Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

 12.3. 
 Formation of the concept of sustainable 
development
The necessity of sustainable development was first declared in 
Stockholm in 1972, at the UN Conference on the Human Environ-
ment. The contemporary understanding of sustainable development 
is based on the idea that was voiced in the 1987 Report by the 

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292 
ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
UN World Commission on Environ ment and Development: Our 
Common Future:  ‘Sustainable development is development that 
meets the needs of the present generations without compromising 
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’
1
 The 
concept of sustainable development, its agenda and solutions for 
its implementation today are important tasks of the UN. The UN 
Conference on Environ ment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, 
1992, was dedicated to the above issues. Two important documents 
were adopted at the conference: ‘Declaration on Environ ment 
and Development’ and action programme for the 21
st
 century 
‘Agenda 21’. 
The strategy ‘Think globally, act locally’ highlights the idea that 
no global action is feasible without purposeful local steps. Many 
countries of the world have recognised the necessity to design their 
development strategies in such a way that not only the rates and 
prospects of economic development as well as quality of life are 
sustained but also environ mental degradation and over-consumption 
of resources are eliminated. Thus, the concept of sustainable 
development became a frame of reference that could influence the 
activities of the contemporary society and the development of the 
future society. The sustainability of the development of the world 
countries was evaluated in 2002 at the UN World Summit on 
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the Republic of South 
Africa. 
An updated and more elaborated definition of sustainable de ve-
lop ment is provided in the European Union Sustainable Development 
Strategy: 
Sustainable development means that the needs of the present 
generation should be met without compromising the ability of future 
generations to meet their own needs. It is an overarching objective of 
the European Union set out in the Treaty, governing all the Union’s 
policies and activities. It is about safeguarding the earth’s capacity 
to support life in all its diversity and is based on the principles of 
democracy, gender equality, solidarity, the rule of law and respect 
for fundamental rights, including freedom and equal opportunities 
for all. It aims at the continuous improvement of the quality of life 
and well-being on Earth for present and future generations. To that 
end it promotes a dynamic economy with full employment and a 
high level of education, health protection, social and territorial 
cohesion and environ mental protection in a peaceful and secure 
world, respecting cultural diversity.
2
1 
Our Common Future (1987) Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2 
EU  sustainable  develop ment  strategy.  Accessible:  http://ec.europa.eu/environ-
ment/eussd/

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12. Sustainable Development
 293
The concept of sustainable development is based on the 
necessity to optimise economic development and social system, as 
well as the impact on the environ ment and the use of resources. This 
model of development has to ensure the sustainability of economy, 
environ ment and the social sphere in time and space (Figure 12.7). 
The three basic spheres requisite for the humanity’s existence today 
are the following: viable economy, harmonious society and healthy 
environ ment. These are also the desirable external prerequisites for 
the development of an individual. Sustainable development implies 
that each economic, social or environ mental issue must be solved 
in such a way that the adopted decision is favourable, or as little 
unfavourable as possible, for the development of other spheres.
Economy
Environment
Sustainable
development
Social
domain
The main tasks of sustainable development are the following.
 
Š
Preservation of resources, i.e. ensuring the avail 
ability 
of resources for humanity’s development not only to the 
present but also to the future generations. This involves the 
necessity to implement an agenda and policies that aim at 
raising the efficiency of the use of non-renewable resources, 
their replacement with renewable resources, at the same time