Socio-economic and environment are inter-dependent. A healthy and good quality human resource (labor force) is a productive working force that breeds a healthy economy and one that recognizes the value of environmental quality. A well-managed economy sustains the productivity of natural endowments and the life support system needed to build a health society. Well-conserved natural resources provide communities with a sustainable source of livelihood and income and thus improve their economic welfare. Clean environment and good economy ensure the quality of life.
It is, therefore, important that these three sectors are equally given importance to achieve a balanced and sustained development.
More on Socio-Economicand Environmental Interdependencies How does an economic problem such as "low income" affect social
and environmental dimensions?
Low family income would impact to education of children. Children may opt to work instead of going to school to help the family with the basic necessity such as food. Poor nutrition due to imbalance food intake may lead to many forms of illnesses or worse, even death.
Low income is a hindrance in accessing decent shelter and basic utilities such as water, electricity and sanitary toilet facility. Difficulty to access water and sanitary toilet facility poses environmental and health problems.
Low income may lead to illegal activities that impact on the integrity of the environment or social disharmony. The overriding motivation is survival. One sample is illegal fishing, say, the use of dynamite to increase fish catch. While dynamite fishing may increase income, it is not sustainable. What is irreversible is the destruction of coastal habitat.
Illegal fishing destroys marine life which contributed to the loss of seaweed beds, tidal marshes, coral reefs, mangrove forests, and other important biotic communities. The loss of important marine organisms such as those mentioned above has an impact to marine nutrient imbalances leading to declining of fish resources, as well as degeneration of the natural resilience or cleansing ability of marine ecosystems which, later on, would result to serious marine pollution.
Livelihoods of fisherfolk and food security are issues that would crop up because of declining fish resources. Marine pollution definitely affects biodiversity and marine ecosystem health, including the marine ecosystem services.
In brief, recognizing these interdependencies is about understanding human life.
Every action or inaction corresponds to great benefits or serious problems in the future. The future of next generation lies in our hands. Think! There's no option but to ACT... now.
