Showing papers on "Social sustainability published in 1992"

Energy and the ecological economics of sustainability

Abstract: Energy and the Ecological Economics of Sustainability examines the roots of the present environmental crisis in the neoclassical economics upon which modern industrial society is based. The author explains that only when we view ourselves in the larger context of the global ecosystem and accept the physical limits to what is possible can sustainability be achieved.

Rural development projects in LDCs: Appraisal, participation and sustainability

Abstract: Evidence on the performance of development projects shows that sustainability is seldom achieved Project sustainability is influenced by ecological, social, political and economic systems However, the blueprint approach to project choice tends to incorporate sustainability into the project cycle by considering only economic and environmental systems This is done by adopting elaborate methodologies such as expanded CBA and EIA This approach is unlikely to lead to sustainable projects The 'participation approach' is more sensitive to the social and political systems than the blueprint approach It involves people in decision-making and sees the achievement of sustainable projects as the result of people's empowerment and self-reliance However, under certain circumstances, this approach can lead to environmentally unsustainable projects Smaller scale projects tend to bring about sustainability, but government control might be needed to ensure this Social obstacles exist in implementing participation but occur for top-down projects as well Problems exist in combining the bottom-up and top-down approaches

The social investment almanac : a comprehensive guide to socially responsible investing

Abstract: A reference and resource for individuals and professionals investigating the opportunities of social investment. It introduces the fundamentals of social investing, including shareholder activism, corporate social monitoring, researching social performance, principles of managing social portfolios,

Economic Development and the Environment: A Comparison of Sustainable Development with Conventional Development Economics

Abstract: Introduction of sustainability to development theory environmental and resource problems created by development projects application of sustainability to development projects sustainable development and foreign assistance agencies case studies on environmental and resource management positive programmes for sustainable development.

Population-landscape interactions in development: a water perspective to environmental sustainability.

Abstract: Water plays a crucial role in the causality chains that effect biodiversity disturbance. It interacts with soil and vegetation. Any landscape manipulation produces secondary effects. Pollution overuse of groundwater and salinization and water logging of irrigated ground comprise avoidable side effects. Unavoidable side effects are changes in vegetation and water level. Governments especially those in developing countries must include in their national planning a realistic judgment of what the land can produce in the long term. In effect they need to consider environmental and social consequences of land manipulation from a balancing perspective. In dry climate regions the distribution of precipitation to either return flow to the atmosphere or surplus recharging aquifers and rivers is susceptible to vegetation changes. Increased use of biomass (food fodder fiber fuelwood timber) results in more return flow to the atmosphere leaving less water to support human needs. In dry areas this may be as much as 1000 sq m/ton biomass produced. Social side effects of manipulation of the soil-vegetation-water system include marginalization of the disadvantaged increasing expectations and changes to traditional understanding of landscape limits. Population growth increases the degree of landscape manipulation. This only exacerbates marginalization of the existing poor. Governments and scientists must develop a framework that considers differences in physical landscape and sociocultural conditions within the landscape. This holistic view must incorporate differences in quality of life perceptions; the abilities of governments to keep up with reduced per capita water availability and increasing per capita demands; and economic social and environmental sustainability criteria. Environmental sustainability is needed for economic and social sustainability. Decisive actions for the future are female education and active development of livelihood security in rural areas.

The sustainable cities manifesto: pretext, text and post-text

Abstract: sustainable cities have been and are likely to be compact cities, we have also concluded that compactness in and of itself is not a definitive indicator of sustainability. As we will try to show, the operative principle guiding the design and governance of sustainable cities is the striving for ecological and social sustainability. By contrast, the dominating element of compact cities is population and spatial density. While the sustainable city treats urban density as an enabling element, its distinctive design feature lies in its c mmitment to the principle of homeostatic balance within the city and between urban habitat and nature. What should become

Discounting and Sustainability

Abstract: The discounting of future benefits has long been one of the most controversial, and in many ways, unsatisfactory, aspects of benefit -cost analysis. This concern has been heightened by the rise of the environmental movement and, particularly by the debate over sustainable development. The sustainability approach is presented as an alternative to the standard benefit-cost analysis approach to the question of inter-generational equity. Sustainability is in fashion, and, as with all fashionable terms, it has been used in many ways and in support of many different policy agendas. A summary and critique of the literature is given by Ule (1991). I shall interpret sustainability very broadly to encompass two main concerns: (i) The interests of future generations should be given equal weight with our own in making decisions affecting the long term future; (ii) It should not be assumed that capital (that is, technology embodied in produced goods) can be substituted indefinitely to compensate for land (taken broadly to include all the contributions of the natural environment to human welfare, and agricultural production in particular). In this paper, the relationship between the idea of sustainability and the older literature on optimal growth is examined and implications for discounting, income distribution and the treatment of uncertainty are explored.

