Equitable Use of Resources for Sustainable Life Style

EQUITABLE USE OF RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIFE STYLE

There is a big divide in the world as North and South, the more developed countries (MDC'S) and less developed countries (LDC'S), the haves and the have nots.

The MDC's have only 22% of world's population, but they use 88% of its natural resources, 73% of its energy and command 85% of its income.

As the rich nations continue to grow, they will reach a limit.

If they have a growth rat of 10% every year, they will show 1024 times increase in the next 70 years. Will this much of growth be sustainable? The answer is 'No' because many of our earth's resources are limited and even the renewable resources will become unsustainable if their use exceeds their regeneration.

Thus, the solution to this problem is to have more equitable distribution of resources and wealth. We cannot expect the poor countries to stop growth in order to check pollution because development brings employment and the main problem of these countries is to tackle poverty.

The poor in the LDC'S are at least able to sustain their life.

Unless they are provided with such basic resources, we cannot think of rooting out the problems related to dirty, unhygienic, polluted, disease infested settlements of these people-which contribute to unsustainability.

Thus, the two basic causes of unsustainability are over population in poor countries who have under consumption of resources and over consumption of resources by the rich countries, which generate wastes.

In order to achieve sustainable life styles it is desirable to achieve a more balanced and equitable distribution of global resources and income to meet everyone's basic needs.

The rich countries will have to lower down their consumption levels while the bare minimum needs of the poor have to be fulfilled by providing them resources.

A fairer sharing of resources will narrow down the gap between the rich and the poor and will lead to sustainable development for all and not just for a privileged group.