Local Authorities And The Implementation Of Sustainable Development In Namibia

ABSTRACT

Sustainable development has in the last three decades become a widely debated notion. Nevertheless the objective of achieving a state of sustainability has so far not been attained. The study examines reasons for this condition by investigating activities on the global, national and local levels, and examining various philosophies and approaches, to determine what constitutes sustainable development and sustainability. In the first chapter, the research problem, the objectives of the study, the hypothesis and the methodology are described. Chapter 2 conceptualises the concept sustainable development by evaluating theoretical and philosophical perspectives, the meaning and understanding of the concept. A variety of philosophies and discussions are associated with the concept sustainability, such as autopoiesis, ethics, utilitarianism, ecophilosophies, and an empirical literature review. Chapter 3 investigates the relationship between sustainable development and human settlements. Empirical and normative issues, as well as international agendas are explored as they incorporate various aspects which are related to the achievement of sustainable development. The role of local authorities in the implementation of sustainable development details the contributions of good governance and the generic administrative functions. In Chapter 4 the hypothesis is tested. The latter is based on the premise that the concept sustainable development is not understood. The hypothesis is divided into four sub-hypotheses in order to examine the components necessary for the implementation of sustainable development, the generic administrative functions, good governance, and practical factors in the implementation such as local agendas 21 in Windhoek and Walvis Bay. In this way a more holistic picture of the objectives of sustainable development is obtained. Chapter 5 describes a framework for the implementation of sustainable development. This includes normative as well as empirical issues, the role of local authorities, preconditions for the implementation of a conceptual framework, for example, political will, ethics, carrying capacity and dematerialisation. In addition three scenarios are presented to show different outcomes of such a transformation process from nonsustainability to sustainability. The final chapter concludes with the findings of the study. They underline that local authorities in general and in Namibia in particular have not been able to implement sustainable development on the local level by means of a Local Agenda 21. This agenda lacks one of the main requirements of sustainability, namely a holistic approach. Instead, sectoral approaches and attempts to manage crises have become the hallmark of these initiatives. An ethic and the political will, to support genuine attempts to achieve sustainable development, is absent.