Nanotechnology in a world out of balance

Abstract

As the world population marches towards the 9 billion mark by 2050, factors critical for the sustenance of the ecosystems will come under increasing stress. Having crossed the 7 billion figure in 2011, the 9 billion mark may well be reached much earlier based on population predictions depending on advances in science and behavioural changes. How humanity will address the depletion of resources crucial to our survival will have a bearing on life style, societal values and peace on the planet. Mankind appears to have tipped the scale in favour of population versus resources, probably for all time, and the balance of resources and their use is no longer in our favour (United Nations, 2005). In April 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment carried out by the United Nations (2005) indicated that “...the ability of ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted ”. In the same year, in a significant development, the United Nations in its Millennium Project Report (2005) addressed the potential of nanotechnology for sustainable development. Salamanca-Buentello et al. (2005) in their assessment of nanotechnology for developing the world have listed 10 areas for nanotechnology development, aligned with the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

As science and technology are crucial to development (von Weizsäcker et al., 1997), nanotechnology as an emerging technology must inevitably address problems of sustainable development created by earlier technologies in the past two hundred years, on one hand, and those that the new technology will generate on the other. This article highlights some critical issues and prioritizes applications of nanotechnology, which can contribute to sustainable development, in the light of particular problems faced by the emerging economies.