Aligning Environment With Development

The ultimate goal of the development process, according to Nobel laureate Professor Amartya Sen, is human development, which includes, among other things, social advancement, income growth, capacity building, equity, participation, freedom, and environmental sustainability. Although the discourse on the interrelations between human development and environmental sustainability was introduced officially by the United Nations in 2000 through its Millennium Development Goals, the environmental aspect had already put its footprints on the development agenda in 1980s with the emergence of the notion of sustainable development. It places a strong emphasis on the prudent and optimal use of the natural resources available today, ensuring that future generations will have access to these resources.