TO THE TEACHER: RESOURCES INCLUDED HERE ARE INTENDED TO GIVE YOU BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE ON THE TOPIC OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

One example I like to give students to illustrate the many dimensions that can be taken on by a sustainable development system is of a farming practice in some areas of China where fish are introduced to paddy (rice) fields in the growing season when the paddy fields are flooded. The fish eat insects and weeds which can damage the young rice plants as well as provide fertilizer (through their wastes) for the plants (eliminating the need for chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer). In addition, rice yields are improved because of the Ònatural fertilizerÓ provided by the fish wastes, and farmers have an additional source of income when they sell the fish at the end of the growing season when fields are drained. (A page summarizing the economic results of such a system is included in the source materials file in FLB 2024 with the article titled ÒSustainable Agricultural Development in China.Ó)

Although most of the illustrations included here relate to environmental issues, the concept of sustainable development can be applied more broadly to include any type of development practice which can be sustained over time. See the IISD Web site for some more philosophical applications of Sustainable Development ideas.
Worksheet A - Sustainable Development

In the appropriate columns, list the problems and solutions discussed in the Now or Never videotape.

This videotape promotes the idea that impetus for change comes from the people themselves.

__________PROBLEMS_____________|________SOLUTIONS________ |

California |

toxic waste dump | grassroots work with

cancer, cysts | Greenpeace to close dump

contaminated dust & ground water |

Russia |

(Soviet Union) |

Moscow- air pollution | citizen activism, protests

Siberia- waste from papermills | scientists, journalists, & citizens

polluting Lake Baikal | protest

Leningrad- water pollution |

phenol, mercury, lead |

untreated sewage |

dam construction = stagnant water |

Kenya |

10 trees cut / 1 planted | Green Belt Mvmt-plant trees

top soil erosion | community development +

scarcity of firewood | environmental protection

nat'l debt: need export crops | environ education-kids too

game parks take up 10% of land | Benefits: fruit from trees,

wood sculptures for tourists | protect soil, firewood

Greece/ |

Mediterranean | 16-nation pact banning

pollution of Mediterranean | dumping of certain things

industrial wastes, oil tanker | pollution-monitoring ships

wastes, untreated sewage | recycling tanker wastes

rapid coastal development problems |

fish & fishery industry damaged |

Antarctica/ | Montreal Protocol

(Whole World) | limitations on CFC's

hole in ozone layer | alternatives to CFC's

Other/General | global cooperation needed

global warming | 1 ¯ population growth

rising sea level | 2 ¯ CO₂ emissions

agriculture problems | plant trees, save energy,

CO₂ emissions, CFC's | alternatives(solar/wind)

deforestation | 3 reduce & recycle wastes

| 4 preserve forest &

| wild species

What is the DEFINITION of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? How does Sustainable Development relate to Economic Development?

(Pay particular attention to the discussion of the UN International Conference and the interview with Mrs. Brundtland of Norway.)

1987: World Commission on Environment and Development

poverty is a threat to the environment

idea that economic growth can be compatible with caring for the environment = sustainable development

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Additional definition (not in videotape):

ÒTo be sustainable, development must improve economic efficiency, protect and restore ecological systems, and enhance the well-being of all peoples.Ó

- International Institute for Sustainable Development

(from their WWW homepage: http://iisd1/iisd.ca/ )
Worksheet D - Sustainable Development

Alternative Agriculture: Growing Concerns [Videotape]. (1989). Washington, DC: USDA Economic Research Service.

1. Comprehension question: Do the majority of American farmers practice sustainable agriculture? NO

2. List problems that sustainable agriculture is designed to address.

high production costs (high costs of inputs)

lots of pesticides, herbicides, & fertilizers used

contamination of both ground and surface water

chemicals in drinking water supplies

chemical residues in environment

?health risks

problems w/soil erosion & soil quality (land preservation)

3. List the specific sustainable agricultural practices mentioned.

organic/regenerative/"low-input" farming

crop rotations, ridge till, cover crops (e.g. clover= nitrogen)

animal manure & plant residues used for fertilizer

"land, labor, management"

bio-technology

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

4. List benefits of sustainable agriculture.

SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE

"farmer's have more choices"

adaptable

lower input costs

"take care of land better"

improved soil structure: nitrogen returned to soil

prevent soil erosion

improved water quality

weeds and pest controlled through "natural" means

5. List problems with sustainable agriculture.

SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE

?low input (may) = low output (low yields) - need stable food source

no good substitute for fertilizer on a large scale

have to control weeds (chemicals most cost-efficient)

(chemicals important in production and quality)

?higher food prices - may cost more to raise food if need more manpower

SDW & MSW Values and Beliefs Related to Sustainable Agriculture:

People allies with nature

People's health threatened

Needs of current generations

Biological diversity

Internally produced inputs

Worksheet E (part 1) - Sustainable Development

Morse, M. (1991, January/February). Sustainable development in action. Utne Reader, pp. 19-20.

