Sustainability indicators in development: marrying theory with practice

摘要

Sustinability Indicators (SI's) are currently seen by many as essential requirements for 'operationalising' sustainability. This paper briefly reviews some of the problems encountered when one attempts to define and implement SI's in a development scenario. The problems discussed are: defining sustainability, determining the spatial and time involvement of stakeholders in defining SI's . In addition, there is the danger that donor agencies iwll define their own SI's and use them more as a means of gauging the performnace of their field partner than as realistic measures of sustainable development which is by its very nature a complex process. An example is given in hte provision of finanical services in developing counties, where an SI equating to simple financial self-reliance on the part of the field partner is ncreasing employed by donors.