Chapter 8: Sustainability and human development

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

Sustainability involves meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Question 2

What is economic sustainability?

Answer 2

Economic sustainability relates to ensuring that average incomes in all countries are adequate to sustain a decent standard of living and continue to rise in line with inflation and living costs in the future.

Question 3

What can a diverse range of industries ensure?

Answer 3

Having a wide and diverse range of industries ensures that each country receives their national income from multiple sources. These industries may lead to reduced levels of stress and anxiety due to ensuring individuals have adequate incomes and provide individuals with a sense of optimism, promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Question 4

What can meaningful employment opportunities ensure?

Answer 4

Meaningful employment opportunities ensure individuals:
- there are enough jobs available
- the jobs available meet the needs of individuals looking for jobs (e.g. make fair qualification requests and provide adequate hours)
- the job provides fair compensation. As a result, this can promote spiritual health and wellbeing due to the individual feeling like they are valued and have a purpose in life.

Question 5

What can trade opportunities ensure?

Answer 5

Having adequate trade opportunities allows countries to have access to the global market. This means they can have access to goods and services provided by other countries, while also providing goods and services to other countries in exchange for financial compensation.

Question 6

What is social sustainability?

Answer 6

Social sustainability involves creating an equitable society that meets the needs of all citizens at the present without compromising the ability to meet these needs for future generations.

Question 7

What does gender equality ensure?

Answer 7

The achievement of gender equality means that all genders are able to be involved in all aspects of society, are treated equally, and have the same opportunities. This increases social health and wellbeing as individuals can form meaningful relationships at work and have effective communication.

Question 8

What does peace ensure?

Answer 8

High levels of peace allow societies to progress and be productive, as they feel safe and protected in their daily life and can therefore freely move through their environment. Greater levels of peace not only allow current generations to go to work or school and have lower levels of stress, promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Question 9

What does social support systems ensure?

Answer 9

One form of social support system involves providing monetary support to individuals in need so that they can afford basic necessities, such as food and rent. This support contributes to food security, allowing individuals to have access to nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate food at all times which promotes the functioning of the body, increasing physical health and wellbeing.

Question 10

What is environmental sustainability?

Answer 10

Environmental sustainability refers to ensuring the natural
environment is used in a way that serves the current generation whilst also preserving natural resources for future generations.

Question 11

What does climate change
management ensure?

Answer 11

Climate change management, such as the implementation of a carbon tax, can slow down rising global temperatures and subsequently protect current and future generations. Increasing temperatures can result in the melting of glaciers and subsequent rising sea levels, which may lead to the displacement and forced migration of communities in low-lying sea areas. Preventing forced migration promotes social health and wellbeing, as individuals are able to maintain their social network and the relationships they have formed within their community

Question 12

What does waste removal and pollution ensure?

Answer 12

Reducing pollution, particularly near open waters, reduces the rate at which damage to coral reefs occurs. This is important as many species of fish rely on coral to survive. Due to fish being a food source for humans, this protection of coral reefs promotes mental health and wellbeing, as individuals are less likely to feel stressed about food insecurity.

Question 13

What does biodiversity ensure?

Answer 13

Trees require exposure to certain types of bacteria from other life forms, such as insects. Ensuring biodiversity can therefore promote physical health and wellbeing, as trees are required to produce the air that humans breathe. Oxygen is necessary to ensure the effective functioning of the body and its systems, such as to ensure that cells in the body can function and support energy levels and immune functioning.

Question 14

What is human development?

Answer 14

Human development involves creating an environment that empowers individuals to develop to their full potential and lead a long, healthy, and productive life by expanding their choices, their capabilities, and their freedom.

Question 15

What does human development include?

Answer 15

• development to full potential
• leading a long, healthy, and productive life
• expansion of choices
• expansion of capabilities
• access to a decent standard of living
• access to resources, such as education and healthcare
• breaking the cycle of poverty
• ability to participate in the community
• access to freedom
• ability to live according to individual needs and interests.

Question 16

What is the human development index (HDI)?

Answer 16

Human Development Index (HDI) refers to a tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank the social and economic development of a country. It is presented as a single statistic that takes into account three dimensions and four indicators of human development.

Question 17

What are the dimensions and indicators of the HDI?

Answer 17

A long and healthy life
- Life expectancy at birth measures the number of years a person is expected to live at their time of birth, on the basis that current health conditions do not change.

Knowledge
- Mean years of schooling refers to the average number of years of schooling achieved by individuals in a country, measured at 25 years of age and above.
- *Expected years of schooling *refers to the expected number of years individuals can expect to spend at school, measured at the school entrance age for a child

A decent standard of living
- Gross National Income per capita refers to the income of all residents from a country divided by its population, giving an average income for a single person of that country.

Question 18

What are the advantages of the HDI?

Answer 18

• The use of a single statistic provides an easy measure which can be used to easily compare the human development of different countries.
• It is more comprehensive than other indicators used to classify countries, such as, GNI, as it focuses on more than just economic development by also focusing on social development.
• The simple statistic is classified from 0 to 1, making it easy to track patterns in changes in human development in a country over time.

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of the HDI?

Answer 19

• The statistic is based on averages in a country and therefore may not account for inequalities that exist within a country.
• Data collected from some countries, particularly low-income countries, is not always reliable and is sometimes not available.
• Other data, which may reflect the true level of human development, is excluded. This includes data about things, such as access to social security and gender equality, which can be linked to enhancing choices and capabilities.