Module No.
Module 1:
and Title Different Development Perspectives
Lesson No. Lesson 2: Sustainable Development
and Title
Learning 1. Describe the meaning and concept of sustainable development.
Outcomes
2. Identify the two perspectives of sustainable development.
3. Develop positive outlook on programs and activities that would
contribute in achieving sustainable development in the society.
Time Frame 2 hrs.
Introduction
After you have learned the evolving paradigms in the previous lesson
maybe you have still wonder what development really means. It's concept is
still evolving. The previous paradigms focus on industries, agriculture, spatial-
related and the like. But it seems there is still the question on how those
desirable changes become sustainable. The next lesson which focuses on
sustainable development will bring us to another concept of development. Let's
examine how similar or different this development paradigm from those which
we already learned. Let's also view our condition now and ask ourselves, are
we contributor to the attainment of sustainable development in our community
in particular and the society in general.
Before going to the main lesson, take first this activity.
Activity
Take a look at the following images or pictures and answer or give what are
asked.
1
1. Describe what you perceive in Image No. 1. showing Former Department of
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez with her statement.
__________________________________________________________
2. What happens during environmental degradation?
______________________________________________________________
3
1. Describe the agriculture-related activities that are shown in this Image No. 3
_______________________________________________________________
Analysis 1. With reference to Image No. 1, do you think the statement of the
late Gina Lopez, who is a strong advocate of Environmental Protection
and Preservation, is for the welfare of the future generation? Support
your answer.
_______________________________________________
2. With reference to Image No. 3, do you consider the new farming
practice in this sloping area is a good farming practice? _____
If yes, cite five reasons why?
_________________________________________________________
__________________________
If no, cite also your reasons why No as your answer.
________________________________
3. With reference to Image No. 2 about environmental degradation, do
you think we, the people that inhabit the land are the number 1
contributor to environmental degradation? _________ Support your
answer. _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________.
Let’s see if you answered right.
Abstraction What is sustainable development? There are two perspectives of sustainable
development: 1. ‘Western’ perspective: the Brundtland Commission, and
2. Eastern perspective: Phra Dhammapidhok
1. ‘Western’ perspective: the Brundtland Commission
In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), also
known as the Brundtland Commission, defined sustainable development as
“Sustainable development is a development which meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs” (Elliott, 1994: 4).
Environment and sustainable development became a dominant theme in the
development agenda since the Brundtland Commission Report entitled: Our Common
Future was established in April 1987 by Oxford University Press.
The report elaborated that there are two concepts which are fundamentally tied to the
process of sustainable management of the earth’s resources, as follows:
1. The Basic Needs of Humanity
2. The Limits of Development
1. The Basic needs of humanity for food, clothing, shelter, and jobs MUST BE MET.
This involves, first of all, by paying attention to the largely unmet needs of the
world’s poor, which should be given overriding priority.
2. The Limits to development are not absolute but are imposed by present state of
technology and social organization and by their impacts upon the biosphere’s ability
to absorb the effects of human activities. But technology and social organization can
be both managed and improved to make way for new era of economic growth.
In sum, sustainable development requires the following:
1. A political system that secures effective citizen participation in decision-making.
2. An economic system that is able to generate surpluses and technical knowledge on
a self-reliant and sustainable basis.
3. A social system that provides for solutions for the tensions arising from
disharmonious development
4. A production system that respects the obligation to preserve the ecological base for
development
5. A technological system that can search continuously to new solutions.
Core issues and necessary conditions for sustainable development as identified by the
WCED are:
• Population and development
• Food security
• Species and ecosystems
• Energy
• Industry
• Urban
2. Eastern perspective: Phra Dhammapidhok
From a Buddhist perspective, sustainability concerns ecology, economy and
evolvability. The concept ‘evolvability’ means the potential of human beings to
develop themselves into less selfish persons.
The main core of sustainable development is to encourage and convince human beings
to live in harmony with their environment, not to control or destroy it. If humans have
been socialized correctly, they will express the correct attitude towards nature and the
environment and act accordingly
1. Consider yourself to be living in a village which is endowed with rich
natural resources such as a thick forest, streams where clean water flow, and
Application
agricultural land with fertile soil, among others. And you are fortunate enough
to come from a family who own a vast piece of land in this village, such piece
of land was handed down to your family by your ancestors.
Now, there is a private firm that is proposing to your family to convert your
place into an agri-tourism or eco-tourism site, and offering your family a big
amount of money just so you will be convinced and that the project will be
pushed though.
How would you apply the two concepts (1. meeting the basic needs, and 2. the
limit of development) that you may still consider that what you are doing is
still within the bound of sustainable development. You may give your opinion
whether it is good to convert your place into an agri-tourism site, and whether
it is within the scope of sustainable development.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________.
Closure Congratulations. You have finished Lesson 2. Moving on next, we will take a
look at participatory development.