Dr.

Douglas Aghimien
Department of Civil Engineering Technology
University of Johannesburg
Doornfontein
MODULE OUTLINE

• Introduction to Sustainability
• Defining and Understanding the concept of sustainability and sustainable
development. Defining of sustainability related terms
• History of Sustainability
• History of Unsustainability, theoretical advances and institutionalisation of
sustainability
• Global Challenges as ‘Wicked’ Problems

• Principles and Concept of Sustainability

• Sustainability Issues – Social, Economic and Environment

• Frameworks for Strategic Sustainable Development

• Decision Making tools for sustainable development

• Role of the construction industry and civil engineers in sustainable

development
Principles and Concept of Sustainability
1. Anthropocentrism
• Principle 1 of the Rio declaration: Human beings are at the
center of concerns for sustainable development. They are
entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with
nature.

• Sustainability points out an anthropocentric point of view.

Anthropocentrism means that the humans are in the
center of the debate.

• Humans are dependent on natural resources and on a healthy

ecological system.
2. Nature Conservation
• Conservation of species is the reason why humans
care first for their own life and then for Nature.

• But man is only “complete” if he protects Nature

adequately.
3. Justice and Equity
• Pearce (1988) differentiates between three types of justice:
- Intragenerational Justice
- Intergenerational Justice
- Justice to Nature

• Sustainability focuses on humans of all generations, present

and future. All generations should have access to the same
possibility of satisfying their needs.
Problems of equity:
1. All use of natural resources, especially of the non-renewables,
benefits the present generations but not future generations.
2. Degradation in the quality of environmental resources
3. Loss of environmental services performed by natural
resources
4. Lack of effective access to natural resources
5. Irreversible actions such as nuclear accidents harm all
generations
6. Depletion of resources
7. Degradation in environmental quality
• The theory of intergenerational equity according to Edith
Brown Weiss (1989):

“At any given time, each generation is both a custodian and trustee
of the planet for future generations and a beneficiary of its fruits.
This imposes obligations upon us to care for the planet and gives us
certain rights to use it.”

• Intragenerational equity is justice in the present generation

• Poverty is a primary cause of ecological degradation.

 ?
• How can we expect
impoverished countries to
care about future
generations, if they cannot
even care for their own
people today
 • Intergenerational equity requires wealthy
countries, which can afford to protect natural
resources without overexploitation, to assist
impoverished ones in realizing access to natural
resources without destruction.

• Each generation is responsible for the next

generation, its own children and grand-children.
4. Comprehensiveness
• Sustainable development embodies integrating,
understanding and acting on the complex interconnections
that exist between the environment, the economy, and
society.

• This is not a balancing act or a playing of one issue off

against the other, but recognition of the interdependent
nature of these three pillars.
5. Long-term Durability
• Humans must take care of future generations, so there is need
to protect natural resources, especially the non-renewables.

• Different developments in countries give the people different

chances to secure their survival and the survival of their
children and grand-children.

• The question about intergenerational equity and fairness must

be discussed.

• Currently, one quarter of the world population is using three

quarters of the world’s resources.
Overview of Sustainable Development and its
Principles
How can we allocate
resources between the
present and future
generations? Future
generations are not
represented in the process
of making decisions today.