Indicadores de sustentabilidade: a possibilidade da mensuração do desenvolvimento sustentável

Abstract

Sustainable development (DS) has been widely debated by governments and civil society in the industrialized and in developing countries. This article proposes a methodological sequence that it verifies the process of any project heading for DS, by means of the calculation of its index and sustentabilidade degree obtained by four scopes - environmental, social, economic and institutional indicators. The research was bibliographical being used of the systemic method and to verify its effectiveness it was applied in the project "Cultivation of Red algae", in the district of Flecheiras, coast west of the State of Ceara. Environmental problems, though common to all mankind, are experienced in differente society-nature relationships, as different social groups are involved and temporal and spatial matters are unique for each group. In that sense, the effectiveness of precise DS needs to be put its own limits and the indicators can indentify the degree of sustainability which we aim and make possible a better knowledged of the society-nature relationship nowadays and better actions for tomorrow.