Developing Countries: Problems of Environment and Development

This article deals with the role of developing countries in strengthening the global ecological security, because the focus of environmental crisis has been shifting towards them. Taking into consideration the dynamics of their socio-economic and demographic changes, these countries will determine environmental situation in the world. Ecological crisis in developing countries is subjected to the industrial society formation that is accompanied by heavy demand on natural resources and pollution of environment. The author concludes that inevitable environmental costs of extensive economic growth are multiplied by continuing population growth and poverty increase. Today the developing countries are in extremely hard situation: they won’t overcome economic gap which is the main cause of ecological disruption without accelerating the development. But at the same time, the uncontrolled increase of economic production results in intensification of environmental crisis. It determines the urgent need to shift from the traditional model of industrial development relying on the postulate "growth first clean up later" to the model of "green" development. This economic concept is defined as eco-industrial revolution. In order to carry this task these states have to include the elements of post-industrial "green" development into the model of the industrial type development catch up. In its practical realization this model may cause further differentiation of developing countries and inequality on the global level. The emerging economics of the Asia Pacific region possess enough technological, financial resources and political will to join the "green world". But scarcely the poor countries of Africa or South Asia will demonstrate the same high interest in providing secure ecological development. Sustainable economics will probably facilitate entering the "green world".