Previous Year Question
What do we call balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future?
Future resources
Resource conservation
Reducing consumption
Sustainable development
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
The central idea of Sustainable Development is to meet present needs while using natural resources and the environment in such a manner that the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is not compromised.
The most widely known definition of this concept is associated with the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report — Our Common Future.
Sustainable Development does not merely mean preserving resources. It requires a balance between present development requirements and the future availability of resources.
Its three major interconnected dimensions are—
Economic Development
Social Inclusion
Environmental Protection
Resource Conservation primarily focuses on the careful use and protection of resources, whereas Sustainable Development is a broader concept in which resources are used for present development while their availability for future generations is also maintained.