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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Q. What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development has been defined as "development which meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs" (Report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987).
Sustainable development is about the interface between human society and the
environment.
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Q. What does sustainable development mean to individuals and
communities?
Sustainable development is about a better way of approaching the management of
natural resources and the adverse effects of globalisation in order to address
a range of problems. These include loss of biodiversity, pollution and
destruction of natural resources (such as forests, fisheries). This impact is
not limited to the developing world. Many in the industrialised world also
suffer the consequences of mismanagement of the Earth's environmental and human
resources - and that trend is likely to grow as the world's economic and social
systems become increasingly inter-linked. Some examples are as follows:
- About 1.2 billion people worldwide lack sufficient access to fresh water,
and water-borne disease causes millions of deaths every year.
- Air pollution, which crosses national borders and affects us all, is one of
the major causes of illness and death worldwide.
- Preventable diseases such as malaria and AIDS kill millions each year, but
could be largely prevented with the support of developed healthcare systems and
improvements in sanitation.
- Destruction of forests, fisheries and agricultural land leads to poverty
and famine, which can create breakdowns in civil society and governments,
leading in some cases to armed conflict.
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Q. Will the Summit make the WTO and World Bank more responsive to community
concerns?
The Summit cannot impose new requirements directly on the WTO and the World
Bank. However the governments that will attend the Summit are the same
governments that set the terms and conditions for WTO and World Bank processes.
If the Summit results in the political will to change policies that are being
implemented by these and other Inter-Governmental Organisations, it is the
responsibility of the same member governments give effect to any necessary
changes.
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__________________________________________________________________
Copyright © United
Nations
Department of Economic and
Social Affairs
Division for
Sustainable Development
Comments and suggestions
24 August 2006
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