Sustainability: It is time to invert the trend

The society’s paradox

In the attempt of pursuing development, society is undermining its possibilities to achieve it.

Why

Non-sustainable mechanisms embedded in our society have driven it into a tunnel where the walls are continuously narrowing: while population and global demand for goods is increasing, life supporting resources on Earth are declining; while waste and pollution are accumulating, soil productivity and biodiversity are weakening; while the gap between the haves and the haves not is widening, social fabric is shrinking. It means that the room for maneuver is continuously narrowing; it means that humanity’s potential for well-being and prosperity is diminishing.

What we need to do

Today’s societal challenges require us to respond quickly and globally if we are to embrace truly human development. It means acting locally to address humanitarian issues, while sharing a common global vision of a sustainable future.  Failure to do so will make things worse and worse, till will be impossible for society to sustain itself. Worldwide people and businesses contribution with practical actions is vital to make the difference; In addition, a proactive governance which provides inputs to society is equally fundamental (laws, regulations, standards, mechanisms to stimulate change, etc.):  the proportion of the problem calls the political international arena to pursue a common understanding of issues and roles, finally producing a common strategy toward a sustainable future. In brief, today the world to change need leadership in every component: civil society, private sector and government.

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What is the response in the international arena?

Environmental issues

Internationally, attempts to face environmental issues are trapped on endless negotiations, last chapter the COP 17 held in Durban UNFCCC, where we are still missing a globally binding agreement. In the meanwhile:

• CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is today 391.57 ppm, with an increase of 2.07 ppm each year in the last decade, almost + 40% of the pre-industrial levels.
• 17 million hectares each year of rainforest is being removed
• 90% of large fishes have disappeared from oceans
• 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost

Social Issues

The widest attempt to address poverty and enhance people’s quality of life is represented by the Millennium Declaration, signed by 189 United Nations in 2000. Governments committed to achieve by 2015 8 millennium goals, including also environmental sustainability and global partnership.

To provide an insight of the current situation, let’s focus on the sub-Saharan Africa, the area of the world which incredibly describes another paradox: is the one which pays the toughest bills, while being the least in contributing to the damages.

Before analyzing some data to outline progress so far, let’s keep in mind few of the practices and mechanisms which are fundamental and interrelated to influence those indicators which could fulfill the millennium goals. If goals are attained, eventually success goes through such considerations, if objectives are missing, it is probably in these systems where humanity need to focus on new solutions.

• food security: as food wastage, agriculture practices, distribution methods, consumption trends;
• health: hygiene conditions , water sanitation, medicines and infrastructure availability, environmental quality, etc;
• markets and economy practices: fair negotiations, business activities impacts, business practices, laws and regulations, distribution of resources and wealth, etc.;
• governance: human rights, democracy, safety, policies and regulations, infrastructure, etc.
• international organizations and institutions role: philanthropic aid, assistance programs, standards and guidelines, know how.
• social fabric: culture, education, common sense, trust, connections, identity, etc.

Sub Saharan Africa, a disconcerting reality

While the percentage of people living under poverty line is slightly decreased, total amount is still above half population. Most of countries hold a proportion of undernourished population around 35%, with no or little improvement.

Half of the children out of school in the world are in Sub Saharan Africa, where conflicts and poverty issues are the factors more conditioning. The area holds additional 47 million young (15 to24 years old) illiterate. Here anyway we have a first sign of confort: regarding education, the area has shown a great improvement in gender equality, making the target achievable by 2015. This is great news, as women education can mean a lot in term of further gender empowerment in job creation, in maternity issues and child mortality, which often are related to high density population and very low income and education rate. Actually in countries were women are well educated the level of development is consistent: developing capabilities they involve in enriching society by political enrollment and leadership contribution; education means also better possibilities to work outside the house constraints, so that they help family toward wealth generation and food supply; finally adolescence maternity will be reduced has they devote time to school, so leading improvement in mothers and neonates mortality. As an evidence, notice that Sub-Saharan Africa show the better improvements in term of women access to paid work.

Child mortality rate has decreased showing a great improvement but still is far from other world zones, which are close to meet 2015 targets. Malaria is still a major killer in Sub-Saharan Africa, causing about 16 per cent of under-five deaths, nonetheless great improvements on the use of mosquito nets. Worryingly also increased the rate of neonate deaths. The number of people living with HIV is even increasing in most of the countries compared to 2000: the proportion of the problem is showed by this image. That is also because the use of contraceptives has presented very little improvement, making contagion easer as population grows.

Finally,  a population which in big proportion is fighting against starvation, can hardly take care of environmental sustainability in term of ecosystem preservation and deforestation. Sanitation problems and population density are not helping. Infrastructures’ lack causes low access to fresh water, even if resources are available. Anyway, due to poverty levels, ecological footprint of people is widely in line with Earth capacity of regeneration and absorption. The problem is that external countries and businesses exploit here resources to serve other part of the world while avoiding to respect environment and even contributing to social distress: the example of oil companies destroying the Niger delta is not alone.

Progress conclusions

Generally speaking, targets in Sub Saharan Africa are not met, neither will they do in 2015 according to current trends. This is the area which most needs; little improvement can have big impact on improvement quality of life, but we can not be satisfied by current results as to attain truly global development, the gaps outlined are so important to be covered. No one can be left behind in this very interdependent world, overall the most needy.

While today the concepts of development and sustainability are widely adopted, the development we are pursuing is still close to the paradox’s one: new actions have been implemented, new strategies have been thought, but the results display so often a widening gap in society, cultural harassment and ecological degradation.

And the clock is going on…

Comments Off on Sustainability: It is time to invert the trend / 11 Jan 2012 por Francesco Mazzeo
IMSD /

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