MARKETS,PARTNERSHIPS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 13
circles, because of its elusiveness and diametrically opposed interpretations. As a
starting point for this study, we will take the position on sustainable development that
seeks to combine goals of ecological sustainability with the concern for meeting
current human needs (Satterthwaite, 1997; Hardoy, et al., 2001). Striving for ecolog-
ical sustainability implies that the use of non-renewable resources should be
minimised, renewable resources should be used in such a way that regeneration of the
resource is ensured, and the capacity of local and global sinks should not be exceeded
in either case.
The original model that we followed, emphasised the environmental issues involved,
and left relatively undefined what specific institutional arrangements are needed and
how to realise those needs^11. A more recent article by Satterthwaite does discuss the
importance of institutional arrangements with relation to environmental issues in
cities, suggesting that urban managers need to take into account two areas for which
they currently have no mandate. These include: 1) minimising the transfer of environ-
mental costs to inhabitants and ecosystems surrounding the city; and 2) ensuring
progress toward ‘sustainable consumption’ (Satterthwaite, 1997).
It is important to indicate how ideas concerning sustainability are linked with devel-
opment goals, in terms of sectoral priorities over time. There is tremendous contro-
versy concerning what human needs entail, how their satisfaction relates to ecological
sustainability, and what the acceptable levels of trade-offs are. This is apparent, for
example, in the contrast between the advocates of the green and the brown agenda in
urban environmental improvements. The former emphasize ecosystem health, the
impact of cities on rural resources and surrounding regions, and the threat posed by
urban consumption to the fulfillment of the needs of future generations. The latter
focus on environmental hazards and social justice, and are more concerned with
immediate problems at local level, especially those faced by the urban poor
(McGranahan and Satterthwaite, 2000). Politically, countries of the South also empha-
size the necessity to give economic growth priority at this point in time, before
promoting ecological sustainability. In this book we will work from an understanding
of sustainable development that combines a developmental perspective with ecolog-
ical concerns, and makes explicit the trade-offs inherent in the choices that are made.
Attempts to link SWM to issues of sustainable development still need more analytical
work. One such attempt is the concept of ‘integrated sustainable waste management’,
developed by van der Klundert and Lardinois (1995). Their concept and related model
- They include: 1) minimising the use or waste of non-renewable resources; 2) sustainable use of finite
renewable resources; 3) biodegradable wastes not overtaxing capacities of renewable sinks; 4)
non-biodegradable wastes/emissions not overtaxing capacity of local and global sinks to absorb or
dilute them; and 5) meeting economic, social, cultural, environmental and health needs, as well as
political needs for current and future generations.