Sustainable development in a country with extensive presence of valuable biotopes

Summary The Greek natural environment shows an extensive diversity of flora and fauna and a significantly high density of important biotopes. This notable ecological wealth is threatened with rapid degradation caused by human activities. Its protection through nature conservation measures and through the control of development projects and activities is obstructed by factors such as the existence of a large number of non-point sources of disturbance which are related to a large number of people, the inefficiencies of State mechanisms, the indifference of local societies with regards to planning procedures and long-term social benefits, and a traditionally indifferent or hostile attitude of countryside people towards nature. A study of the threats against the natural environment shows that the most important of these derive from activities that bring people closer to nature, but which follow a development model that is not sustainable. Such activities are: farming, animal grazing, fishing, tourism, vacation house-building, the opening up of roads, hunting, motorized recreation, etc. Contrary to this, the development of industry and the big enterprises of the tertiary sector appears more compatible with the preservation of a rich natural environment when certain conditions such as effective control, use of modern technology and convergence of business and environmental benefits occur. Consequently, this kind of development shows a better perspective as a sustainable development.Kimon Hadjibiros is a physicist-cum-ecologist working at the National Technical University of Athens. This paper, like others in Volume 15, No. 4 ofThe Environmentalist, was presented at the Global Forum '94 Academic Conference Towards a Sustainable Future: Promoting Sustainable Development, Manchester, UK, in June, 1994.