Sustainable Development Practice: The Central Role of the Human Needs Language

Abstract

Sustainable development has become a mantra in politics, academia and development policy and practice. Indeed, many policy and practice strategies, such as the sustainable development goals, have been devised in order to achieve sustainable development. Although the contents and items in these agendas are human needs, the use of ‘human needs’ language is less emphasised/explicitly spelt out. In fact, the language of human needs is almost absent. In this article, I argue that the adoption of the human needs language will strengthen sustainable development practice, efforts and agenda. This is because, unlike other aspirations, human needs by nature are universal. Secondly, human needs are limited in number compared to wants, desires, goals and capabilities. This nature of human needs makes the human needs language effective in promoting the sustainable development agenda and efforts, thus, adequately meeting the needs of the current and future generations.