ABSTRACT
The depletion of natural resources, waste generation and deterioration of human quality of life have become global concerns for sustainable development (Rees 1999). Sustainability, however, is not only about the natural environment. The social dimensions have been recognised as being of equal importance, encompassed by the commonly agreed definition for sustainability, ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (WCED 1987: 8). Thus, the notion of people and their capacity to survive as individuals and cultures has been incorporated into the current sustainable development discourse. It not only seeks to conserve the environment while permitting a degree of development, it is also an inquiry into how community collaborative participation can lead to creative initiatives for social innovation and environmental preservation.
