Transdisciplinary Engineering Design Process

4Transdisciplinary Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.

Ban Ki-moon

4.1 Introduction

The phrase sustainable development gained traction after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Sustainable development focuses on the root causes and connections between big issues such as climate change, social inequality, and environmental degradation. Sustainability refers to accepting a duty to seek harmony with other people and with nature; it is not just about the environment. It is about sharing with other people and caring for the Earth.

Although there are many definitions of the term “sustainable development,” the most widely accepted one in the literature is from Our Common Future,¹ sometimes referred to as the Brundtland definition:² “Development which meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” Nearly two decades before this definition, the United Nations had said that “Unsustainable development leaves behind large areas of poverty, stagnation, marginality, and destruction of the natural environment.”

The current economy has increased so much that it already goes beyond/outside the bounds of the ecosystem and social system. Social-ecological systems currently face complex challenges such as the degradation of ecosystems, ...