This final chapter argues that the trade-offs between ecological protection and growth, which marked economic development in countries that industrialized early should not be seen as a model for the rest of the world. Sustainable development is not a luxury; it is a sound development strategy. Some ecosystems, particularly in the tropics, are not resilient enough to recover from sustained degradation. Models of natural resource management developed in the Philippines have wide application in other countries; and in Manila, considerable progress has been made in improving environmental health. The chapter also argues that environmental projects can be an important part of development and the evolution of a relatively new democracy.