The Concept of Sustainable Development in Two Developing Countries - Kenya and Nigeria - Research Paper Example

Introduction A critical analysis is always conducted to share different perspectives, therefore contribute to more understanding about an issue. This paper is a critical evaluation of the concept of sustainable development in developing countries. Sustainable development has had different definitions since its conception. It was defined as development that meets today’s needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs in the future (Dale & Robinson, 2011). Sustainable development in developing countries, however, may vary. This implies that different interpretations of the concept due to various interests are also another factor contributing to the concept almost losing meaning. An evaluation of sustainable development in developing countries shows the difference in the concept from the common approaches as described in the paper. It shows the divergence from the original meaning as well as high probability of loss of real meaning. The two countries are representations of developing countries. They play the role of samples in an evaluation. Results of the analysis are important in informing sustainable development activists such as UN, and other relevant organizations. It will guide their decision making regarding sustainable development initiatives in developing nations. This analysis also provides research gaps that can be used to conduct real research studies, which will in turn inform decision making in various areas concerning sustainable development. A detailed description of sustainable development is given, including different theoretical approaches to the subject, the developing countries’ characteristics, and a detailed analysis. Analysis is based only on different perceptions of the concept. Sustainable Development There are different conceptions on sustainable development. One of them is that it is an initiative that woks towards the future to make it better and healthier compared to than the present. For a better future, it means that people should recognize that they are the elements of a larger entity. For a healthier and better future, it means that people should recognize that the world is fragmented, multi-faceted, and complete. There are different roles that people have to play, and there are different perceptions, philosophies, values, aims, and ambitions that will drive people towards such a goal. Sustainable development is a process that requires a holistic way of looking at the world and human life (Blewitt, 2012). The concept of sustainable development is interpreted differently by different people. One common view by different interpreters is that it is a process aimed at a better and healthier future. The means, through which a better and healthier future is achieved, creates the differences in interpretations of what is sustainable. Purvis and Grainger (2013) note that sustainable development is interpreted under two main discourses: political and theoretical. Under each set of discourse there are competing discourses, for example in the theoretical discourse, there are environmental economics, and ecological economics. Sustainable development as interpreted theoretically is a process of attaining the most favorable balance between social, economic, and environment al dimensions of development. In practice however, achieving optimal balance between the dimensions of development is almost impossible (Purvis & Grainger, 2013). This is because under each dimension, there are interests groups that represent the environment, capital and labor. Representation is also different, for example, capital is represented by banks, corporations, capital entrepreneurs, and others so long as they have a common goal. An economists’ perspective of sustainable development will therefore, be distorted by arguments of what is sustainable according to environmentalists, with a favorable balance representing a state of power sharing (Purvis & Grainger, 2013). Other sustainable development definitions include; Sustainable development is the maintenance of development over time. A form of development that aims at maintaining acceptable levels of per capita incomes while ensuring the national capital asset stock is not depleted. It is the creation of a society that enhances people’s ability to do what they have good reason to value. It is a kind of development that meets the needs of the people at hand without spoiling that future generation’s ability to meet their own needs. It is also considered the net productivity of biomass maintained over decades to centuries (Elliott, 2012). All these definitions and perceptions show that the concept of sustainable development is dependent on who is interested, and for what purpose. People have different interests and views about what should happen in the future for people to have a sustainable life. The practice of sustainable development could therefore, be a political and conflict endeavor where the most powerful will always have a final say. This is because they will influence outcomes to favor their interests (Elliott, 2012; Bosse, 1999). One can still make a conclusion that sustainable development in the human society has material, economic, environmental, ecological, legal, social, cultural, psychological and political dimensions all which need attention and result in different consequences for the participants (Bosse, 1999). The Importance of Sustainable Development Sustainable development is a concept that began in the early 18th century, though at the time, it was not known as sustainable development. Due to the effect of industrial revolution, the concept of sustainability arose. Industrial revolution influenced the way people thought, and new developments leading to incredible productivity. This was good, but it brought negative effects such as environmental degradation, inequality among people, and natural resources crises. This formed the beginning of debates about how to ensure the environment is not over exploited when going about production activities, how to reduce poverty, and how to ensure equality among people. This explains the need for sustainable development even in developing countries (Paul, 2008). The concept of sustainable development is wide and can be used in different areas to mean different things. This section will show the importance of sustainable development through these perceptions. Sustainable development as was defined when it was first formulated; the use of resources to meet the needs of the current population, without jeopardizing the ability of the next generation to meet their needs (Dale & Robinson, 2011). This concept means that the environment needs to be conserved, people’s livelihoods have to be improved, and nations’ economic growths have also to be improved. Sustainable development therefore, leads to sustainable livelihoods. The defining elements of a