Sustainability can be defined as the ability of coordination - be it a business, an ecosystem, a government or a community - to endure. Sustainability can be used to describe all aspects of improvement or development in the spheres of social and economic life of the people, agriculture, environmental conservation, infrastructure development, population growth, energy consumption and so on. However, the term sustainable development has evolved over the recent decades. The World Commission on Environment and Development's report Our Common Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987) has defined it as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Social sustainability is the least defined and least understood of the three pillars of sustainability and sustainable development. The triad of environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability is generally accepted as a model for addressing sustainability, yet the social aspect has had considerably less attention in public dialogue. The concept of social sustainability encompasses such topics as social equity, liveability, health equity, community development, social capital, social support, human rights, labour rights, social responsibility, social justice, cultural competence, community resilience and human adaptation. According to the Western Australia Council of Social Services (WACOSS), "Social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal processes, systems, structures, and relationships actively support the capacity of current and future generations to create healthy and liveable communities. Socially sustainable communities are equitable, diverse, connected and democratic, and provide a good quality of life." Social sustainability combines design of the physical realm with design of the social world - infrastructure to support social and cultural life, social amenities, systems for citizen engagement and space for people and places to evolve (S. Woodcraft et al, 2011))."
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen gives the following dimensions for social sustainability: (a) Equity - the community provides equitable opportunities and outcomes for all its members, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable members of the community; (b) Diversity - the community promotes and encourages diversity; (c) Interconnected/Social cohesions - the community provides processes, systems and structures that promote connectedness within and outside the community at the formal, informal and institutional level; (d) Quality of life - the community ensures that basic needs are met and fosters a good quality of life for all members at the individual, group and community level (e.g., health, housing, education, employment, safety); (e) Democracy and governance - the community provides democratic processes and open and accountable governance structures; (f) Maturity - the individual accept the responsibility of consistent growth and improvement through broader social attributes (e.g., communication styles, behavioural patterns, indirect education and philosophical explorations)
A society is much more than its physical form. A society is composed of people as well as the places where they live in; it is as much a social environment as a physical environment. Thus, societies must not only be environmentally sustainable, they must also be socially sustainable. Thus there is a vital need to integrate the physical and social design of communities if we are to create communities that are both environmentally and socially sustainable.
Sustainable development is conceived to be anchored on three pillars, which are to evolve concomitantly on sustainable factors, namely, economic, social and environmental; and to be centred on human beings, implying that the process of sustainable development is necessarily inclusive and should promote unity in cultural and other forms of diversity.
Freedom of choice is essential for the people to make the best possible contribution to their own and national development. Governance must be effective, which has no room for corrupt practices and procrastination. Transparency, accountability, coordination (lateral and vertical), right person at the right place, and professionalism of the functionaries are among the key characteristics of good governance. The rule of law must be established. A broad-based social movement is necessary to mobilise social and political forces against anti-social activities. Effective democratic local governments are necessary as a framework for local people to participate in governance and, thereby, in socio-economic processes of development. The on-going environmental degradation, which will be compounded by the adverse impact of anthropogenic climate change and sea level rise, must be addressed effectively in the interest of sustainable development. In this context, environmental governance (policy making, programme development, implementation of policies and programmes, coordination among various agencies and programmes, linkages with relevant international processes) has the key role to play and must be properly shaped, decentralised, and institutionalised. A high priority is attached to mobilisation of resources from national sources through more effective tax administration, local level mobilisation through an effective participatory local government, and restructuring of other arrangements.
A socially responsible public-private partnership is required, within the framework of which the government will facilitate and the private sector will exploit the existing and emerging market opportunities within the country and outside. In the process, the interests and needs of the people will be promoted through committed efforts by the state and the private sector, backed up by appropriate policies and guidelines.
Agricultural sector needs to be more efficient and more diversified, improving the prospects of its sustainability. Development of the energy sector is an essential pre-requisite for sustained development -- economic, social, and environmental. Emphasis is necessary to optimum development of different indigenous energy sources, with adequate attention to sustainable development of biomass fuels and new renewable sources of energy. A consensus is required in identifying information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a prospective sector for large-scale employment and income generation, which requires special attention in terms of a healthy public-private partnership.
Children and youth, participating in the deliberations, have expressed their frustrations and concerns regarding various problems and inadequacies permeating the country's educational system. They call for a better policy regime to foster national development and removal of political, bureaucratic and elite-centric hindrances in facilitating their journey towards a sustainable future.
Concerted action is needed to tackle the burning issue of arsenic contamination in tube well water, which is a health and, hence, a sustainability hazard. Encroachment onto rivers and wetlands is regarded as a major threat to the sustenance of the riverine country. There is a growing concern over gradual degradation of natural river courses due to human interventions. Deterioration of surface water quality is also prevalent and, increasing alarmingly.
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) should be accepted as the guiding framework for devising and implementing future development activities in the water sector. Decentralised water management with local government playing a key role and women effectively involved in the process is strongly advocated. While appreciating the success of disaster management, it is im[portent that a comprehensive National Disaster Management Programme (NDMP) be formulated and properly implemented to reduce the impact of and vulnerability to floods, droughts, riverbank erosion, salinity ingress, and cyclone and storm surges.
It is well known that the threats of climate change are real, imminent, and alarming for the country's sustainable development. A people-centric conservation mechanism must be promoted and facilitated to restore and maintain endangered species. There is a need to control extension of invasive species, while introduction of genetically engineered species must be brought under scrutiny and regulation.
Planned urbanisation is viewed as an immediate necessity in Bangladesh. It is agreed that the media, particularly the print media, are making useful contributions to disseminating news and information relating to development and it should play a more vigorous and constructive role to help promote sustainable development in the country.
One of the important objectives of social sustainability is to preserve biodiversity and ecological functions, for the benefit of present and future human generations. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) can help reduce poverty, energy shortage and environmental degradation such as desertification, biodiversity depletion and climate change effects in Bangladesh. The country is short of gas and electricity supply. Over-exploitation of biomass in meeting energy needs of the rural people has caused environmental degradation.
The government's target of achieving universal primary education is prospective but still needs be geared up. Empowerment of women has seen some progress, but patriarchal attitudes and non-progressive social perspectives still stand as major stumbling blocks which are regarded as the barriers for social sustainability in Bangladesh.
The writer is a lecturer, Department of Sociology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU), Gopalganj.
anisrahaman01@gmail.com
Journey towards social sustainability
Mohammad Anisur Rahaman | Published: March 02, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2025 06:01:00
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