ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT BY BABA ALI MUSTAPHA

Conceptual Definition of Environment and Development

Meaning of Environment

            The term environment refers to the thin layer of life and life supports called biosphere which includes the earth’s air, water, soil and living organisms. It is the sum total of all the external factors that life of an organism (Ayuba, 2005). It may also refer to the complex, social or cultural conditions that affect an individual or community. Environment may be categorized into three broad type: physical environment, biological environment and social environment. The physical environment is the non living part of the earth and the atmosphere, etc, the biological environment comprises of all living organisms while social environment refers to the environment created by man such as settlement, farmlands, markets places, road, etc.

            In recent years, there is a very strong influence of man on the environment through his numerous efforts towards development. This has led to a strong need to examine the relationship between environment and development. Perhaps the greatest of such effort was the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in held in Stockholm (1972), Rio de Janeiro (1992) and subsequence similar conferences in Kyoya (Japan) and in Johannesburg (South Africa). The link between environment and development can also be observed in the current Millennium Development goals where a balanced form of development can be seen in the eight specific goals to be achieved by 2018.

Meaning of Development

            There is a general lack of clarity in the meaning of development because it has meant different things to different people at different times. There existed many and sometimes even conflicting views of what is meant by development. Some see it as economic growth; others as being synonymous with modernization and some see it as a condition of living of the people in their own environment as dictated by their basic needs. Hodder (2000:3) defines development as ‘an economic, social or political process which results in cumulative rise in the perceived standard of living for an increased proportion of a population. This definition suggests that an increased standard of living involves a social and political process as well as an economic one. This definition also embraces the concept of equality as the crucial aim in any development process, but it does not go so far as to place the removal of all inequalities as the purpose in the development process. More simple, it is believed that development is economic growth with equality (Hodder, 2000:4).

            Since the late 1960s there have been several definitions of development. First, it was equated with economic growth and later it became synonymous with industrialization. However, despite what has been happening to poverty? What has been happening to unemployment? And what has been happening to inequality? He then submitted that if all these had declined from high levels then it means development had been achieved. Defining development, Rodney (1972) views development as the collective process of economic empowerment and social enhancement, through the harnessing of the environment by understanding the laws of nature. Rodney also believes that at the individual level it implies increased skill, greater freedom, creativity, self discipline and responsibility and material well-being. Mabogunje (1980) on the other hand viewed development as a rapid and sustained increased in actual output and attendant shift in economic, demographic and technological characteristics of a given country. Consequently, the meaning of development as defined Mabogunje entails increase in Gross National Product (GNP) per Capita through increased production in agriculture, mining or forestry. He further expanded this to include modernization, land reform, restructuring of territorial and administrative structures, distributive justice and socio-economic transformation of societies. 

            Smith (1977) argued that any development indicator based on monetary value of production is subject to both technical and conceptual shortcomings. He said the most important factor is physical survival which include food, water, shelter and clothing as well as psychological needs such as health, education and security. These constitute what are generally referred to as basic needs. The human race of development is perhaps best represented by the United Nations Development Fund’s (2010:40) view that ‘people are both the beneficiaries and the agents of long term, equitable human development, both as individuals and as groups. Hence human development is development by the people and for the people’ this gives the dimension of human development as health and life, education, decent standard of living, political freedom and process freedom, creativity and productivity, environment, social and relational culture arts.

Sustainable Development

            The concept of sustainable development become of International usage following the publication of our common future and United Nation Conference on Environment and Development Conference in Rio stressing the interdependence of economic growth, and the environmental quality, without a healthy environment, economic activity, let alone growth is threatened. The conference emphasized that dealing with the essential needs of the world’s poor is priority. There are many definitions of sustainable development; however, the most common cited is that derived from our common future defining sustainable as that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own need (WEED 1987). World Bank defines sustainability as the maintenance of capital’ of which there are three. There are human made capital (i.e. houses, roads, buildings –the build environment); human capital, that is people’s capability, knowledge and natural capital, that is natural resources 9World Bank, 1993). A minimum condition for sustainable development is that the environment is valued as an integral part of the socio economic process. Sustainable development (SD) is equally defined as a pattern of economic growth in which resource use aims to meet human need while preserving the environment, so that these needs can be met not only in present but also for generation to come (Wikipedia, 2011). It is argued that the promise of intergenerational, equity in the use of natural resources, based on the principles of sustainability and combination of economic and environmental reforms has been one of the hallmarks of international development during the past two decades.

            Olofin (2006), also stressed that there are three aspects of sustainability that are equally important in achieving an overall sustainable development. These are ecological, socio-economic and integrated views of sustainable development. He advocates that the routes to sustainable development are through the adoption of mitigating measures to prevent degradation and poverty and applying remediation to make good what is already bad in terms of their environmental and human quality.

            Baba Ali Mustapha is with Department of Planning and Research, Ministry of Environment, Borno State, Nigeria.