3.2 Environmental Consequences of Educational Activities 3.3 Environmental Consequences of Oil Spillage
3.4 Environmental consequences of Gas Flaring 4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Readings 1.0 Introduction
The last module of this entire course will dwell on Sustainable Development, it definition and meaning, and then we shall move on to the Environmental Consequences of developmental Activities, Oil Spillage and Gas Flaring.
2.0 Objectives
At the end of this unit, the students should be able to a. Define Sustainable development
b. Enumerate the environmental consequences of developmental activities c. State the environmental effects of Oil spillage
d. Explain the impact of Gas flaring on the environment 3.0 Main Content
3.1 What is sustainable development?
Sharachchandra Lele describes sustainable development as: A new way of life and approach to social and economic activities for all societies, rich and poor which is compatible with the preservation of the environment (Lele, 1991: 607-621). While Pearce and Watford capture the irreplaceable environmental dimension in sustainable development in the following definition Sustainable development describes a process in which the natural resource base is not allowed to deteriorate. It emphasizes the hitherto unappreciated role of the environmental quality arid environmental inputs in the process of raising real income and quality of life (Pearce and Watford, 1993: 8).
129 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) defines sustainable development as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (WCED, 1987: 43). The definition contains within it two key concepts namely the concept of ‘needs’, in particular the essential needs of the world poor, to which overriding priority should be given and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organisation on the environment’s ability to meet present and future needs. WCED’s thesis of sustainable development posits that the present generation has been reckless and wasteful both in its exploitation and use of natural resources by pursuing a series of socio-economic and industrial policies which endanger global environmental security. It urged governments to pursue a new developmental strategy that can both ensure continued economic growth and ecological stability with less exploitation and use of natural resources. It condemned the inequalities with and among nations and called for a restructuring of contemporary economic relations to guarantee an equitable distribution of national and international wealth (Natufe, 2001: 2; WCED, 1987: 45-54, 62-65). The position of WCED was informed on the basis, among others, that the attempt in the 1970s to create a New International Economic Order (NIEO) based on a Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of the UN did not make reference to and took little account of the impact of development activities on the environment. However, the 1980s strategies, primarily aimed at environmental protection took account of the need for development while recognizing that the environment could not in all cases sustain unlimited development.
Sustainable development implies three primary factors of economic, social and environment. An economically sustainable system must be able to produce goods and services on a continuing basis and maintain manageable economy without jeopardizing sectoral balances of economic activities of the country. Environmentally sustainable system must maintain a stable resource base, avoiding over-exploitation of renewable resource systems or environmental sink functions and depleting non-renewable resources only to the extent that investment is made in adequate substitutes. This includes maintenance of biodiversity, atmospheric stability and other ecosystem functions not ordinarily classified as economic resources. The last factor must achieve distributional equity, adequate provision of social services including health and education, gender equity and political accountability, transparency and participation. This must be with dynamic understanding of human rights that is developing very rapidly. For instance, the rights to life and liberty have been recognized and they include a healthy environment and development. Both have developed to a stage of recognition and enforceability under both national and international legal regimes (Ako, 2005: 70). Bearing in mind the social and human-centred development (Stockholm Conference 1972, Principle 1), the definitions of the concept of sustainable development have broken the hitherto ‘limited, instrumental view of conservation and development. Now it encompasses some of the positive moral dimensions of the new social paradigm expressed in ‘authentic integral development’, ‘ecological/holistic world view’,
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‘reverential development’, ‘ecosophical development’, ‘just, participatory ecodevelopment’,
‘communalism’ and ‘desirable society’ (Engel, 1990: 10).
At the end of the day, any development that will be sustaining especially in the developing countries will include the following
Increases in real income especially for the ‘wretched of the earth’. This implies poverty eradication on the long run;
Improvement in health and nutritional status especially children and young mothers who are vulnerable to most preventable diseases;
Education achievement;
Access to resources;
A fairer equitable distribution of income. The basic salary of the least paid worker should be adequate to maintain his nuclear family;
Increases in basic freedoms and guaranteed security of all citizens; respect and responsible relationship with ecosystem.
Many of the factors in respect of development above were also captured and reflected in the formal Administration of the country. Obasanjo’s Administration (Ad’Obe Obe 2001: 187 and 188) rightly observed especially on the social and economic front that provision of basic social services which the Human Development Reports have persistently canvassed as the safest and quickest means to poverty alleviation and human development. Accordingly the Administration embarked upon programmes on Universal Basic Education, Primary Health Care. The National Programme on Immunization and the poverty Alleviation Programme to make concrete and measurable impact on poverty reduction and progress in human development. Its economic policy was then designed around the principal objectives of meeting the global commitment of halving poverty by the year 2015. In the immediate form, the policy objectives and targets were set with the belief that the basic needs of all can and must be met, now, as a matter of people’s fundamental rights. Correctly, it affirmed that every Nigerian has a right to basic social services of basic education, access to functional health care, immunization for children, employment for youth, living wages for workers, clean water for all, and security of lives and property. In essence, it proclaimed that development cannot be anything but the ‘fundamental responsibility of government and the basic rights of citizens’
In inviting every development partner, the private sector, the civil society and the international community among others to join hands with the government to develop Nigeria it enumerated some challenges in priority areas to include
Provision of basic social and essential services - education, health, clean water, food security, etc.
Rehabilitation of dilapidated social and economic infrastructure.
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Creating new employment and income opportunities especially for youth, school-leavers and rural folks
Strengthening institutions of governance at all levels including adequate attention to human rights, conflict prevention and consensus building.