Week 7:Challenges to Sustainable Development

 

The Week 7 lecture of SCSH 1201 on challenges to sustainable development was eye-opening. It showed how sustainability involves balancing environmental, social, and economic factors, and the obstacles that make this difficult.

One striking point was the global inequity example: an African person earns $2.30 daily, while a cow in Europe gets a $2.20 subsidy. This comparison shocked me and made me think about how resources are unfairly distributed. It’s unfair that animals in rich countries get more support than people struggling to survive.

The lecture also discussed social challenges, like unequal access to education, healthcare, food, and clean water. Learning that over 750 million people lack clean water and 805 million face hunger was upsetting. These issues feel so big, but they inspire me to act, maybe through our group’s Sustainable Development Project. We could focus on something local, like reducing food waste at IIUM.

I also liked the Islamic perspective on sustainability. Concepts like Zakat (charity) and Khalifah (stewardship) show how fairness and care for the environment are part of a just society. These ideas motivate me to think about sustainability as not just a project but a way of life.

However, the lecture highlighted challenges like poor governance and lack of funds, which can stop good plans from working. This makes me realize our project needs clear planning and teamwork to succeed.

In conclusion, this lecture made me see how connected and complex sustainability issues are. It’s pushed me to think about how I can contribute to a fairer, greener world through my project and beyond.