Role Of Judiciary In Sustainable Development & Environment

The concept of sustainable development requires accommodation, reconciliation and integration between economic growth, social justice (including human rights) and environmental protection objectives, towards participatory improvement in collective quality of life for the benefit of both present and future generations. The term ‘sustainable development law’ describes an emerging corpus of international legal principles and instruments which address the intersections between international economic, environmental and social law (including human rights law), towards development that can last for the benefit of present and future generations. Right from mother’s womb, one needs unpolluted air to breathe, uncontaminated water to drink, nutritious food to eat and hygienic conditions to live in. These elements are sine qua non for sound development of human personality. For development man depends mostly on natural resources and it is a well-known fact that natural resources are exhaustible. Unreasonable and reckless exploitation of natural resources leaves its severe impact on the ecosystem resulting in anthropogenic changes like climate change, biological invasion, desertification, biodiversity depletion, etc. Economic growth must not only ensure attainment of socio-economic justice and ideals of an egalitarian society but also harness environment in a sustainable environment.