3.2. Approaches to sustainability assessment
There has been intense debate about how sustainability should be assessed. The debate on sustainability assessment may be broadly divided into two approaches (see Bell & Morse, 1999, pp. 77–103): a reductionist approach; and a holistic (systemic) approach. The reductionist approach can be seen as reflecting the scientific paradigm that has been dominant in the Western research tradition. However, this paradigm is challenged by one alternative described as a holistic or systemic approach. The approach to measuring sustainability in absolute, traditional, reductionist terms may be non viable because sustainability is not determined by single components. Nor sustainability can be explained and measured by holism alone because, as identified even by some of the advocates of the holistic approach (e.g. Bell & Morse, 1999), the fundamental limitation of the holistic approach is that it has failed to suggest any acceptable analysis method in measuring sustainability. There is no doubt that the holistic approach has many benefits in formulating a conceptual framework for sustainability assessment procedure. However, in some part of the assessment procedure, particularly in data-analysis processes, traditional mathematical or technical method must inevitably be introduced if the holistic approach is to become an acceptable assessment tool. Therefore, this paper combines the two approaches.