It is commonly felt out that we need economic growth to make sure the well-being of the economy and get

better standards of living. Further, the promotion of economic growth worldwide is seen as the way to lift developing countries out of poverty. But there are many effects of economic growth on the environment. Some economists argue that economic growth will eventually lead to an improvement in the environment, despite some past increases in environmental degradation correlated with economic growth. But to what extent does economic growth promote resource depletion and increase in waste production and hence increased damage to the environment? To what extent does it damage the basic ecosystems on which we all depend? To what extent does it cause reduction of biodiversity?

Our natural environment comprises all living and non living things like land, forests, minerals, water bodies, the atmosphere, etc. While some of these resources may be renewable others get depleted and in the end exhausted with their continuous use. Even the renewable resources may get degraded or polluted. Economic development asks for increase, in the rate of increase of national income and achieving an equitable distribution of income. Increase in national income would result only from increased production of goods and services. The process of increase in output would involve greater consumption of resources such as land, forest, fuels etc, whose supply is essentially limited. The productivity of an economy thus depends greatly on the supply, quality and consumption of such natural resources. Thus irresponsible, selfish, thoughtless use of these resources would cause their exhaustion and degradation, thereby reduce productivity and impede economic growth. Also due to

such depletion and degradation our future generations will not get enough of these resources for their use thus adversely affecting their output, income and living standards. So environmental degradation not only affects us but will also have consequences on our future generations.

Suggestion - "Care for the environment is often portrayed as detrimental to economic growth," said Achim Steiner, the 45 year-old former Director General of IUCN-the World Conservation Union and new executive director of the UNEP, in a telephone interview with Reuters from UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. "We hope to lay that myth to rest in the 21st century. According to Steiner, economic policies must be broadened to recognize that the nature is the foundation for all life on Earth, and that environmental protection is a condition, and a prerequisite, for long-term economic growth. "We have to get environmental concerns into the mainstream of economics. . .to include what we are consuming and destroying," he said. "Environmental sustainability in the 21st century is not only the preserve of environmentalists, but of everybody who uses resources on this planet." For too long economics and environment have seemed like players on rival teams, Steiner said in a UNEP press release. We need to make these two sides of the development coin team players, players on the same side. We then have a chance to achieve the fundamental shift of values and reach a new understanding of what really makes the world go round, he said. Until recently the goods and services provided by nature have been paid only lip service by traditional economic accounting. Thus the land, the air, the biodiversity and the worlds

waters have been frequently treated as free and limitless. Steiner said he believes there is a new mood among people and governments worldwide, which increasingly recognizes that, while money may make the world go round, what makes money go round is ultimately the trillions of dollars generated by the planets goods and servicesfrom the air cleaning and climate-change countering processes of forests to the fisheries and the coast line protection power of coral reefs. Steiner said one of his many goals as executive director at UNEP is to achieve stronger and more streamlined ties with other UN organizations, civil society and the private sector. The challenges are so immense that, only by working together in mutual self interest, can we realize internationally agreed goals and deliver a stable, just and healthy planet for this and future generations, Steiner said.

Conclusion - Environmental Protection is Essential to Long-Term Economic Growth,

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It is in this context that the need for Sustainable Developmentarises. All economic activities either affect or are affected by the natural environment. Thus development based on reckless use of the natural resources is bound to result in reduced productivity of our economic system affecting the quality of life of the future inhabitants of this planet. Sustainable development therefore attempts to strike a balance between the demands of economic development and the need for protection of our natural environment. It is basically concerned with economic development in an environmentally responsible manner, keeping in mind the needs of the future generations.

Environmental considerations and pollution control are a part of sustainable development and hence they are needed to be fully integrated in our socio economic policies and programmes. Short run considerations of stepping up the pace of economic growth at the cost of environmental degradation will inexorably result in long run retardation of growth. Thus while formulating a development policy, a balance needs to be maintained between the requirements of the present and the needs of the future generations. We should try to replenish the stock of resources, at least to the extent that the present level of development has depleted them. For this we must make efficient use of natural resources, use non renewable resources economically while continuously trying to develop and use renewable resources. It may also be remembered that sustainable development requires strong international commitment and cooperation because ecology and environment transcend national and geographical boundaries. Swati Mehra