sustainable livelihood are; appropriate technology and income, protection or enhancement of natural resources, and secure and equitable access to basic needs (Dale & Robinson, 2011; Scottish Executive Social Research, 2006). Sustainable development can be used to steer innovation (Paul, 2008). An example is in ensuring environmental conservation. When it was established that companies released harmful gases to the air, and waste products in water sources and even on land, various responsible parties saw it fit to develop rules that eliminate such practices. Companies were forced to find out safer ways to dispose their waste, and this led to innovative ideas such as recycling of waste materials and eco-friendly packaging, and so on (Paul, 2008). In mining for example, new green mining technologies have been developed that have improved efficiency and reduced environmental problems (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013). Principles of Sustainable development There are principles of sustainable development that will be used to critically assess sustainable development in Kenya and Nigeria. These are as described below: 1. Sustainable development requires incorporation of economic and environmental decisions. Economic decisions should consider the effect of such a decision on social well being, human health, and the environment. The same applies to environmental initiatives; sustainable development adequately considers the social, economic and health consequences (Manitoba Government, 2013). 2. Stewardship: that management of the economy, health, social well being and the environment should be for equal benefit of all generations. There should be a balance between decisions f today and future effects (Manitoba Government, 2013). 3. Shared responsibility and understanding. This means that citizens of a country should understand the need for sustainable development and acknowledge the responsibility of ensuring a sustainable environment, economy, social well being and health (Manitoba Government, 2013). 4. Prevention: The consequences of sustainable development decisions can sometimes be unfavorable. Nations should be able to predict such outcomes and be prepared to alleviate such consequences in case they occur. There should be preventive measures in place to help reduce such adverse effects on the economy, human health, environment and the social well being of the people (Manitoba Government, 2013). 5. Conservation and enhancement: sustainable development decisions should ensure conservation of biological diversity, ecological processes, and life support systems of the environment. Focus should be on environmental conservation (Manitoba Government, 2013). 6. Rehabilitation and reclamation: sustainable development initiatives should recognize the need for repair to damaged and degraded environment, and ensure the environment is reclaimed and rehabilitated in future actions (Manitoba Government, 2013). 7. Global responsibility: This means that nations should recognize their global responsibility in their sustainable development initiatives. They should exercise interdependence (Manitoba Government, 2013). Characteristics of Developing Countries From the name given to the countries, one can easily guess the characteristics of such countries. They are developing, therefore, it is expected that such countries are still behind in provision of quality services to its citizens, employment rates may be low, living standards may be low, and there may be mass poverty, and lack of democratization, among others (Danto, 2009). Developing countries are characterized by uneven development, lower per-capita income, higher population growth rates, high levels of poverty and under nutrition, low levels of human capital, low level of urbanization accompanied by increased migration to urban areas, low levels of industrialization and predominance of agriculture, underdeveloped financial, labor and other markets, and dominance of informal sector (Danto, 2009). These are signs that there is need for change in such countries. This should be the enhancement of sustainable development initiatives. As described above, the concept of sustainable development is dependent on various factors, which in turn influence its definition. This paper is a critical analysis of the concept of sustainable development in developing countries. Two countries are selected for evaluation: Nigeria and Kenya. The analysis will reveal that the concept of sustainable development in developing countries is similar to sustainable development in developed countries except for the different levels of development. Sustainable Development in Kenya Kenya is one of the developing countries that have shown great effort in ensuring sustainable development. A UN report describes the country’s achievements and challenges since independence. It began with a poverty eradication strategy in 1965, which included eradication of diseases and illiteracy. Several other initiatives were developed for example, the Poverty Reduction and Strategy Paper (PRSP). This was a short term strategy launched in 2001 as part of a 15 year plan to alleviate poverty; National Poverty Eradication. This long term plan was based on UN’s millennium goal of reducing poverty by half by 2015. This project was implemented with the hope that it would help improve the nation’s economic growth (United Nations, 2012). The second major sustainable development initiative was the “Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) for Wealth and Employment Creation” (United Nations, 2012, p. 8). In 2003, Kenya abandoned the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, and the National Poverty Eradication Plan to adopt a new plan which was meant to revive the economy. Notice that the first strategies focused on poverty eradication, but with the end result of improving the economic growth. The second strategy shows that no economic growth was achieved, and instead, the economy needed reviving. ERS gives emphasis to wealth creation, economic growth and employment, all three acting as objectives to poverty eradication, and achievement of food security. This strategy identified the agricultural sector, as one of the most important resources needed for the country to be successful in revitalizing the economy (United Nations, 2012). The next major move was Vision 2030. After the expiry of the ERS, the Kenyan government came up with a long term development plan to develop a globally competitive nation. The nation would be transformed into an industrialized middle-income country, with the capability of providing high quality of life to its people. The plan also considers environmental safety. There are three main pillars in the plan; economic pillar which aims at improving regional wealth through increasing the Gross Domestic Product by 10%, the political pillar which aims at uniting the nation with improved democratic systems, and the social pillar which