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If we take in all of the information in this chapter, we begin to have a much more complete vision of development going forward, one better suited to this century and more focused on sustainability than purely on economic growth. The Millennium Development Goals already represented a big departure from the post‐World War II model focused almost exclusively on increasing production and consumption as a means to increase incomes. The twentieth century model assumed more money could get the things desired by development, and it discounted the social and environmental costs of doing so. The Sustainable Development Goals allow for different pathways to get there, and recognize that not every path towards income generation is beneficial for inclusive and sustainable development. Under these goals, sustainable development means everyone has their basic needs met while resources and ecosystems remain intact – a tall order but also quite a necessary one.

Throughout this book, we explore the different dimensions and approaches to development. Because the very notion of development is evolving, and because a diversity of cultures and nations have different visions for progress, we try to minimize the use of terms like “developed” and “developing.” Given how much development has been conflated with GDP growth, we often refer to countries by their wealth classification as opposed to “developed” and “developing,” because those terms are more accurate than assuming development equities to a country’s wealth classification, which is an idea rooted in the last century’s development model.

The term “developing countries” is typically understood to be those countries in which agriculture or mineral resources have a large role in the economy while industrialization, manufacturing and services have a lesser role. The infrastructure (transportation, education, health, and other social services) of these countries is usually less adequate for their needs than infrastructure of the wealthiest 20 percent of countries (aka “developed nations”). At the same time, some of the countries classified as “least developed” (i.e. have the lowest average incomes per capita) are highly developed in culture and many such regions of the world had ancient civilizations with architecture, religion, and philosophy that we still admire, which brings us back to the question of what are we developing towards? And if the answer to this question varies, perhaps we should avoid assuming that 80 percent of the world wants to follow the twentieth century approach for “developing” inequitably and unsustainably. Since many of the less (economically) developed nations are in the southern hemisphere, they are at times referred to as “the South” instead of “developing.”

Even though institutions like the World Bank use wealth to differentiate between “developed” and “developing” countries, they also agree that development is more than economic growth. “Development” can also include the social and environmental changes that are caused by or accompany economic growth, some of which are positive and thus may be negative. Awareness has grown – and continues to grow – that the question of how economic growth is affecting people and the planet needs to be addressed. Countries are slowly learning that it is cheaper and causes much less suffering to try to reduce the harmful effects of an economic activity or project at the beginning, when it is planned, than after the damage appears. To do this is not easy and is always imperfect. But an awareness of the need for such an effort indicates a greater understanding and moral concern than did the previous widespread attitude that focused only on creating new products and services.

This book combines the economic, environmental, and the social components into the concept of development. We use the neutral and expanded definition of development because economic development alone has sometimes led to negative social and environmental consequences that rival in scale the economic benefits generated. We have chosen this definition because there is no widespread agreement on what these desirable and undesirable features are.

In this book we will look at some of the most important current issues related to development. The well‐being of people depends on how governments and individuals deal with these issues. We will first look at issues related to wealth and poverty, then turn to population, food, and energy. We’ll then turn to the environmental impacts: climate change, natural resources, and pollution. In the last two chapters, we consider the role of technology and then conclude with a consideration of what the future holds. As you read this book, consider for yourself: If the goal is “development,” what are we developing toward? And how do we manage the interdependent relationships between societies, the environment, and a globalized economy? The way we answer these questions informs how we address global issues.