1.0 NEEDS
Sustainability is a problem, which faces all development processes, be it in industrialized countries or the developing world. In recent years the debate has taken on the new urgency through the adoption of Agenda 21 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. In the global debate, sustainability is considered primarily in terms of continuing to improve human well being, whilst not undermining the natural resource base on which future generations will have to depend. [info@thewaterpage.com]

The issues of sustainability that concern the western world and India are different. In the "south" the primary cause of environmental degradation is poverty and under-development whilst in the "North" it is unsustainable life-style and over-development. In the south sustainable development and poverty reduction is the key to stopping degradation and for restoring the environment… 

[http://www.thewaterpage.com/opinion7 January 2003] 
Perhaps the best way to study the harmony among the man, animal and nature is the study of the needs of each of the three components i.e. the way in which the need of each components is met. The study would also help one to evaluate holistically the system of life for its dynamics and threshold. NEED is a perception for which an organism functions or performs. Need is the motivation or a driving force for a behaviour. 

1.1 Man's needs 
A good basis for understanding people's needs is the theory of Maslow which represented the needs of man in the following manner: - 
* physiological or physical needs
* acceptance in and affiliation to, the community
* recognition and appreciation from the community 
* self-actualization
* safety 

1.2 Animal Needs
An animal's needs are often described as its freedom. These may include:
Freedom from hunger & thirst
Freedom from Pain & Suffering 
Freedom from fear & stress
Freedom to confirm to essential behaviour pattern of the species to which it belongs (or freedom to live life style that is familiar to it)
Freedom to indulge

1.3 Environment's needs
Environment maintains a constant interaction among organic and inorganic components within it and a balance with other planets (homeostasis and balance). It tries to maintain a dynamic state; it gets used and replenished constantly; non-use stagnates while overuse depletes; both these actions set a series of permanent or temporary changes. Environment sustains when it is used and perishes when abused. When the imbalance is drastic or is beyond the threshold of any of the above components, disaster results. There are natural disasters as a consequence of natural imbalances and man made disasters. Human life and health is affected/ afflicted by erosion, pollution or other changes in the environment or by the deficiency in the animals he depends on.

2.0 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND SUSTAINABILITY 
Since the perspective of animal Husbandry of India is vastly different from the "animal Production of the west", the nature and purpose of veterinary services in India too vary from that of the west.

2.1 Animal Genetic Resources exist in the form of a vast array of breeds and livestock populations which have evolved and adapted over many centuries, to the range of environmental conditions encountered throughout the world. The pressure of selection imposed by climate, soil type, altitude, available food supply, endemic diseases and parasites, management techniques and market demands have resulted in thousands of breeds, types of strains, each with their own genetic make-up, and each adapted to its own specific niche.

The animal genetic resources available throughout the world are in a dramatic state of decline. The development of artificial insemination and other techniques that facilitate easy transfer of breeding material from one geographical region to another have resulted in widespread cross breeding and the replacement of local stocks through prolonged dilution. In many cases this has been carried out without initial characterization or evaluation of indigenous breeds and with no effort to conserve local strains. It has resulted in the disappearance of a substantial number of local populations, with the consequent loss of their inherent genetic adaptation to their local environments. This increasing loss of identifiable diversity in animal genetic resources has been recognized for many years. Particular concern has been growing with respect to the speed, at which uncharacterized breeds are disappearing in some rapidly developing regions of the world where climatic, parasitic or disease pressures could have produced important genetically adapted breeds. (Hodges, 199c; Office of Technology Assessment, 1987; Weiner, 1989)

"Asia has immense diversity of genetic resources in respect of animals and birds but these are fast vanishing because no systematic effort has been made in he past to conserve them*. In an attempt to provide a drastic improvement in production performance many developing countries had adopted cross breeding programmes using exotic genetic material. The impact of cross breeding over 3-4 decades has not resulted in a wide spread improvement in performance at grassroots level. In comparison to 61.00 Million breedable indigenous cows, we have 3.50 Million crossbred cows and 40 Million she-buffaloes. Though the level of production of exotic/crossbred animals is relatively superior, the total intake nutrient level is high and survival low under the prevailing (practiced) conditions. Under certain environmental conditions (foraging, supplemented by kitchen waste) the improved exotic breeds had genotypic value of zero for most production traits" (Proceeding of the Expert Panel Meeting, Oct. 1983 Part I; FAO/UNEP 1984.)

2.2 Emphasis need be laid on their improvement and conservation of their germ plasm and identification of their germplasm and identification of their role in region's economy. An important aspect to be pursued in India is the quantification of the benefit from genetic manipulation. In other words even though it is proved beyond doubt that higher milk yield, finer wool or better yield can be achieved through introduction of superior exotic germplasm, we are yet to assess whether these have factually improved the income of the live-stock owner or the country's export potential.