aims at improving people’s social welfare (United Nations, 2012). Kenyan sustainable development has changed over time. It started with a simple poverty eradication initiative to a 2030 strategy that incorporated three main features of sustainable development. Characteristics of the nations determine sustainable development initiatives that the countries undertake. Take an example of Kenya. After independence, it began with poverty eradication. At the time, most Kenyans, about 60%, were living below the poverty line. The resources available also influence sustainable development. In Kenya, it was found that the most productive sector was agriculture. It was also established that revitalizing this sector could improve the economy. This clearly shows how the characteristics of developing nations influence the kind of sustainable development projects they choose (United Nations, 2012). Additionally, one could say that sustainable development is done at its basic level; the most urgent problem is dealt with before other factors are considered. Like poverty eradication was given priority. This is sustainable, for future generations will not have to live in poverty, but work towards other developments. Sustainable development in Kenya is considered in four main dimensions; the social, economic, productive, and environmental dimensions (United Nations, 2012). Sustainable Development in Nigeria Agenda 21 (1996) identified some of the most serious problems that urban cities face especially in developing countries. These are: lack of employment opportunities, increased inequality between the rich and the poor, increased poverty, inadequate financial resources, increased number of homeless people, rising crime rates and insecurity, increased squatter settlements, and increased deterioration of services, building stock, and infrastructure. There are other problems such as improper land use, traffic congestion, lack of educational and health facilities, lack of green spaces, insecure land tenure, increasing pollution, uncoordinated urban development, inadequate water supply and sanitation, and an increasing vulnerability to disaster (O laitan, 2006). These problems are barriers to socio-economic development and environmental protection, which are the main components of sustainable development. Considering the characteristics of developing countries, and the fact that these problems are prevalent in Nigeria, it only means that Nigeria’s sustainable development is still very low (Olaitan, 2006). Just like other nations, Nigeria is facing an increased rate of rural to urban migration. This congests the urban areas leading to the problems mentioned above. Nigeria currently suffers from low productivity, poverty, slums, transportation problems, lack of infrastructure, crime and juvenile delinquency, and substandard and inadequate housing (Falola, 2004). It is postulated that increased migration into the urban areas is the root cause of all these problems. This could be true, but one has to also consider good governance. Increased migration leads to high populations in the urban cities, leading high crime rates, insecurity, more people staying in the slums, and congestion. If there was good governance, the level of poverty would be lower than it is currently. There could be very few people migrating to the cities in search of jobs, and even if there were, good governance could ensure availability of jobs for the people. Availability of jobs improves productivity of the nation. Nigeria currently is facing the problem of low productivity, yet it is one of the oil rich countries (Falola, 2004). One of the development problems apart from inequality, poverty, conflict and low economic growth is authoritarian form of governance. This kind of ruling gives a few individuals the power to handle oil and gas wealth leading to mismanagement of funds, with the few individuals very wealthy, while the rest of the population remain poor. This also contributes to other development problems. It is indicated that before the discovery of oil fields, Nigeria dependent on agricultural produce from each region, the south region produced palm oil and cocoa, while the North produced cotton and groundnut. Additionally, there were other minerals such as iron ore, and tin (Faola, 2004). After the discovery of oil, people shifted their attention to oil fields leaving other sources of productivity. From this fact, one would imagine that the right concept of sustainable development that Nigeria should develop; is appropriate use of resources to better the lives of the people in the nation currently without jeopardizing the capability of future generations to meet their needs. This means recognition of all the resources of the nation, recognition of the nation’s fault in relying on oil and neglecting other resources, and effectively managing the resources (Falola, 2004). Considering the concept of sustainable development, a similar approach as that of the Kenyan case can be deduced. Sustainable development is a matter of socio-economic development and environmental protection. Analysis Sustainable development is a confusing concept. There are several theoretical approaches through which it can be explained. There are various areas in which sustainable development can be applied. Sustainable development can be achieved in business development, finance departments, accounting, management of national resources, in health care practice, and so on. Consider the following approaches to its definition Sustainable development as an idea that promotes a better future Sustainable development as the process of attaining the most favorable balance between economic, social and environmental dimensions of development Sustainable development as a means of maintaining development over time Sustainable development as a form of development that aims at maintaining acceptable levels of per capita incomes while ensuring the national capital asset stock is not depleted Sustainable development as the creation of a society that enhances people’s ability to do what they have good reason to value As a kind of development that meets the needs of the people at hand without spoiling that future generation’s ability to meet their own needs. It is also considered “the net productivity of biomass maintained over decades to centuries (Elliott, 2012). Take an example of one approach that says it is maintaining development over time. Ensuring there is development over time can be sustainable, but there is no sure way to guarantee such developments to be sustainable. Developments can be in the health care sector for example, but such developments may not consider their effect on the environment. In this case, it would not be sustainable; for the future will be destroyed. Another definition; ‘Sustainable development as a form of development that aims at maintaining acceptable levels of per capita incomes while ensuring the national capital asset stock