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Sustainable Industrial Design and Waste Management
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will be irreversible. Due to the severity of environmental degradation all
over the world, the World Bank and other environmental institutions have
conducted studies to present a cost assessment of environmental degrada-
tion (Sarraf et al., 2004a, b).
Human resources are the most crucial element to reform. Developing
these resources is the first step of reform. According to Abraham Maslow’s
theory of human needs, without satisfying the basic physiological needs one
cannot expect the individual to be motivated further and take positive actions
to society’s improvement. We cannot discuss reform without providing healthy
food for eating, clean air for breathing, clean water for drinking. This fulfillment
is the first attachment and loyalty to one’s country – creating patriots. Patri-
otism is the key issue to reform.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs reveals that individuals tend to fulfill certain
needs before others. The most fundamental needs are the physiological needs:
oxygen, food, water, etc. anything that they need to survive. In order of impor-
tance to individuals the other needs are safety and security, love and belong-
ing, self-esteem, and finally at the peak of the hierarchy self-actualization
(Sarma and van der Hoek, 2004).
Environmental degradation prevents individuals from attaining their
two most basic needs: physiological safety and security. Due to depletion of
natural resources such as air, soil, water, etc. people are less likely to have
clean food, clean water, and/or good quality air. In addition, the wide spread
of disease and disruption of natural ecosystems does not provide a safe envi-
ronment for people to live due to high risk of disease breakout or natural
disasters; hence safety and security needs are also unfulfilled. These two basic
needs are deficiency needs; if a deficiency occurs in any of them individuals
would directly try to eliminate it. Therefore, individuals will be reluctant to
undergo any effort towards political, economical, social, or cultural reform
unless their basic needs are fulfilled and sustained.
Environmental reform is a key issue behind development of human
resources due to the need for natural resources as well as the severity of
environmental degradation in most developing countries and some devel-
oped countries. Environmental reform is a constituent element in the main
reform aspects such as political reform, economic reform, social and cul-
tural reform. Thus this assumed reform plan cannot be complete without
the inclusion of environmental issues because environmental degradation
will obstruct the reform movement. Members of society cannot sustain
endeavors of reform in the presence of a degrading environment. Environ-
mental reform can be incorporated within each of the aspects of political,
economical, social, or cultural reform.

Political reform
Regulations relating to preserving the environment and recycling economy
should exist in any country seeking reform (political or environmental).