Book Review

Sustainability indicators: measuring the immeasurable?

by Simon Bell and Stephen Morse, London, Earthscan, 2008, 240 pp.,, £19-99 (hard cover), ISBN 978-1-84407-299-6

Definitions for sustainable development, and associated derivatives such as sustainability, have been much explored over the last two decades. The definitions all stem from individuals' viewpoints on the world and what they deem important for future generations. The value judgement associated with ecological, social, economic and other issues, and the integration of these elements, brings about the enormity and elusiveness of measuring sustainability. The book by Bell and Morse acknowledges this challenge and through a literal journey illustrates the shortcoming of the reductionist and subjective approach that is typical of indicator development. The authors call for a change in thinking by applying a systems approach as a different means of engaging sustainability and the measurement thereof.

The first chapter of the book provides a historical overview of sustainability indicators. The message emanating from this chapter is that sustainability is about value judgements and ethics, which have, ultimately, led to the difficulty in defining the system boundaries and qualities to be measured, and also the time and space scales within which sustainability is to be achieved. The authors, in chapters two and three, critically review established system-wide, top-down indicators ranging from single indicators (maximum sustainable yield for fisheries) to multiple indictors (AMOEBA: Dutch acronym for ‘general method for ecosystem description and assessment’), as well as institutional-specific indicators. A negative aspect of these chapters is the detailed explanation provided by the authors for each of the indicators. An example is the explanation of the maximum sustainable yield that goes into the r and k theory; a risk is that the reader is drawn into the fundamentals of ecology rather than a discussion of the actual information that such an indicator yields. These chapters do, however, effectively illustrate the failure to achieve an objectively verifiable scientific measurement of sustainability. Chapters four to six describe the systemic sustainability analysis (SSA) theory that relies on ‘people’ to describe the system and to emphasise what is important to them. SSA is a holistic bottom-up approach to sustainability, which is defined as a participatory deconstruction and negotiation of what sustainability means to a group of people, along with the identification of indicators to assess such a deconstructed vision of sustainability. The authors believe that participation, although difficult and problematic, in itself is a better approach to sustainability than the traditional top-down, objective-led approaches. Chapter six also provides a detailed example of how SSA can be undertaken, but the authors do emphasise that the specific example is not necessarily the only or best method of applying SSA. They encourage all users of SSA to adapt the method, but not change the underlying theory, so that it best fits the context of a project; the most important element of any SSA that must be addressed is that of public/stakeholder participation.

The book by Bell and Morse provides much insight and enlightenment to a wide audience that deals, in some way or another, with sustainability. The book challenges the current way of thinking; developing new practical approaches to sustainability that incorporates the views and values of local people is proposed as the science of the future. Academics and practitioners alike will find this book a must-have to the ever growing literature on sustainability.