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D. Developing sustainable development indicators

Parameters of Sustainable Development

The goal of sustainable development is an outcome achieved through joint effort among several interrelated parameters and requiring coordination at both vertical and horizontal levels. There exists dynamic triangular relationship among three key Environmental, Economic and Social parameters. The people centred social parameter form the broad base of triangle as active public participation holds an instrumental role. The interrelationship between population, environment and development is complex. Besides key factors, efficient manpower capacity building, institutional strengthening, including strong political will and effective implementation/ monitoring mechanism play equally important roles for successful outcome of the sustainable development.

Particularly, these can be dealt as environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, social sustainability, and institutional sustainability: 

Environmental sustainability: 

This relates with maintenance of carrying capacity of natural resource base and life support systems. This emphasizes on area of conservation of biodiversity hotspots, increase in forest cover, watershed protection, and adoption of holistic approach. Equally important are reduction of environmental threats, environmental pollution and adoption of environment friendly clean and green technologies to mitigate local to global level environmental problems such as biodiversity loss, climate change from an inter–generational equity perspective.

Economic sustainability:

This provides basically important energy source like a “battery” to secure environmental and social sustainability. This emphasizes on promotion of economic self-sustenance of development projects through measures like adequate budgeting, budget transparency and financial incentive. The focus area includes; alleviation of poverty, increase in per capita income, promotion of income generating activities including off farm employment and green micro-enterprises, establishment of mechanism of fair sharing of benefit and natural resource accounting.

Social sustainability:

This focuses on upgrading human environmental quality of life with fulfillment of basic needs and transforming human from most dangerous animal to most important creative resource. It emphasizes local communities be well informed on tips of sustainable ways of resource utilization. Ensure active public participation at various level of development activity as well as fair sharing of responsibility of benefit as user groups. . Collaborative effort in conservation and development activities, improvement in public health, education and basic need, reduction of conflict among stakeholders on resource use. This will be derived through upgrading public environmental awareness. Enhanced gender equity and self-confidence among local community with an emphasis on economically disadvantaged/marginalized groups.

Institutional sustainability:

Plans and programs without action represent futile exercise. Strict implementation and monitoring of relevant environmental policies, plans, laws, regulations and standards is indispensable to attain the goal of sustainable development. There should be adequate skilled and motivated manpower and strong institutional capacity to address environmental and social sustainability. Focus area lies to achieve environmental quality of life such as reduced air, water soil, noise pollution to accepted level of international standard and public confidence to get involved in environmental conservation activities. Institutional strengthening of project management should be efficient to deal environmental problems having local, national, regional to global level significance and including legally binding world conventions and treaties.

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