Featured Links

Well-being and Sustainability

Human well-being is a requirement for sustainability because everybody wants a reasonable standard of living.

Ecosystem well-being is an even more fundamental requirement, because the ecosystem supports life and makes it possible to have a standard of living in the first place.

Although trade-offs between the needs of people and the needs of the ecosystem are unavoidable, they must be limited.  People cannot prosper on a sustainable basis unless the ecosystem is healthy, productive and diverse.  In turn, a robust economy and flourishing community are vital for people’s health, wealth and happiness.  Ultimately, human and ecosystem well-being are equally important and a sustainable society needs to achieve both together.

Rotorua District Council has developed a set of well-being statements for its Ten Year Plan, to help describe what well-being means for local communities.

Learn more about...

• Waste minimisation
• Sustainable transport
• Water
• Sustainable business
• Sustainable development
• Sustainable buildings
• Climate change
• Energy efficiency
• Food systems
• Ecosystems
• Forests
• Wetlands
• Consumer information
• Air quality