is not depleted’. This only concerns national capital, but one can still argue that maintaining a specific level of national capital, requires a specific level of productivity. This will mean identifying development projects that will increase productivity to the level required. One may also need explanations as to why lack of depletion of asset stock ensures sustainability. If this were to be applied in the two developing countries, sustainable development would not be achieved because maintaining acceptable levels of national capital would not be easy with mass poverty, inequality, and other development problems. There are also principles guiding sustainable development. All these principles are abided by in one way or the other by development initiatives. When there is a poverty reduction initiative, it meets all the requirements of sustainable development as dictated in the principles, except for the incorporation of environmental decisions. It is however, common knowledge that poverty eradication indirectly contributes to a safe environment. An example is through the ability of the people to pay for garbage collecting services, and the ability of the nation to develop garbage recycling technologies. In case such an initiative does not incorporate environmental decisions, one would then wonder what is considered sustainable development. Additionally, confusion arises because almost every project directly or indirectly fulfills the requirements of the principles of sustainable development. From this perspective, sustainable development could be any form of development. Additionally, if any form of development is sustainable, then sustainable development may be losing meaning. The concept of sustainable development is affected by the status of the developing nations. As described above, developing nations are characterized by various developmental problems. This distinguishes their level of sustainable development. As observed in the literature, these developing nations are first concerned with solving the major problems that affect them. Kenya for example, began with poverty eradication, before moving on to more incorporating initiatives. The third major initiative included protection of the environment, which seems to be the defining component of sustainability; sustainable in the sense that it is protected for the sake of survival of future generations. These developing countries take on initiatives to respond to development problems that they face, and these are considered sustainable development. A problem arises then, when they are considered sustainable development, yet the type of leadership that they have transforms the concept to mean balance of power. Nigeria is an example. As an oil rich country, it is expected to make use of the resources to develop the nation. This is not done, and instead, wealth is channeled to a few who have the power to control the resources, while the rest languish in poverty. Because of this developmental problem, sustainable development in developing countries cannot be the same as sustainable development in developed countries. What the nations focus on makes the difference. One dominant feature observed is that developing countries’ concept of sustainable development is all about economic, social, and environmental well being of the nation. Conclusion As established, sustainable development is a broad concept with various interpretations. There is however, one definition that can explain sustainable development in both developed and developing countries. It also helps in understanding the unique elements of sustainable development that makes the difference even in countries within the same development level. It indicates that sustainable development recognizes two important elements: the need to meet today’s needs without destroying the ability of future generations to meet their needs, and, the three main elements needed to make it sustainable, which are; social equity, economic development, and environmental protection. This makes it easier to understand that developed countries are also involved in sustainable development, but are just in different situations and facing different barriers. Developing countries have common development problems, which hinder sustainable development. Developed countries have a different set of problems. They also follow the path to ensure a sustainable future, but with different social, economic, and environmental goals. When other definitions are however considered, sustainable development can be confusing. It has been established that some definitions apply to specific situations and cannot be used as standard definitions. Some definitions of the concept are specific, for example, sustainable development as the net productivity of biomass maintained over decades to centuries, and as the creation of a society that improves people’s ability to do what they have good reason to value. This is because countries like Kenya and Nigeria still have a lot of developmental problems to consider such definitions as guiding their initiatives. The principles of sustainable development are most appropriate in guiding such development, whether in developed or developing countries. From the analysis of these two countries, it has been established that the concept of sustainable development in developing countries has three main elements given priority; economic development, social equity, and environmental protection. It was also observed that any development without environmental protection was not considered sustainable. It was also established that understanding the concept is confusing, since any form of development is sustainable in one way or the other. It is expected that through its effects, any development initiative in one way or the other, would improve the economic development, ensure social equity, and in turn protect the environment. The argument here is that the three elements are interlinked, so that an improvement in the one of them also creates a positive change in the other. From this analysis, it is important to recommend that interpretation of sustainable development should be based on the ability of such development to ensure sustainability, considering social equity, economic development and environmental protection. It is also clear that, even though developing countries have common development problems, implementation of development initiatives are different. References Blewitt, J., 2012,Understanding sustainable development, London, UK: Routledge. Bosse, H., 1999, Indicators for Sustainable Development: Theory, Method, Applications, A Report to the Balaton Group. Retrieved from: http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/STAFF/Tom/bossel.pdf. Dale, A., and Robinson, J. B., 2011, Achieving sustainable development, New York: UBC Press. Danto, M., 2009, Major characteristics of developing countries, London: Routledge. 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