In 2007 the mineral depletion rate to gross national income ratio of India was 0.7% which was on the higher side as compared to the global average of 0.4% but in other developing countries the ratio was much higher than of India like in China and Russia it was 1.3% and in Brazil 1.6%.
World Bank Report
Sustainable development aims at meeting the demands of the current generation without compromising on the needs of future generations. Economic and social development should be achieved with minimum impact on the natural resources. In this century, a major challenge faced by all of humanity is environmental sustainability. Millennium Development goals stress on the need to ensure environmental sustainability by integrating sustainable development into a country’s national policy and to reduce the damage caused to the environment.
Development continues to have negative by-products such increased air, land and water pollution. Rapid urbanization is leading to increased carbon emissions and a direct consequence of this is climate change, which is one of the biggest threats being faced by mankind and other life forms. Except for Delhi, most Indian cities have seen shrinkage in the green cover area. The impact of urbanization of city environments has been the most brutal in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and satellite cities like Gurgaon.
What constitutes an environmentally friendly city?
An environmentally friendly city is one that minimizes waste and economizes to the maximum. For example, incentivizing the use of public transport priority over private transport to conserve fuel. Another example would be to create awareness among citizens towards conservation of water and energy, promoting recycling of both solid waste and grey water, minimizing waste diversion to landfill sites.
Eco cities
In the context of environmental enhancement, Eco cities pose an excellent solution to help combat climate change and ensure a good quality of life on a sustainable basis. These cities are designed to create a small ecological footprint by minimimizing pollution emissions, effective waste management techniques, and efficient use of land. A number of cities like Dongtan, Huangbaiyu, and Tianjin in China, and Waitakere in New Zealand are being planned on the lines of the eco-city concept. These cities are being developed with
The settlements are designed to be pedestrian friendly and encourage the use of public transport.
Green Buildings
Green buildings, designed to use minimum resources efficiently and create minimum impact to the surroundings, are an integral part of Eco cities. The green building concept is gaining popularity in India and a number of buildings are being awarded the prestigious LEED Ratings. The energy requirements are reduced by planning plenty of green spaces and designing buildings for natural ventilation. A special emphasis is on the usage of non renewable sources of energy such as solar or bio gas from sewage.
Besides a change in mindset, there is an increasing realization that sustainability is not just about being eco-friendly but also about reaping monetary benefits in the form of savings in the long run.