Abstract
Over the last 4 decades, the concept of sustainable development has emerged in response to environmental and economic crises related to the consumption of non-renewable resources. The challenge of developing a sustainable economy has moved beyond the disciplines of economics, environmental and political science to include an ecological approach involving the public health community. The role of cultural values in defining and addressing the issue of sustainability from a public health perspective varies among nations and is dependent on multiple factors. This paper highlights the challenges related to sustainability and current health problems in Thailand. An innovative educational approach from Mahidol University, a leading public health institution, incorporates the principles of a sufficiency economy while integrating the school’s mission of preserving and applying national and local culture and wisdom to sustain and improve quality of life.
Highlights
In the 1970’s the concepts of ―sustainability‖ and ―sustainable development‖ emerged as a result of the tensions between economic development and environmental protection [1]
The former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, identified the key issues related to sustainable development in terms of a complex philosophical question to be answered: ―Can the people living on this planet improve their lives, not at the expense of future generations, but in a way from which their children and grandchildren will benefit?‖ ([11], p. 4)
The public health community has focused on the physical environment but has not been adequately engaged in the economic aspects of sustainable development
Summary
In the 1970’s the concepts of ―sustainability‖ and ―sustainable development‖ emerged as a result of the tensions between economic development and environmental protection [1]. Conference on Environment and Development identified 27 principles related to the concerns and challenges for sustainable development that could serve as a foundation of international law [4]. Despite its ubiquitous use among a wide array of disciplines [1,5,6] the definition of the term sustainable development varies somewhat depending on the major theoretical and philosophical paradigms of the players involved [7,8,9]. The former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, identified the key issues related to sustainable development in terms of a complex philosophical question to be answered: ―Can the people living on this planet improve their lives, not at the expense of future generations, but in a way from which their children and grandchildren will benefit?‖ ―2 R‖s’—resources (wise use and management thereof) and respect (for people and all living things)
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