BY DR CHEE SU YIN
TO SOME FOLKS, the words sustainable and development can never exist side by side. Their essence is on opposite sides of the spectrum. A juxtaposition. The term “sustainable” seeks to exhort nature while “development” is usually associated with destroying it. You cannot develop and conserve at the same time. Surely when development is carried out, nature loses.
Yes, this is true to some extent. Humans have been developing landscapes and modifying the face of the earth for millennia. In the process, we have replaced vast areas of natural ecosystems with hard-engineered, concrete structures.
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As a result, we have lost much of the nature needed to maintain that delicate balance for the survival of all living beings and crossed tipping points with no chance for U-turns.
This reality has even given rise to a few new terms. “The Anthropocene” describes the most recent period in our world’s history when the human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems. The term “ecocide” was invented to address mean mass damage and destruction of ecosystems – severe harm to nature that is widespread or long-term.
Add “climate emergency” to the list and this might give rise to a fit of “climate anxiety” – that sad, anxious, angry, or powerless feeling a person has when he or she thinks about the consequences of climate change.
On one hand, we have developed. On the other hand, we have climate change and all its related issues. The question is, do we sit and gloom over being between a rock and a hard place? Do we wring our hands in dismay and mope over the pretense that nothing can be done?
In my opinion, this is something we need to face head-on. While I am personally against harmful developments that obliterate natural landscapes, I am also acutely aware that the human population is now at 7.9 billion people and this number is rapidly rising. It is safe to say that we will continue to make space for ourselves.
The question is how are we going to do this? I do think that we must achieve sustainable development or die trying. There is no other way. Our future generations depend on it. We depend on it.
Governments, organisations, industries, and individuals must come together to promote nature in a human-dominated environment. Although sometimes, sustainable development efforts can be seen as greenwashing, I think it is still worth the strive, especially in situations where our intentions are to create a better future for all living things.
To make development sustainable and create a future that is equitable for both humans and its surrounding environment, we must prioritise nature. Nature can be a solution to all sorts of environmental crises including those from landscape developments and climate change.
There is no Planet B. This is the only Earth we have. We must restore and protect it foremostly, and if development must happen, we need to make sure that it is carried out in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To this end, we must make development sustainable.
NOTE: The author is a coastal conservationist at the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her research interests are in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Integrated Green-grey Infrastructure (IGGI) for the marine environment.
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