has been in the news since the past three years now. Ever since the UN
conference on Sustainable Development commemorating twenty years of the
Rio declaration, the preparations for 2015 have been afoot. Globally,
nation states, member countries, ‘major groups’ representing key
stakeholders with varied interests, experts from various fields have
been in dialogue to design a ‘Global Sustainable Development Agenda’,
that would transform the way individuals, communities, countries and
regions conduct themselves in relation to each other and the
environment.
And, while this consultative exercise has been unique in the history of
the United Nations and indeed in the history of international
cooperation, nobody engaged in the process is blind to the fact that we
are very far from a collaborative world; one, that puts the concern of
all human and planetary well-being before narrow, individualistic,
material profit oriented interests and actions. However, the exercise
gives us hope. More so, because for the first time, common citizenry
across the globe is energised. This comes as people like you and I have
now started experiencing nature’s back-lash of over a century of
unsustainable development practices and social strife resulting from
extreme inequities.
Is it already too late to remedy what we have spoiled? On despondent
days, it may well appear so. On better days, examples of communities
prospering as they live in harmony with their eco-systems as in Las
Gaviotas, Columbia; technological breakthroughs that enable us to reduce
the extraction of virgin resources for infrastructure such as the
fly-ash brick making technology in India; corporate decisions to share
knowledge such as Tesla and policy measures that promote renewables as
in the German Renewable Energy Act, give us hope.
What really are the building blocks that will help our country
transition to a greener, more sustainable future? In our view, the
following need to be built upon:
• Decentralised local governance systems in rural and urban settlements
– equipped with greater capacities, science based decision making tools
and cooperative growth models.
• Micro, small and medium industries based on value addition to local
resources delivering local services and products – supported with
cutting edge technologies, networked and capacitated to contribute to a
greener global economy while withstanding the risks of globalisation.
• Community collectives such as self-help groups, farmers clusters,
artisan cooperatives, youth clubs, resident welfare associations that
work together to improve their lot.
• Information technology prowess that can help bridge many
infrastructure, service gaps and data management gaps.
• Our youth power – equipped with the education, skills and health to
take charge of this nation on the move.
India in 2015 will need to put its energies in addressing the systemic
and structural challenges that plague us and prevent us from maximising
the potential that our building blocks offer. Inequities across
communities and genders, underhand liaisons between business and
government, unholy influence of religious bigots over governance
structures and seeped into blood corrupt practices from individual to
institution levels are the termites eating away at the foundations our
forefathers and mothers built. These negatively reinforce unscientific
and unsustainable practices such as rampant exploitation of and
construction over fragile mountains; swallowing fertile lands and
forests by urban infrastructure; dumping hazardous chemicals and wastes
into our rivers, lands and air; mono-culture of everything from our
food, our languages, our clothes, our education and our buildings and
settlements.
India in 2015 will need to break out of this downward spiral. Going
forward, 2015 will need to be marked by the commitment that we as a
country will make towards addressing poverty and inequity issues,
conservation of natural resources while ensuring job-rich growth and
reinforcing cultural values that will guide our economy towards greener,
inclusive and socially just outcomes.