDCs is often implemented in small-scale community projects, working alongside the people it aims to help, rather than pumping money into a governmental system and letting the money filter down through the ‘chain of command’. It enables economic growth whilst ensuring that natural resources are not depleted and helps people to help themselves.

The main alternative forms of development and aid are bilateral aid, multi-lateral aid and relief aid. Bilateral is aid given directly by a donor government to a recipient government. Multi-lateral aid is aid is given by an MEDC government to an international organisation such as the World Bank or the IMF, who then redistribute it to poorer countries. Relief aid is funded by both governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations and provides short-term disaster relief for natural disasters e.g. drought, or human-induced disasters e.g. civil war (2).

By comparing case studies of sustainable development in the areas of a) agriculture and food supply, and b) the use of rainforests as a natural resource, with other forms of aid and development, the benefits of sustainable development can be measured. Case studies will be identified by researching development and aid projects run by both governmental and non-governmental organisations.


Agriculture

Burkina Faso in North Africa is one of the world’s poorest countries, constantly plagued with problems of food insecurity, debt, desertification and HIV/AIDS. A large proportion of its population are subsistence farmers who barely produce enough millet to survive even in a good year. In bad years they find work in the city and sell livestock in order to buy grain. The climate is hot and dry, causing the ground to be baked hard so hoeing is an arduous task, taking a week to prepare an acre of land for sowing.

The Church in Tangaye encouraged the villagers to devise small scale, long-term development solutions. Supported by a grant from TEARFUND (an NGO), they started the Oxen Project in 1995 (see figure 2).

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As figure 2 shows, eventually three families benefit from a project starting with two families.

Figure 3 shows that the advantages of the Oxen Project outweigh the disadvantages. This project is sustainable as it is low tech and only required a primary investment. It will improve the quality of life of the people of Tangaye at an ever-increasing rate. However, it will be a long time before all the families own oxen.

For the people of Tangaye, this project is a necessity, as it will enable them to bridge the hunger ...

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