Introduction
The 21st century is witnessing an unprecedented push toward economic development, industrial expansion, and urbanization. Nations, especially developing ones, are racing toward infrastructure growth, digital transformation, and energy security. However, a critical question looms large: Can development be truly sustainable without ensuring environmental justice?
As climate change intensifies, biodiversity dwindles, and resource inequities deepen, the intersection between environmental health and social justice becomes increasingly significant. Sustainable development, as envisaged by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, refers to development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Environmental justice ensures that no community bears a disproportionate share of environmental harms and that everyone enjoys equitable access to environmental benefits.
Understanding Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is both a philosophy and a policy framework that focuses on the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. It advocates for:
- Equitable access to clean air, water, and resources.
- Protection of marginalized communities from environmental hazards.
- Inclusion of vulnerable populations in environmental decision-making.
In the Indian context, this means ensuring that tribal populations, forest dwellers, and economically weaker sections are not displaced or disenfranchised in the name of development.
Sustainable Development: Beyond GDP
Sustainable development involves a delicate balance between economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. In the absence of environmental justice:
- Economic growth may fuel inequality.
- Natural resources may be overexploited.
- Ecological degradation may become irreversible.
Sectors like mining, large-scale hydropower, deforestation for highways, and intensive industrialization often reflect this contradiction. For instance:
- Etalin Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh (2025) received clearance despite significant ecological and indigenous concerns.
- EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) processes are often criticized for ignoring community voices or conducting superficial reviews.
Development Without Environmental Justice: A Double-Edged Sword
1. Displacement Without Rehabilitation
Projects that displace indigenous people or forest dwellers, like large dams or mining ventures, often fail to offer adequate compensation or resettlement. The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River, while providing electricity and irrigation, led to the displacement of thousands, sparking long-standing protests.
2. Ecological Costs Passed to the Poor
Environmental degradation disproportionately affects the poor. Urban air pollution harms slum dwellers the most. Droughts and floods—exacerbated by climate change—cripple marginal farmers and laborers.
3. Intergenerational Inequity
Unsustainable practices such as deforestation, groundwater over-extraction, and carbon emissions shift the burden to future generations. Development devoid of ecological foresight violates the rights of those yet to be born.
The Constitutional and Legal Backdrop in India
- Article 21 (Right to Life) has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to a clean and healthy environment.
- Article 48A and Article 51A(g) enshrine the duty of the State and citizens to protect the environment.
- Landmark judgments like MC Mehta v. Union of India, Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India, and Samaj Parivartana Samudaya case emphasized the precautionary principle, polluter pays principle, and sustainable development.
However, despite these protections, implementation gaps, lax regulatory enforcement, and corporate influence often dilute environmental justice.
Global Perspective and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The UN’s SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 6 (Clean Water) are inherently linked to justice. SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) also underscores the need for fair distribution of environmental resources and protection.
Countries like Costa Rica, known for environmental stewardship, and Germany, with its Just Transition policies, demonstrate how economies can prosper while protecting ecosystems and promoting fairness.
Policy Measures for Integrating Environmental Justice
- Participatory Decision-Making: Include local communities, especially indigenous and marginalized groups, in planning and approval processes.
- Strengthen EIA Framework: Ensure transparency, rigorous scientific assessments, and community hearings in environmental clearances.
- Compensation and Rehabilitation: Institutionalize fair and timely rehabilitation for displaced persons.
- Environmental Education and Literacy: Integrate environmental awareness into curricula and local governance training.
- Climate-Resilient Development: Promote green infrastructure, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture with a people-first approach.
- Legal Empowerment: Strengthen National Green Tribunal (NGT) and provide legal aid to environmental whistleblowers and affected communities.
Ethical and Philosophical Dimensions
The Gandhian philosophy of “Sarvodaya” (welfare of all) aligns well with environmental justice. Gandhi said, “The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
Environmental justice is also closely linked to climate ethics, where the most vulnerable contribute least to the problem but face the gravest consequences—a form of global injustice.
Conclusion
Development without environmental justice is fundamentally unsustainable. It risks deepening social inequalities, triggering ecological collapse, and compromising intergenerational equity. True development must be inclusive, participatory, equitable, and ecologically sound.
For UPSC aspirants, this issue integrates insights from GS Paper I (Society, Ethics), GS Paper II (Governance, Policies), GS Paper III (Environment, Development), and the Essay Paper. Candidates must be able to critically analyze such topics with interlinked perspectives—legal, ethical, ecological, and economic.
Key Quote for Essay or Ethics
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” – Benjamin Franklin