According to United Nations, the world population reached up to 7 Billion in October 2011. Probably by now it may have increased. Do you think there will be enough resources to fulfill the needs of this increasing population in future? After listening to a speech by Prof. Mohan Munasinghe last Saturday I got to learn that we will be needing 2 planets same as earth in order to fulfill all the needs of the increasing population. To prevent this and to save resources for future generation, the new concept called “Sustainable development” was introduced.

What is sustainable development? If we try to understand it simply , it’s

“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

 — from the World Commission on Environment and Development’s
(the Brundtland Commission) report Our Common Future
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).

Even though this seemed to be a simple definition it contains a deeper meaning and actions to be done. There are 3 main pillars in sustainable development. They are, Social, Economic and Environmental sustainability.

By combining these three pillars together , United Nations adopted a set of goals on September 25th 2015, to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.

1. No poverty

2. Zero hunger

3. Good health and well being

4. Quality education

5. Gender eqality

6. Clean water and sanitaion

7. Affordable and clean energy

8. Decent work and economic growth

9. Industry innovation and infrastructure

10. Reduced inequalities

11. Sustainable cities and communities

12. Responsible consumption and production

13. Climate action

14. Life below water

15. Life on land

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

17. Partnerships for the goals

For the goals to be reached, everyone needs to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society and people like you.

Professor Mohan Munasinghe is one of the key persons who contributes for the sustainable development in Sri Lanka. He outlined the first ideas about sustainomics from 1990 onwards, culminating in a formal paper presented at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which set out key elements of the framework. The aim was a more holistic and practical synthesis that would help to make development more sustainable. The neologism “sustainomics” was coined to project a more neutral image by focusing attention on sustainable development, and avoiding any disciplinary bias or hegemony Prof. Munasinghe has won  a number of international prizes and honours for public service, research and applications. Most notably, he shared the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace (as Vice Chair, IPCC-AR4), for his seminal work on integrating global climate change policies into sustainable development strategy.

Its our  key responsibility to follow a sustainable development and save the natural resources for our future generation.