Sustainability, efficiency and equity: project appraisal in economic development strategies.

Abstract: This paper focuses on conflicts between short-term economic development and long-term environmental problems. It starts with a brief historical overview of the role of environmental externalities and related social costs in economic theory. Following the international debate after the publication of the Brundtland report - Our Common Future - the paper will elaborate on the notion of ecologically sustainable development. The main question tackled in this paper is how to use the sustainability concept In project appraisal in addition to the traditional criteria of efficiency and equity. Issues in the triangular relationship between these three key development objectives will be discussed in great detail, with specific reference to developing countries. Definitions of the key criteria of sustainability, efficiency and equity will be proposed, including issues such as risk assessment and intergenerational trade-offs. Identification of sustainability-oriented project profiles and impact matrices are the logical follow-ups of the previous approach. In this context, considerable attention will be paid to problems inherent in measuring scores on the environment and on sustainability. Finally, comparison and integrated evaluation of projects in sustainability-oriented project appraisal will be dealt with.

Social Security In The Asian-Pacific Region

Abstract: This article is an analysis of the structure and evolution of the social security system in the Asian-Pacific region. Uncritical application of the western models have resulted in waste, irrelevance and neglect. The authors offer a comparative view of this perspective. Analysis presented in this article focus on diversity of approaches -national provident fund, employer liability system, social insurance, social assistance and social allowances - that represent continuous adaptation of varied social, economic, political and cultural needs.

Environment, Growth, and Sustainability

Abstract: (1992). Environment, Growth, and Sustainability. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 915-919.

Economic and Environmental Policies for Sustainability

Abstract: One aspect of sustainable development is operationalized: if economic growth is to be compatible with environmental restrictions, then both technology and output composition must somehow be restricted to take increasing scarcity of environmental resources into account. The simplest approach for an economist to illustrate the practical implications of this is through increasing prices on environmental services. As an example, a global tax on fossil fuel combustion is discussed as a tool for controlling the emission of greenhouse gases. In the light of this example, environmental policy development both at the level of various groups of countries and at the global level is briefly discussed.

Sustainable development in perspective, definition, concepts and policy issues

Abstract: This paper examines the concept of sustainability with special emphasise on the context of sustainable development. The issues involved in defining the implicative meaning of sustainability is explored, and sustainability according to the ecological, economic and social perspectives are discussed. A brief outline of a sustainable development framework and the features of sustainable development is provided. Lastly, the paper presents some of the requirements to achieve sustainable development.

Social factors in social forestry

Abstract: Social forestry has emerged as one of the principal responses to the problems caused by the widespread loss of forest cover in the developing world. India is one of the countries that has promoted social and community forestry projects in a variety of forms. One such project is the Tank Foreshore Plantation Project (TFPP) in Andhra Pradesh, supported by the Forest Department. Unlike the Department's traditional programmes which excluded people except as hired labour, its social forestry programme is people-oriented and people centred. As the success of these projects depend largely 9n the effective participation of the people, the authors of this book attempt to identify and analyze the role of social factors in sustaining and promoting the social forestry projects, especially the TFPP in Andhra Pradesh. The TFPP envisages the raising of plantations by the Forest Department, protection by the community, and sharing of the return by the community and the government on an equal basis. However, the implementation of this programme was affected by the social and local power structures of the community participating in the programme. This study, which is based on empirical data collected from 17 villages in two districts in Andhra Pradesh, attempts to unravel the various socio-cultural and political forces working within the community, and to identify and evolve a suitable mechanism for promoting the active participation of the local community in TFP programmes. The study revealed that although people's participation in the programme was a prime objective, there was no built in mechanism for involving the people in planning and implementing it. Consequently, conflicts arose, mainly due to the general lack of awareness among the people about the project's short term and long term benefits, and. the loss of benefits and withdrawal of facilities the people enjoyed before project implementation. The authors emphasize that programme success is dep~ndent on understanding the interplay of existing social relations and the power that individuals exert on the use of a common