Sustainable development is defined by fluid concepts and in a number of different
ways. Perhaps the most frequently quoted definition came from Our Common Future; a
report published by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in
1987, also known as the Brundtland Report (UNWCDE, 1987: 37)
“Sustainable
development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Therefore, sustainable development
creates the framework to integrate and balance the environmental, social, and economic
aspects of human activity at every level and scale from local to global. It also represents
holistic and long-term approaches that are beneficial for present and future generations
(Roome, 1998: 3).