sustainability and human development - unit 4 AOS 1

Question 1

the concept of sustainability

Answer 1

• Sustainability means to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. It means using resources in a way that doesn’t cause problems or deplete those resources for the future.

Question 2

economic sustainability definition

Answer 2

• Relates to the efficient use of financial resources to allow economic growth over time, ensuring that individuals currently have the adequate access to earn an income without compromising this ability for the future. It ensures 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

social sustainability

Answer 3

-Involves creating an equitable society that meets the needs of all citizens without comprimisig the social needs of future generations.

-The aim is to ensure that all people now and in the futreu can have their human rights upheld, participate
in their society and decisions that affect their lives, and experience equal access to
resources that promote health.

Question 4

environmental sustainability

Answer 4

• Environmental sustainability relates to ensuring the natural environment is used in a way that will preserve resources into the future.
• Human activities should use natural resources only at a rate that these recourses can be replenished so that future generations have access to them.

Question 5

economic sustainability considerations

Answer 5

• ensuring people can earn a decent income to access resources
• economic growth allows governemtns to provide infrastructure
• job creation
• trade including fair trade for low and middle income countries so they can escape poverty.
• diverse injustries

Question 6

social sustainability considerations

Answer 6

• gender equality
• social support systems
• promotion of legal rights
• peace and security
• safe working conditions

Question 7

environmental sustainability considerations

Answer 7

• biodiversity
• climate change
• use of natural resources such as biofuels rather than fossil fuels
• waste removal and pollution and ensuring sustainable access to safe water

Question 8

the concept of human development

Answer 8

• creating an environment in which people can develop to their full potential and lead productive, creative lives according to their needs and interests.
• It is about expanding people’s choices and enhancing their capabilities including having access to knowledge, a decent standard of living, and participating in their community and decisions affecting their lives

Question 9

the human development index

Answer 9

• The HDI is a tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank countries’
  levels of social and economic development. It provides a single statistic based on
  three dimensions and four indicators.
• The HDI is a number between 0 and 1. The closer to one, the greater the level of
  development experienced.

Question 10

dimensions

Answer 10

• a long and healthy life
• knowledge
• a decent standard of living

Question 11

indicators

Answer 11

• life expectancy at birth: An indication of how long a person can expect to live; it is the number of years of life remaining to a person if current death rates do not change.
• mean years of schooling: The average number of years of education achieved by those aged 25 years and over.
• expected years of schooling: The number of years of education expected for a child of school entrance age.
• gross national income per capita: The overall income of a country after expenses owing to other countries have been paid, divided by the population of the country.

Question 12

advantages of the human development index

Answer 12

• The HDI is a composite statistic and, as a result, provides a single statistic relating to the three dimensions and four indicators. This makes comparison easier, as numerous statistics do not have to be sorted through and compared.
• The HDI is effective for analysing progress that is made by countries over time. The four indicators may experience differing rates of progress, but monitoring the overall HDI is useful for analysing the overall progress achieved over time.
• The HDI takes more than just average incomes into account, so provides a more comprehensive representation of the level of human development experienced
• The HDI has captured the attention of media, policy makers, communities and individuals and, as a result, has raised awareness of the importance of human development. It helps people question and revise current policy choices.

Question 13

disadvantages of the human development index

Answer 13

• The HDI, although moving beyond economic indicators, is still based on averages and, therefore, does not provide an indication of the inequalities that exist within countries.
• Collecting data is complex and the reliability of data for measuring human development remains a challenge. Comparisons between countries are often difficult because of the different definitions and methods used in measuring key components of the HDI. Comparisons within countries is often difficult as data are often only collected at a national level.
• Human development is a complex concept and encompasses many aspects of human lives. The HDI only reflects selected aspects of human development and therefore does not capture the richness and depth of human development