Read the given paragraph carefully and answer following question.

The term development is generally used to describe the state of particular societies and the process of changes experienced by them. It is a multi-dimensioinal concept and signifies the positive, irreversible transformation of the economy, society and environment.

The concept of development is dynamic and has evolved during the second half of the 20th century. In the post World War II era, the concept of development was synonymous to economic growth which is measured in terms of temporal increase in gross national product and per capita income/capita consumption. Later in 1970's, redistribution of growth and equity were incorporated in the concept of development. By 1980s, it included improvement in social and material wellbeing of all in a society.

The notion of sustainable development emerged in the wake of general rise in the awareness of environmental issues in the late 1960s in the western world. The publication of "The Population Bomb' by Ehrlich (1968), Limits to Growth by Meadows (1972) and others further raised awareness which sets the scenario for the emergence of 'Sustainable Development'. The World Commission on Environment and Development gave its report (also known as Brundtland Report) entitled ‘Our Common Future’ in 1987 which defined sustainable development that takes care of ecological, social and economic development for present population and pleads for conservation to enable the future generations to use these resources.

Which of the following gave impetus to the concept of sustainable development?

Rise in awareness of environmental issues

The concept of sustainable development emerged primarily due to the rise in awareness of environmental issues.

During the late 1960s and onwards, there was a growing recognition of the detrimental impact human activities were having on the environment. Events such as pollution incidents, deforestation, habitat destruction, and concerns about resource depletion highlighted the need to address environmental sustainability.