PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABILITY

Think City's Hamdan Majeed on how tradition and self-retaliation may be the answer to shaping Malaysia's sustainable future

- Sim Wie Boon

The concept of sustainability has gained tremendous popularity in recent decades, evolving i into a central tenet across various sectors, including environmental, economic, and social realms. As a developing nation, Malaysia is not left out of this conversation as it experiences rapid expansion while balancing economic development with sustainable growth. But what truly is sustainability? And how do we incorporate this lexicon into the development of our cities, wellbeing and future?

"Sustainability," says Hamdan Abdul Majeed, managing director of Think City, a community-focused urban regeneration organisation, "is a more recent phenomenon... kindled by the realisation that our human existence seems to be at the expense of the destruction of something else." He traces this awakening back to pivotal moments like the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and landmark publications such as The Limits to Growth by the Club of Rome.

These milestones sparked a global reconsideration of the impacts of human and economic growth.

Reflecting on the Brundtland Commission's work in the 1980s, Hamdan highlights its foundational role in shaping the modern understanding of sustainable development. "While poverty still exists, there were newer issues emerging by then. We started talking about issues like pollution, acid rain, deforestation, desertification and ozone depletion. These were all major sets of issues. Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," he quotes, emphasising the shift towards a paradigm that values harmony between humanity and nature.