What Are the Pros and Cons of Sustainable Development?

The main pro of sustainable development is that it provides developing countries with flexible strategies for improving economic, environmental, health and political situations. The primary con of sustainable development, according to Water Encyclopedia, is that it applies a Western mentality to world issues, resulting in an ideological dissonance.

There are several pros of countries around the world adopting the principle of sustainable development, according to West GA. When put into practice, it helps combat environmental deterioration in air quality, water levels and terrestrial control. At the same time, its practice maintains habitat diversity, and it also helps improve poverty situations, controls over consumption and improves health and education. Finally, sustainable development promotes viable roles for all members of societies, while improving the economic situation of developing countries. This means important roles for teachers, doctors, students, businesses, governments, native people and trade unions.

The principle disadvantage of sustainable development mainly relates to the ideological topic of Westernization. The use of the principles of sustainable development in developing countries overlooks the importance of local customs, traditions and people, according to Water Encyclopedia. Other opponents argue that sustainable development is a vague term, and that some organizations use it to further their own interests, whether those interests are environmental or economic in nature. Others believe that it encourages a capitalist system across the entire world.