3.3. DESARROLLO DE LA ILUSTRACIÓN DE LOS PROCESOS, ASPECTOS
3.3.1. Gestión de Procesos
orientor subsystem subsystem performance contribution to total system
existence human Accumulated public debt Share of population living in
per capita as fraction of urban areas (no subsistence
mean annual income self-sufficiency)
support Net growth of built capital Infant mortality (infrastructure and
economic system)
natural Rate of degradation and loss Grain production per of agricultural land and person per year forests
effectiveness human Share of population affected Share of population below by unsolved social problems poverty level
support Amount of grain that can Average personal income vs.
be bought for one hour subsistence level income minimum wage
natural Land area fraction with Renewable fraction of energy
polluted groundwater and material resources
freedom human Unemployment rate: percent Annual growth rate of
of action of working age adults who population
cannot find paid work
support Energy productivity Life expectancy at birth
orientor subsystem subsystem performance contribution to total system natural Average atmospheric acid Share of land in natural state
deposition or under sustainable
(kMol H+ per ha) management
security human Burden of diseases and Net rate of refugee generation
injuries (disability adjusted or absorption, percent
life years) of resident population
support Foreign trade as share of Rate of change of
total domestic trade ecological footprint
volume (dependence)
natural Biocide resistant strains as Share of vital dependence on fraction of total harmful water supply not under
strains and species regional control
adaptability human Average length of formal Average per capita
education of females membership in non-
governmental organizations (public interest)
support Ratio of entrepreneurs to Ratio of tax revenue to long-
government employees term committed state
(college graduates) expenditures
natural Ecological diversity index Rate of development of
renewables vs. rate of depletion of nonrenewable resources
coexistence human Prison population as share Percent of population able to
of total population converse in more than one
language
support Ecological footprint vs. Vertebrate species extinct and permissible sustainable at risk as fraction of total
footprint in 1900
natural Rate of change of Cumulative use of
ecological diversity index chlorinated hydrocarbons (g/ha)
psychological human Income ratio of richest 20 Percent moving because of
needs percent of population to social and political problems
poorest 20 percent
support Percent of population Percent moving because of
within one hour of all inadequate support structure essential services
natural Wilderness area as share Percent moving for the sake
Indicator set of a country: New Zealand
Sustainability can only be discussed in relation to a well-defined region, since it is directly related to its carrying capacity. This may require includ- ing indicators in one region that would not be appropriate in another. By way of illustration, Table 8 shows a draft list of indicators for New Zealand /Aotearoa, derived in this manner by John Peet by reference to the specific social, economic, political, environmental and resource conditions of that country.61 Note that the list reflects the more-or-less subjective
opinions of only one person. In practice, it should be the outcome of a much more representative process and be subject to peer and community review.
Indicator set for a global region
In Table 9 a compact set of sustainability indicators for an unspecified, gen- eral global region is shown. In choosing these indicators, particular atten- tion was paid to two aspects: potential availability of data and comparabil- ity of results. The indicators were selected to correspond as much as possi- ble to time series data available for most countries; for example, in publica- tions of the United Nations and the annual publications of the Worldwatch Institute and the World Resources Institute.62In addition, indicators were selected that carry the same significance and meaning in countries at very different stages of industrial development. The set is more general than that used for the assessment of sustainability dynamics in Sec. 6.2, which had to be restricted to available Worldwatch data series.
The indicator set was generated by one person (HB) and should be sub- jected to critical review and revision before adoption. The indicators cho- sen should be understood as suggestions. There may be other indicators that are easier to obtain or that answer the relevant orientor question just as well or better. The important point is that the chosen indicator or indica- tors must provide a reliable answer to a particular orientor question.
6.4. Extensive indicator set for a global region
It was mentioned earlier (Sec. 5.5) that, ideally, indicator sets should ini- tially be developed without reference to available data sets. Since existing statistical observations have rarely been collected with a view toward prob- lems of sustainable development, it is all too likely that such data sets already reflect a rather narrow view, often restricted to economic concerns. Also, it was pointed out in Sec. 4.3 that the most useful indicators for sus- tainability assessments are provided by Biesiot ratios, i.e., ratios of the rate of system response to the rate of system threat with respect to a particular
basic orientor satisfaction. Data for such indicators are rarely collected now, but their eventual collection should be an urgent priority.
In more comprehensive sustainability assessments, it is necessary to consid- er a more detailed picture of the total system, i.e., to disaggregate beyond the three subsystems used in all of the previous assessments. Also, the choice of just one representative indicator for each orientor concern and each subsystem will often only be an inadequate caricature of the real situ- ation.
In Tables 10–15, a much more complete set of indicators is shown for the six subsystems: individual development, social system, government and administration, infrastructure, economic system, resources and environ- ment. For each category of concern, multiple indicators covering different aspects are presented. (The letters and numbers following these indicators indicate more conventional categories: N – normative and ethics, P – psy- chological, Q – qualification, O – organizational, L – living condition, W – welfare and social condition, M – material resource, F – financial and economic, D – dependence, B – environmental burden indicators.63Note
that some indicators are used in several orientor satisfaction categories.). These multiple indicators can be used as indicated in Sec. 5.3, either con- centrating on those in the worst condition as the weakest links of a partic- ular orientor satisfaction category, or using them to provide an aggregate assessment for that category.