Homes On The Hill

From Ukhrul, a remote district of Manipur, there is much to learn about how sustainability is a way of life and not mere lip service

- Reema Sathe

Today, at numerous forums, shops, institutions and gatherings we find people talking about sustainability, debating what it exactly means and often hash-tagging it, in an attempt to become a campaigner in their own way. The hype has proved well, with people sitting up and taking notice of the global crisis, but what we need is a willingness to cut through the externality of it all and develop a deeper understanding to find lasting solutions.

The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) simplifies sustainability as: “Meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.” They elaborate further by breaking down the approach to sustainability into environmental, social and economic segments: “Environmental sustainability involves keeping the planet’s ecosystems diverse and productive through good resource management, while social sustainability focusses on areas such as social equity, health equity, community development, human rights, labour rights and social justice. Economic sustainability relates to the social and ecological consequences of economic activity.”

Most people that I meet socially or professionally focus on areas of food, energy, and waste. Although the environmental aspect of sustainability is far more worked upon, written and talked about, the critical link to it is more human-centric (social) aspect, while there is a need to also work on responsible businesses.