What is meant by sustainable development?

Sustainable development is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It involves using resources in a way that maintains their availability for future use.

A strong answer should directly address the approved learning objective to define sustainable development as meeting current needs without preventing future generations from meeting their needs. This question belongs to Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development within Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water, so the response should use that exact curriculum context rather than a generic statement. The answer is correct when it names the key idea, explains the link to sustainable development, and keeps the wording specific to AQA GCSE revision.