1. List the countries mentioned which are using some sustainable development practices.

Mongolia

India (Ladakh province - on western edge of Tibetan plateau)

2. What are the problems in these countries which sustainable development is designed to address?

- degraded environments, social discord, depletion of resources

- (potential) disruption of nature and community life

- (Mongolia) mismanaged development erosion, dried-up lakes, air pollution, shrinking water

supplies

- migration of nomads (farmers) to city threatening livestock trade (which is 40% of Mongolia's

national income)

- (Ladakh) challenge of how to develop economically & technically without losing culture and

hurting the environment

- negative psychological effects brought by tourism and Western capitalism (e.g. seeing

themselves as poor & needy, instead of feeling good about what they have and who they are)

3. What examples of sustainable development are given in the articles?

- (Mongolia) electricity provided to rural population via solar panels & windmills

- education in agriculture:

maintain balance between production & conservation

make use of traditional farming techniques appropriate to region

e.g. favor native breeds of cattle (Mongolia)

- Ladakh has had an "environmentally sustainable economic system"

- characteristics of SD system: self-sufficiency, cooperation, & community

- (No specific SD practices listed for Ladakh)

4. What advantages and benefits of sustainable development are mentioned?

- (Mongolia) improved stability of rural population

- improved agriculture (implied)

- less degradation to environment (implied)

- (Ladakh) self-sufficiency, preservation of community and culture

- economic sufficiency without negative affects on environment & culture

- people are happier/psychologically healthier (implied)

5. What disadvantages or limitations of sustainable development, if any, are mentioned?

None mentioned.

6. What SDW and/or MSW values and beliefs seem to underlie the situations and practices discussed in the article? (refer back to Tables 1 and 2)

(All of the following SDW relate--though some less explicitly)

People allies with nature

Non-renewable resources running out

Pace of change needs to be controlled

Human progress depends on more than just science and technology

People live simply

People work to achieve community goals

There are limits to economic growth (Ladakh)

Localized development policies & programs

Capitalize on existing strengths of indigenous knowledge, technologies, and institutions

Emphasize local self-sufficiency

Smaller-scale diversified enterprises

Internally-produced inputs

Reduce dependence on fossil fuel energy sources
Worksheet E (part 2) - Sustainable Development

Gregersen, H.M. (1988). People, trees, and rural development: The role of social forestry. Journal of Forestry, 86(10), 22-30.

NOTE: Don't expect your students to find everything listed here. Some points are more obvious in the text than others.

Background on Social Forestry

SOCIAL FORESTRY "refers to a broad range of tree- or forest-related activities undertaken by rural landowners and community groups to provide products for their own use and for generating local income." p.23

Important in social forestry programs: "sustainable, productivity-increasing technologies that are adaptable to local circumstances and acceptable to local populations." p.23

"The basic issue in social forestry is how to change land use so that people get what they need on a sustainable basis from a relatively fixed or even shrinking land base." p.27

1. List the countries mentioned which are using some sustainable development practices.

Korea India Haiti Brazil Nepal

Costa Rica Nigeria Ecuador Sierra Leone Senegal

Philippines Thailand Kenya Jamaica

2. What are the problems in these countries which sustainable development is designed to address?

fuelwood scarcity (can't cook or heat homes)

unemployment

population growth = increased needs for fuelwood and agricultural land

deforestation and forest & environment degradation

3. What examples of sustainable development are given in the articles?

SOCIAL FORESTRY

reforestation

community fuelwood plantation

planting trees along fields (fence, windbreak, fuelwood)

intercrop trees with food crops

training in agroforestry & agroforestry research

upland land use and watershed management (TFAP p.27)

conservation of tropical forest ecosystems

forest-based industrial development

4. What advantages and benefits of sustainable development are mentioned?

improve environment (e.g. improved soil fertility)

increase food and energy security

decrease unemployment

[See graph p.24]

increase crop productivity

increase livestock production and control (fence around livestock)

windbreaks, shade

tree products for consumption or sale:

fruit

wood for building, fencing, fuel

improve livelihood of poor rural people:

income from tree products

soil improvement

food supplements

local community development

5. What disadvantages or limitations of sustainable development, if any, are mentioned?

need judgment in deciding how and when to integrate trees into farming systems because trees can compete with agricultural crops

sometimes difficult to promote local participation (people must have the resources (i.e. land), knowledge, incentives, and support for efforts to succeed) p.27-28

sometimes, because of population pressure, land not available for trees

sometimes limited availability of appropriate seedlings

assistance and incentive programs need to be managed well to avoid dependence on outside resources

lack of government support can make implementation and sustainablity of social forestry programs difficult

benefits of such programs are not immediately visible(they are long term)

6. What SDW and/or MSW values and beliefs seem to underlie the situations and practices discussed in the article? (refer back to Tables 1 and 2)

People are allies with nature

People consume "too many" natural resources (without replacing them)

People work to achieve community goals

(yet also MSW: Economic development based on seeking self-interests)

Through economic growth, people can rise above poverty MSW (sort of implied)

Needs of future generations

Localized development policies and programs (but foster top-level support too)

Emphasize localized self-sufficiency