Application Of Sustainable Development Principles Research Articles

The Application of Sustainable Development Principles to the Alberta Aggregates Resource Sector

Aggregates (sand, gravel, and crushed stone) are low unit-cost products extracted in very large volumes for the construction of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure essential to modern society. Because of their low unit value, transportation costs are a key factor in resource economics, and deposits are commonly developed close to market (i.e., close to towns and cities, or along low-cost transportation corridors). This proximity results in potential conflict with residents over land use, disturbance, and pollution. Management of aggregate resources in Alberta is examined in the light of resource geology and distribution, and governance. A case history of development of the Calahoo-Villeneuve deposit is described, and the conflicts between residents and developers that led to establishment of an Area Structure Plan (ASP) are explored. The plan sets limits to, but at the same time safeguards, resource extraction, and defines terms for compensation to residents through a voluntary levy on production (Community Enhancement Fund). This fund is used to support community activities and to pay for a groundwater monitoring program. The ASP is examined within the context of the “Seven Questions to Sustainability” as set out by Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development-North America (2002). It is concluded that the ASP, for the most part, provides a good model for conflict resolution and sustainable resource development, which could usefully be applied in other jurisdictions. The ASP was developed at a municipal level, and adoption at a provincial level would aid sustainable development of aggregate resources across the province.

Natural Disaster, Mitigation and Sustainability: The Case of Developing Countries

The application of sustainable development principles to natural disaster mitigation in developing countries is examined. Three main and interrelated aspects are considered: land-use planning and policies; shelter design, building materials and construction methods; and institutional organization at local, provincial, national and international levels. These three aspects are illustrated on the basis of experiences of human settlements in specific disaster situations and of housing the poor in developing countries in general. Taking into consideration the scale of the problem and the variety of conditions, the most pressing issues are identified, along with the different remedies and the major areas for policy intervention. However, transferring these ideas into implementation strategies, in which creative combinations of solutions, priorities, timeframes and resources are to be identified, will depend on a particular disaster situation and obviously cannot be carried out without detailed examination of the circumstances. Adjustments and changes are proposed to the ways in which human settlements are shaped, grown and managed in order to ensure harmonious interactions between natural and human systems, so that vulnerability to natural disasters is minimized.

Achieving sustainable development: a review of the environmental balancing act in two key clean water act regulatory programs

Abstract The goal of achieving “sustainable development” has been embraced by a wide range of stakeholders interested in protecting both the environment and the economy in the United States and globally. The Clean Water Act (“CWA” or the “Act”) includes important regulatory provisions that contemplate the application of sustainable development principles. Yet implementing those programs often raises substantial debate about what sustainable development means, what course of action it requires, and the availability and adequacy of tools to measure or predict whether a given level of use or development is sustainable. Failure to confront those questions can lead to imprudent or wasteful decisions. This paper first will briefly describe the ongoing evolution of sustainable development concepts in the United States, with particular focus on the recommendations of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. Then, it will examine the applicability of those concepts to two important Clean Water Act regulatory programs — the §316(b) regulatory program for cooling water intake structures and the state water quality standards program — both of which are now under evaluation.

A multidimensional decision-support approach to sustainable development planning

SUMMARY The concept of sustainable development has become widely accepted as an instrumental objective of resource planning and environmental policy analysis. Nevertheless, applied planning approaches appropriate to this task have been slow in forthcoming. This paper suggests that one avenue for the application of sustainable development principles to resource management problems may be through multidimensional decision-support models. This approach recognizes that contemporary decision problems in the field of environmental planning are characterized by a diversity of structures and processes, incommensurable variables, and conflicting development objectives and constraints. On the basis of the articulated approach to sustainable development, a case study centred on Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada is presented. The case study serves to illustrate the efficacy of a multidimensional decision-support approach to sustainable development.