17 Curry-Lindahl. Development Assistance with
Responsibility

This study of development assistance, the environment and
development in developing countries discusses how man uses and
influences renewable natural resources in developing coun-
tries. It examines the environmental situation in the ecologi-
cal dimension, in other words, how the interactions between
the dynamic processes of the ecosystem and the renewable natu-
ral resources, on the one hand, with other components of the
ecosystem , on the other, can be made use of by man without
being destroyed or losing its productivity.

So far efforts to promote development have taken little or no
account of the functions of the ecosystem or of environmental
management as a whole. Policy-makers often seem to have been
little aware of the environment in their decisions on develop-
ment assistance. In the long run, therefore, results have far
to often turned out to be unfavourable and caused environmen-
tal deterioration.

Although the emphasis of the study has been placed on the eco-
system, for the sake of clarity the report has been divided up
into sectors of renewable natural assets, i.e. air, water,
soil, vegetation and fauna. They are all interrelated.

Chapter 4 gives an account of the attitudes of some internat-
ional bodies to environmental management as expressed in the
public debate. These have been set off against the measures
actually taken, and there we find that the official attitude
does not always tally with the action taken.

When giving examples of development projects which have resul-
ted in environmental deterioration,the report has tried as far
as possible to avoid specific bilaterally cooperating coun-
tries and developments assistance organizations by name. This
"neutrality" may have perhaps resulted in what can be called
sweeping statements unsubstantiated by definite examples. This
caution is a weakness, but the method permits candour.

CONTENTS:

Introduction 1
Survey of present-day environmental hazards in developing
country regions 2
Population growth 3
Food crises 4
The fuel crises 4
Air 4
The seas 5
Fresh water 7
The soil 11
Vegetation 12
Fauna 15
An analysis of the international debate on relationship
between the environment and development in Third World 17
An analysis of how different types of economic devpt pro-
jects can affect the environment in dev. country regions 18
Views on how different types of development assistance
can be adapted to our environmental requirements 20
What can Sweden do? 23