2.3 Animal Disease Control Strategy: 
Commercialisation and export of animal products call for better animal product handling, preservation, transport and strict standards of bio-safety. Frequent trans-global transportation of animals & biologicals (semen, embryo, vaccines etc.) necessitate stringent technical regulations to ward off exotic disease from entering the country. In developed countries the major thrust of livestock production has taken place when most of the contagious and infectious disease had been eradicated by rigorous laws and regulations and by adopting a mass slaughter and burial policy. But, import of animals and transport of biomaterials from across the world has introduced newer disease. (India has imported diseases along with exotic animals)

2.4 DISASTER: 97.46% of the population of India is distributed among 15 of its 35 states/UT's. One reason for uneven distribution of population is the suitability of a region. 25 of the 35 States/Union Territories are prone to some disaster or the other. Experience show, that vulnerability and the impact of disaster are more on the economically as well as socially marginalized sections of the community. The rich and the richer section opt out of disaster prone regions, leaving the weaker sections to dwell there. This section, by and large depends on animals, for livelihood. The management of animals in disaster has not received the attention it deserves. In the Andhra Pradesh cyclone of November 14-20 during 1977, we lost 2,30,146 cattle, 3,44,056 other livestock as against 8,515 human lives. Similarly in Orissa cyclone of June 4, 1982 there had been 11,468 cattle lost against 243 human deaths (loss of other animal is not projected). Earthquakes have comparatively lesser impact on animals; but in Uttarkashi earthquake 3100 cattle heads were lost against 770 human deaths; between 1953-1990 we lost 1,02,905 cattle against 1532 human lives. In 1999 Orissa cyclone 10,000 humans and 5,00,000 animals died.

2.5 Though the degree of involvement varies from region to region, on an average sixty percent of labour of livestock rearing in India is provided by women and more than 90% of work related to care of animals is rendered by womenfolk of the family. As high as 70% of livestock in India is owned by 67% of small, marginal and landless farmers. This fact points towards the scope of animal husbandry in a pro-poor program. A major chunk of livestock farmers in India living themselves on edge, produce milk, meat, eggs etc. to the community often at a cost that is unimaginably low. The animal rearing pattern can also vary in view of the variation in consumer preference for animal products. In place of priority on meat animals in the west, Indian consumer prefers milk rich in fat. They retains their dairy animals for at least 10-12 lactations, use their male calves for work. Since consumer preferences and systems of management vary widely, animal profile, farmers' profile, community profile, market profile, health profile, resource profile need be studied meticulously before any livestock policy is finalized. India has 30 recognized breeds of cattle, 15 breeds of buffaloes, 42 breeds of sheep, 20 of goats, 8 of horses, many ponies, donkeys and innumerable ethnic breeds of dogs. Our own breeds of poultry (18 breeds are recorded) and other livestock had been used for evolving some of the world's best utility animals. India has many uncharacterized breeds of animals, being reared by the animal owners in remote regions. [Of late, an attempt has been made to put on record nearly 130 of our livestock breeds, which hitherto evaded the attention of our policy makers and planners.]

2.5 INPUTS FOR ANIMAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
One often encounters the argument that financial constraint, poor plan allocation or low financial priority is the major hindrance to any development program. Animal resource development is no exception. One tends to forget that finance is just one of the many components essential for animal resource development. Capital invested on assets/ programs where other inputs are not available in the required quantity and quality proves to be "non-performing", "no-viable" or "unsustainable". To assess the growth potential of animal Husbandry, one has to make a holistic evaluation of the primary inputs required for it viz. the land, water, energy and capital (their source, availability, regularity, cost at site (if any) etc.). It is also important to consider the rate of utilization (or depletion) Vs rate of replenishment (or recharging) in view of the fast depleting natural resources from the face of earth. A holistic veterinary service, education, extension and research need consider land, water, energy and capital of the world in relation to that of India. The issues of economics and marketing like factor productivity, global market trend (demand, supply, market pull, dumping, glut etc.) and market sentiments are also to be duly considered. But care should be taken to avoid shifting the emphasis from human development to economic development. 

"Human development report, 1999" published by UNDP, crisply analysed the benefit accrued by various economic groups as a result of economic development. 86% shares of benefit from world GDP went to the richest twenty per cent, 13% to middle sixty per cent and 1% went to the poorest twenty per cent. Shares of benefit from exports of goods shared by rich, middle and poor groups were 82%, 17% and 1% respectively. Sixty eight per cent share of the benefit from foreign direct investments goes to the 20% richest, 30% to the middle 60% and 1% to the poorest 20%. Access of Internet use to rich was 93%, to the middle was 6.5% and to the poor 0.2%. Economic development comes in a package of credits and debits; equity tends to make it stagnant.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: SHARE OF BENEFITS TO VARIOUS ECONOMIC GROUPS