Sustainable development is an approach that tackles the main causes of poverty and fosters the autonomy of communities and the people who live in them.

As described by the United Nations (UN), sustainable development ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

Sustainable development is based on a process that identifies the problems specific to local communities, mobilises them and involves them in finding solutions adapted to their social and development context, and then implements action plans with the best chances of success. The ultimate goal is to create prosperity, with all its attendant benefits, including good governance, health, autonomy and sustainability.