The concept of sustainability is catching on in the developed world, but how does it fare in the developing world? What does sustainability look like for emerging economies? Does it make sense for nations struggling to modernize and feed their own people? In countries where development requires resources, how can a philosophy marked by minimalism be justified? This paper analyzes these questions through the lens of Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa. It examines the causes of perpetual impoverishment, including the tragedy of the commons, overpopulation and the culture of dependency borne out of the present international aid paradigm. This paper argues that a sustainability framework, defined as a consideration of the future in present decision making, is an essential planning tool for developing countries. Such a tool, however, only reaps enduring solutions when there is effective agreement between each dimension of society: social, environmental, and political. Specific examples of solutions that simultaneously address these dimensions are addressed.
