The Problem of Sustainable Development: The case of the Saldanha Bay community mussel farming project

Abstract

Existing literature offers various definitions of sustainable development, yet very few efforts have thus far been made to move specific communities to such a state of development. Popularised by the Brundland report, the concept of sustainable development is understood to be that which "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs". However, the abstract concept of sustainable development raises various of questions concerning, for example, intergenerational implications of patterns of resources use and equitable resource allocations as highlighted in this study. This research indicates that the principles of sustainable development posed a veritable challenge to development projects. Hence, the confusion surrounding the concept, often leads to disagreement and misunderstanding in the demarcation of specific projects.