Understanding The Sustainability Meaning In A Developing Society

By Author: Kalpesh Kumar
Total Articles: 185
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“Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the air and drink the water. Don't sit this one out. Do something” - Carl Sagan

This may sound like a simple sentence but it is something that every responsible individual should give a thought to and act in a responsible manner. India and the world are on a path of sustainable development, because the fact is without it, there is no real future for the rest of humanity. But the reality is the use of natural resources in India is extremely unsustainable, which has led to rapid ecological degradation.

What is a Sustainable Society?

Sustainability meaning differs from person to person and society to society. In a developing society like India, the consumption of resources is much higher as compared to the available resources. This has led to a deep scarcity of non renewable natural resources in the country. If the same situation continues, then one fine day there won’t be anything left for anyone and this is where the situation gets grim.

A sustainable society is the one which uses natural resources in a manner that ...
... it gets efficiently managed for the current and the future generations. Rather than just managing the existing natural resources, a lot of importance is given to creating renewable resources. There are several efforts from the government and the corporate sector to promote sustainability in the Indian society.

Here are some of the common ecological concerns faced in India.

Deforestation through excessive logging to create new cities and human dwellings
Environmental pollution
Over consumption of non renewable natural resources
Excess fishing
Water pollution by releasing toxic waste and chemicals in to the ocean.
Unsustainable farming method
Excessive grazing
Using non renewable natural fuels as opposed to green vehicle technology.
There are several efforts from the corporate sustainability initiatives and the NGO sector to promote sustainability in the country. These efforts may sound simple to begin with but have a great impact on the ecostructure. Some of the common initiatives for sustainable development in India are as follows:

Recycling for converting waste into newer raw materials
Waste management for controlling overall pollution and creating newer sources of raw material
Creating newer forms of renewable energy sources like wind energy, solar energy.
Adapting green technology to control the release of harmful gases in the environment and reduce the carbon footprints in the atmosphere.
Using energy saving devices like CFL and LED lights that consume less electricity
Using hybrid cars that use biodiesel or ethanol fuel that controls air pollution and are also cost efficient.
Adapting renewable energy sources in the industrial and transport sector.
Thankfully, with the amount of exposure that the topic of sustainability has been getting, the general understanding about it in the society too has improved. People are more conscious about their actions but then we are definitely a long way off from being a completely sustainable society. But yes, if each one of us makes an attempt towards doing their own bit for the purpose, there will be a considerable and drastic change in the ecosystem. With this, very soon India will be in league of other sustainable nations around the world.

Get more information on: Sustainability Meaning & Sustainable Development