The GDP today is somewhat of a misnomer. Governments today tie the notion of national progress to the GDP - using it as an indicator for growth and thus "progress". Unfortunately, this discounts the impact of urbanisation, industrialisation and agriculture. As humans continue to shape the land for "economical" purposes, natural habitats and coasts will be lost and permanently altered. As long as nations continue to avert the question of ecological damage in the name of economic growth, the natural environment will continue to degrade.