Sustainable Development: Understanding The Least Resource Base

Eugene Eremchenko,Josef Strobl,Antonio Del Mastro,Federico Monaсo,Vladimir Tikunov

doi:10.24057/2071-9388-2020-119

Abstract

In the paper, the least resource base required to ensure isolated human habitat sustainability over a historically long period of time is discussed. Territory and energy are proposed as such basic resources. The analysis of isolated societies of Tasmania, the Chatham Islands, and North Sentinel Island concludes that habitat can exist long and sustainably in a local area of at least 30 square kilometres in a mode of inherent safety, without the use of artificial technologies. This conclusion demonstrates the possibility of sustainable development of human civilization as a sum of local communities in the context of the isolationism paradigm, an alternative to globalism’s currently dominant concept. The significance of identifying the least resource base of sustainable development of isolated communities in the context of the establishment of scientific bases and settlements in remote areas of the globe, on the Moon and other planets of the solar system, and developing strategies to combat pandemics such as COVID-19, is highlighted.

Highlights

Sustainable development is the ‘Holy Grail’, fundamental worldview paradigm of modern civilization and one of the five most important priorities of the UN
The data indicates that the smaller area supports the stable existence of a much more densely populated society
We could assume that a resource base with a land area of about 30 square kilometres and a water area of about 90 square kilometres, located in tropics, at 11 degrees latitude, could provide sustainable reproduction of renewable resources, sufficient to ensure the longterm existence of the human community on a historical timescale

Summary

Introduction

Sustainable development is the ‘Holy Grail’, fundamental worldview paradigm of modern civilization and one of the five most important priorities of the UN. This versatile and holistic term could be defined as «development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs» (World Commission 1987), or «development that promotes prosperity and economic opportunity, greater social well-being, and protection of the environment» (UN.org 2017). The most recent significant global crisis is a pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus (WHO.int 2019), which has spread throughout the world since the end of 2019 This has led to many thousands of deaths (Gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com 2020) and huge financial losses, it devastated world economy and severely impacted global sustainable development; this crisis is far from being overcome at the time of preparing this article

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Conclusion