Should economic development be a higher priority for developing countries than environmental protection?

Nowadays, the importance of economic development for developing countries has been rapidly increasing. Despite this, some argue environmental protection should be their focus. Although both are critical, I strongly believe that economic development should be prioritized over environmental protection. First, economic development acts as a precursor to protecting the environment, but not vice versa. Australia, for example, is said to have spent approximately $8 billion to protect Great Barrier Reef. What allowed Australia to invest this amount of money is its steady economic growth since the country was established about 100 years ago. Without it, it could not have realized the conservation of this beautiful coral reef. Further, economic growth saves people’s lives. For instance, a report issued by Cambridge University shows the number of deaths from starvation in China has declined dramatically with its GDP growth. The report says this is because its national income growth allowed the country to distribute food assistance to the poor. If the country had focused on environmental protection, it would have had to forsake these people. Lastly, developed countries are ultimately responsible for the world’s environmental problems. As a case in point, many US corporations have outsourced their factories to developing nations such as Indonesia and Vietnam, and as a result, the they have successfully shifted the burden of carbon dioxide emissions. The consequence of this is obviously economic disparity. For above reasons, there is no doubt that developing countries should give priority to economic growth over environmental protection. It is hoped the world becomes more aware of the importance of economic development in developing countries.