The multiple faces of sustainability – from sustained yield to sustainable development

Abstract

Sustained yield is the amount or number of a resource that can be harvested without sending the resource into a decline. Sustainable development is development that meets the current needs of human society without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustained yield and sustainable development both encompass concepts of sustainability. This paper (1) describes the concepts of sustained yield and sustainable development, and (2) explores the linkages, or lack of linkages, between the two concepts of sustainability. The linkages between sustained yield and sustainable development are weak. The paper finishes by drawing some conclusions about the relationship, or lack thereof, between sustained yield and sustainable development, and posits that sustainable development should focus on sustainable management and use of natural resources, with socioeconomic issues such as poverty alleviation, women’s rights, displaced people, and trade liberalisation having their own statements or declarations.