The Future of Sustainability: Have Your Say!

Week Three - “The New Economy and Biodiversity”
Comment / Comentario / Commentaire

Nakul Vhettri, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development - ICIMOD, India

Moderating team: Nakul Vhettri says that social welfare through economic development needs natural resources, the market and biodiversity for attaining globally agreed goals. Nakul draws attention to the impact of dominant development patterns and their unfair consequences for indigenous and poor people, and asks whether socially progressive initiatives are really working.

Nakul Vehttri afirma que el bienestar humano junto con el desarrollo económico necesitan de los recursos naturales, los mercados y la biodiversidad para el alcance de las metas globales. Alerta a la comunidad sobre el impacto de patrones de desarrollo dominantes y sus consecuencias injustas para las poblaciones indígenas y para los pobres; se pregunta si las iniciativas sociales realmente funcionan.

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Social welfare through economic development needs natural resources and the market and tradeoff of biodiversity is critical for attaining global commitments such as Convention of Biological Diversity and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We can do justice to both of these goals only with WISE USE philosophy. We are witnessing that globalisation is playing a pivotal role in economic development for developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. However, many developing and underdeveloped countries are not following the protocol set for such process because of various limitations and on the other hand developed countries are dominating the market with their green technology, human resources and capital inventing in the underdeveloped or developing countries.

I agree with the concept "Bottom of the pyramid" but let us be sincere enough to come of with such examples at the national or regional levels.

Many developing countries are just and just focusing on national economic development ignoring the needs and the importance of indigenous and poor people. They are always being pitched up between conservation and development norms.

I do agree with Lu Zhi on Emerging economies, such as China, are of crucial importance. However, we need to think whether we are promoting only development based on consumerism or are we also looking for sustainability. In most of the cases, if not the all, resources have been overexploited for economic gains without thinking towards their sustainability.

We need to ask whether the concept of fair trade is working?

Are all the members of WTO and TRIPs sincerely following their protocols?

Are the concepts of Ecotourism really working within their definitions?

Will we be able to meet the deadline of CBD to reduce species extinction by 2010 and will we be able to meet the MDGs goals in the targeted timeframe?

These are million dollar questions and the answers, obviously varies between development workers, business communities, conservationists, academicians...and the poor communities living in the hardship. Thus let us ask ourselves whether this contribution made here will do justice to all?