The AMOEBA approach as a useful tool for establishing sustainable development

The concept of sustainable development is a political rather than a scientific concept. It is a balance between the environment and human uses. If policy-makers want to make rational choices concerning sustainable development, they have to define this concept and formulate verifiable ecological objectives, and moreover they will need to possess adequate economic and ecological information. The need for verifiable ecological objectives and adequate ecological information gave rise to the AMOEBA approach. This chapter reflects on the concept of sustainable development and gives a short description of the AMOEBA approach. Finally, the possibilities of the AMOEBA approach for finding quantitative indicators for sustainable development are evaluated.