The Fate of Sustainable Development Under Neo-Liberal Regimes in Developing Countries

Abstract

Due to an enhanced global environmental awareness reinforced by dramatic environmental events, international conferences on the environment and development, as well as academic research and publications, have increasingly shifted the developmental discourse toward the concept of “sustainable development.” In developing countries, however, the realization of the notion of sustainable development has come under challenge due to the emergence of neo-liberal regimes and their pro-market policies. The current article addresses the following issues in this context: the origin, meaning, and problems of sustainable development; the major features and policy orientations of neo-liberal regimes in developing countries; and the critical implications of neo-liberal policies for the environment and development. The article also offers some recommendations with a view to overcoming the contemporary challenges to sustainability and ensuring a more genuine and effective mode of sustainable development.