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A Simple Representation [1]
| Achieving the primary goal of sustainable development | Human Health and Well-being | ||
| requires health and balance of various systems | Economic Systems | Environmental Systems | Social Systems |
| and, therefore, attention to conditions and exchanges within those systems. | Human-Environment Relationships | Relations within & across Ecosystems | Human-Human Relationships |
| Sustainable development incorporates three primary, foundational principles | Meet human needs (material & non-material) | Maintain ecological integrity | Ensure equity & social justice |
| and three supportive, process-oriented principles | Facilitate Participation & Cooperation | Use Appropriate Technology | Develop Appropriate Organizational Structures |
| intended to facilitate the meeting of sustainable development's goals. | |||
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NARRATIVE: The ultimate goal of sustainable development is human health and well-being. Some have raised objections to my emphasis on human health and well-being arguing that human health is dependent on the health of the biosphere and, therefore, protection of the environment should be the primary goal.
While I agree with this dependency, declaring environmental protection as the ultimate goal leaves open the option of eliminating overly destructive species (e.g., humans) from the planet; I doubt this is an option for serious consideration.
‘Sustainable Development' is a human construct and humans are a central focus of concern. In the end, sustainable development calls for human transformation; a personal transformation.
Achieving the primary goal of sustainable development requires health and balance of various systems -- economic systems, environmental systems, social systems -- and, therefore, attention to conditions and exchanges within those systems.
Attention must be given to relations between humans and their environment(s); relations within and across ecosystems; and relations between humans individually and collectively. Principles intended to facilitate movement toward sustainable development include three core or ‘foundational' principles: meeting human needs; maintaining ecological integrity; and ensuring social equity and justice. These objectives are to be supported by three process-oriented principles: facilitate participation and cooperation of various interested parties and stakeholders in information-gathering and decision-making processes; use technology appropriate to the problem and context; and develop appropriate organizational structures which support and manage change and maintenance strategies.
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