Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Ijopec Publication, London, 2016
The term “sustainability” possesses numerous meanings for different people and various circumstances.
But, the core meaning of sustainability is the responsible use of resources. Sustainability can be
broadly defined as ‘meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs’ (WCED, 1987). There are three interconnected spheres of
sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. When the concepts contained in the three spheres of
sustainability are applied to real world situations, the quality of life for all is improved, natural resources are
preserved and the environment is protected.
It is a common mistake to define sustainability strictly in terms of “environmental sustainability”. This
misconception believes the major flaw of the contemporary pattern of development is simply its destruction
of the environment. Handling “sustainability” only from an environmental standpoint is a superficial view
that needs to be assessed carefully and underlined correctly. As Basiago (1999: 155) suggests, ‘…[t]he
protection of natural systems represents not an overarching panacea for achieving economic vitality and social
justice, but a necessary component of an entire system for achieving economic, social and environmental
“sustainability”, in which economic reforms and social reforms are as important.’
The sustainability challenge is to overcome a vast array of market, policy and institutional failures and in
addition to natural and environmental pollution, sustainability combine all the social, political, and economic
encounters faced by humanity. The multi dimensional phenomenon of sustainability lies at the heart of the
challenge of environment and development and the way governments, business and environmental groups
respond to it. Sustainability is a multidimensional term both in term of its indicators and determinants
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