Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Other aspects of sustainable development are the equality between countries, races and genders to ensure a fair distribution of resources. Sustainable development provides for a better quality of life within the carrying capacity of the supporting ecosystem. Here are some ways by which we can sure that the development is sustainable:-

i)  Any activity which ensures economic growth should also look at the environmental impacts.

ii)  An honest Environmental Impact Assessment should be carried out before starting any new development project like digging up a mine or building a new dam.

There is a need for sustainable development because:-

i) Dams, major highways etc can damage the ecosystems. They are constructed by clearing out large areas of forests. Forests are essential for maintaining renewable resources, checking the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and maintaining the level of oxygen in the atmosphere. Loss of forests impairs human development and puts the future generations at a peril.

ii) Toxic and nuclear waste from heavy industries lead to environmental degradation since they pollute the air and the water resources. Hence the environment impacts should be studied carefully together with the economic growth.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DEFINITION: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

• Population will be stabilized.
• Biodiversity will be conserved.
• Practice effective methods of population control for air, water and land.
• Recycling of wastes.
• Appropriate land use planning.
• Updating of environmental laws and practices.
• Slum development and Sanitizing their Environments.
• Greening of waste lands and marginal lands.
• Conservation of Forests , woodlands, grasslands and croplands.
• Creation of Environmental Awareness and Spreading Environmental Education.
• Inter-generational equity : Minimize adverse impacts on resources and environment, hand over a safe, Healthy and Resourceful environment to our future generation.
• Intra-generational equity : Minimize the wealth gaps within and between nations.
• The 5-R {Reuse ,Recycle ,Reduce ,Refuse ,Repair}approach advocating minimization of resource use, using them again instead of passing them to waste stream.

The major goal of Sustainable Development is the Conservation of Natural Resources in a wise manner in order to prevent their depletion ,but also on using them in a manner that will not degrade their quality for Future generation or major initiative at the international level to understand what the meaning of sustainability was the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which brought together governments of various countries across the world.