Sustainable development and LEP

Sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Brundtland Commission report Our Common Future, 1987). The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 goals adopted in 2015 for the period 2016–2030, are the current global framework.

Components (pillars) of sustainable development

1. Environmental sustainability: use natural resources within their regeneration capacity, reduce pollution and waste, conserve biodiversity, use renewable energy, address climate change.
2. Economic sustainability: steady economic growth, productive employment, efficient use of resources, poverty reduction, without depleting natural capital.
3. Social sustainability: equity, inclusion, health, education, gender equality, human rights, cultural preservation and community participation.

Some textbooks add institutional/governance (good governance, transparency, participation) and technological sustainability (appropriate, clean technology).

        Social
        /    \
       / SD   \
  Economic -- Environment
 (development is sustainable only
  where all three overlap)

Relation of LEP with sustainable development

The LEP approach (Labour-based, Environment-friendly, Participatory) directly supports each pillar:

• Economic: money spent as local wages reduces poverty and keeps costs low; local O&M reduces future expenses.
• Environmental: green roads and eco-friendly works protect slopes, forests and water, so the asset and nature last longer.
• Social: women, Dalits and poor people get jobs and committee roles; communities gain confidence and skills.
• Institutional: users' committees, public hearings and public audits build local governance.
• Long-term sustainability: because people own the infrastructure, they maintain it, so benefits continue for future generations.

Example: a green rural road in Nepal built by local labour with bio-engineering and a users' committee provides access, income and stable slopes – meeting present needs without harming future ones.

Hence LEP is a practical way of achieving sustainable development at the local level, especially in a labour-rich, fragile mountain country like Nepal.