Defining Sustainable Development

By Georgia Holness
The Brundtland Commission, convened by the UN, defines sustainable development as,
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.” I do not believe this definition to be adequate as it does not
take the effects of the natural world into account. I believe that a more adequate definition would
be, “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs whilst maintaining the state
the natural environment was in prior to human development.”

It is very common for humans to do what is convenient for them without taking the consequences of
their actions into consideration. Even if humans meet the needs of the present and still provide for
future generations, they often do this at the cost of the natural environment. Humans clear large
areas of forest for agriculture which destroys the habitats of thousands of species. It is estimated
that 177, 000 square kilometres of forests and woodlands are cleared annually to make space for
agriculture, urban development and to harvest timbre. “Population growth, urbanization,
industrialization and tourism” (What Impacts Do Human Activities Have on Animals and Wildlife) are
all factors in this environmental degradation. Approximately 50 000 species are lost to human
activities such as deforestation per year. This is one of the reasons why I believe that the Brundtland
Commission’s definition for sustainable development is not adequate because by their definition,
although deforestation destroys animal habitats and ecosystems, it is a form of sustainable
development as it meets the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of
future generations. Sustainable development should work to restore the natural environment as
much is achievable whilst meeting the needs of current and future generations. Humans and nature
are not mutually exclusive, humans should be able to operate within nature without disrupting it.

As a future architect, I think it is important that all architects take into consideration the impact that
they have on nature. We need to design buildings in a way that they preserve nature and not disrupt
it. We need to find ways to build around nature and not on top of it. By doing things like building
around trees instead of cutting them down and around bodies of water instead of filling them in, we
can preserve natural ecosystems and encourage biodiversity. If urban areas are designed in a way
that it has sections set aside for wildlife and more green belts, the natural environment as well as its
ecosystems can begin to thrive and rather than be removed from urban areas, it can become part of
urban areas.

For the reasons above, I think that a more adequate definition for sustainable development would
be, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs whilst maintaining the state the natural environment was in
prior to human development.” Instead of destroying nature to meet their own needs, humans need
to learn to live with the nature that was there before them.
 Bibliography
“Deforestation: Clearing the Path for Wildlife Extinctions.” Www.adoptananimalkits.com (23 May

2022) www.adoptananimalkits.com/advocate/wild-earth/params/post/1278141/deforestation-

clearing-the-path-for-wildlife-extinctions#:~:text=Once%20their%20habitat%20is%20lost.

United Nations, “Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development Our Common

Future.” (1987): pg. 37

WWF. “What Impacts Do Humans Activities Have on Animals and Wildlife” (May 2017): pg. 1-2

WWF. “Impact of Habitat Loss on Species.” Panda.org (2020)

wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/wildlife_practice/problems/habitat_loss_degradation/.