Shortly after the Rio conference, the term 'sustainable human development' came to replace the narrower 'sustainable development' in much of the discussion. The new term reflects the conviction that poverty, inequity and runaway population growth are at the root of the global environmental crisis. Sustainable human development, then, starts with people, especially the marginalized. 23 Sustainable development demands certain minimum requirements for all people, including adequate food, housing, and employment, as well as access to health care and education. It also requires an environment where there is respect for human rights and freedom from oppression and crime.
Many environmental problems are directly related to the absence of such essentials.
For instance, inadequate or unsustainable incomes force poor people into harmful practices like clearing rainforests for subsistence farming or harvesting firewood until not a tree stands in the vicinity of their settlements. A lack of educational opportunities deprives them of choice in their lives and prevents them from participating in the political process. It also exerts upward pressure on population which, in turn, leads to the ecological environment being pushed beyond its limits of tolerance. The participation of women in development efforts is essential, and the United Nations works to raise their economic, social and legal status. The special needs of children and adolescents receive attention and aboriginal groups are recognized and respected as possessing a special knowledge and understanding of their environment, knowledge which should be taken into account in development policies.