Introduction to Infrastructure: An Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering

Chapter Thirteen

Sustainability Considerations

Chapter Outline

• Introduction
• Introductory Case Study: The Five Largest Nations
• The Needs of the World
• Resource Demand
• Measures of Sustainability
• The Role of Civil and Environmental Engineers in Promoting Sustainability
• Outro

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define sustainability.
2. Describe how public health is related to economic and social development.
3. Discuss the relationship between growing resource demands and sustainability.
4. Summarize the concept of ecological footprint.
5. Explain why considering sustainability is essential for future engineers.
6. Apply sustainable design principles to an infrastructure improvement project.

Introduction

Prior to the 1990s, sustainability was arguably only a “niche”concern. Today, it is a topic of everyday conversation. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations issued the Report Our Common Future. This report included what is widely considered to be the first definition of sustainable development:

Our common Future (“The Brundtland Report”)

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The “needs”mentioned in this definition refer to the needs of people throughout the world, with highest priority given to the needs of the world's poor. ...