Understanding Sustainability: Principles, Concepts, and the Urban Ecosystem
1. Sustainability and Natural Services
Sustainability is defined as human and social development that preserves cultural, institutional, and productive capital over time, ensuring its availability and maintenance for future generations. The World Watch Institute highlights the following aspects of “natural capital”:
- Production of raw materials (food, timber, building materials, forest products, genetic resources, medicines, dyes, etc.)
- Biological control of pests and diseases
- Habitat and shelter
- Supply and regulation of water
- Recycling of waste and pollution control
- Climate regulation
- Air regulation
As emphasized by H. Daly, it’s crucial to understand and conserve our natural capital stock, allowing sufficient time for renewal and avoiding waste disposal beyond the environment’s capacity. This ensures the availability of these resources for future generations.
2. Factors of Unsustainability According to Ernest Garcia
Ernest Garcia identifies four key factors that contribute to unsustainability:
a. Surpassing Carrying Capacity
This refers to the collapse of the development model when it exceeds the ecosystem’s ability to provide resources for its inhabitants.
b. Imbalances in the Process of Co-evolution
This leads to the extinction of species dependent on specific resources when those resources are depleted or altered.
c. Entropic Degradation
This highlights the need for sustainable resource use and maintenance to prevent irreversible environmental damage.
d. Locking Devices for Learning
This refers to the barriers that prevent societies from learning from past mistakes and adapting to changing environmental conditions.
3. The Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint measures the amount of natural space required per person to sustain their lifestyle and consumption patterns. It’s measured in global hectares per capita. The ideal footprint is 1.5 hectares per person, but many countries, like the UAE and the U.S., significantly exceed this, highlighting the strain on natural resources.
Measuring Mode
The ecological footprint is calculated by assessing the land and water area required to produce the resources consumed and absorb the waste generated by an individual or population.
Relationship Between the System and the Natural Environment
The ecological footprint reveals the extent to which human systems are encroaching upon and depleting natural resources, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices.
4. Capital and the Principles of Sustainability
Understanding the concept of capital is crucial for grasping the principles of sustainability. There are two types of capital: “fixed assets or capital” (reusable resources) and “income or capital” (single-use resources). Sustainable development requires prioritizing the use of fixed assets and minimizing the depletion of income capital, ensuring the long-term availability of resources.
5. The Origins and Significance of Agenda 21
Agenda 21 emerged from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This comprehensive plan of action outlines strategies for sustainable development and environmental protection, with 173 governments agreeing to its principles.
6. Local Government and the World Summit on Sustainable Development
The World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 emphasized the role of local governments in achieving sustainable development goals. Local governments are tasked with implementing Local Agenda 21 initiatives and addressing challenges related to urbanization, globalization, and poverty. The summit highlighted four key principles:
- Sustainable Development
- Efficient Decentralization
- Good Governance
- Cooperation and Solidarity
7. The City as a Complex System
From a systemic perspective, a city is a complex, self-organizing system where humans interact with the natural environment. It’s an open system characterized by information flow, feedback loops, and adaptation. However, social inequalities and environmental challenges threaten the stability and sustainability of urban ecosystems.
8. Morin’s Conditions for a Complex System
Edgar Morin outlines several conditions that characterize a complex system, applicable to the concept of a city:
- Organization of Variety (individuals, roles, structures)
- Self-Organization (balance between order and disorder)
- Multi-Stability (different states of the city)
- Equifinality (maintaining urban structure and functions)
- Multifinality (individuals with diverse goals)
- Fitness for Development or Evolution (growth, development, and adaptation through technology and innovation)
9. Is the City an Ecosystem?
Yes, the city can be considered an ecosystem. It comprises living organisms (humans, plants, animals, microorganisms) and non-living elements (weather, atmosphere, soil) that interact and depend on each other. The city relies on natural resources and processes for its survival, highlighting its interconnectedness with the natural environment.
10. Restrictions of the Urban Ecosystem on Natural Systems
The development of urban environments often imposes restrictions on natural systems. Human activities, such as land development, resource extraction, and waste generation, can disrupt natural processes, leading to habitat loss, pollution, and resource depletion. The challenge lies in balancing human needs with the preservation of natural ecosystems.