A sustainable community development framework for environmental citizenship empowerment

Abstract

A plethora of evidence indicates rapid industrialisation and urbanisation contributed significantly to the estranged relationship between humanity and nature. The environmentally pro-active mandate is clear. Ecological social work and environmental citizenship have become as popular catchphrases as their originator, sustainable development, in contemporary discourse. Yet, despite their growing popularity, conceptual and operational clarity for achieving sustainable community development through environmental citizenship empowerment remains a challenge. The global development agenda, reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals, is grounded in a holistic view of sustainability interdependent with well-being dimensions (health, income, education, housing, energy, sanitation, environment, transport, security, food, recreation and communication). The leading theory for community development——socio-ecological systems theory——is linked to different forms of community capital (ecological, physical, economic, human, social and cultural), which are collectively required for sustainable community development. Each is seen as a sub-system of the larger ‘community’ system interconnected with the status of the well-being dimensions and influenced by policies and legislation that unfold at micro to macro levels. Challenges to sustainable community development, and their solutions, are presented across these well-being dimensions, development levels and legislative policies which influence development initiatives. This paper discusses concepts of sustainable community development, environmental citizenship and the importance and relevance of socio-ecological systems theory in sustainable community development practice. It proposes a Sustainable Community Development Framework for environmental citizenship empowerment informed by the Triple Bottom Line pillars within the context of socio-ecological systems theory. It concludes with suggestions and recommendations to social service professionals for sustainable community development.