For the poor South these are potentially devastating dangers, but they are not so clearly a matter of priority as is the day-to-day requirement of survival that affects so many of its peoples. Box 2.2 looks at the particular circumstances of South Africa to illustrate this point, though the theme is more generally applicable to other countries in economic and social transition. We shall see that the poor countries are becoming very dismayed that the high talk of sustainability is not being converted into serious commitment to assist their own particular pathways to sustainability.