Environmental Management And Sustainability In India

This volume explores the spatial side of sustainability using cases from India. It provides a variety of chapters from scholars from West Bengal and elsewhere in the country, highlighting spatial perspectives on environmental issues and offering insight on sustainable development in the subcontinent from a geographical perspective. A wide variety of topics are covered here, including but not limited to mitigation of and adaptation to climate issues, hydrogeomorphologic issues, environmental management, agricultural sustainability, ecosystem services, urban environmental management and tourism issues. The lessons learned here are transferable to other contexts, and the book is a resource for researchers, academics, practitioners, government organizations, NGOs and anyone else interested in the spatial side of sustainability.

This book is about understanding challenges in managing our environment and ensuring sustainability of this planet. It presents the critical state of our resources and threats to resource security due to overconsumption, pollution and poor and uneven governance. Role of key stakeholders such as the Government, Financing Institutions, Business and Communities is important. These stakeholders need to collaborate at multiple levels – viz. Local, Regional, National and Global. Chapters are devoted to describing the role of the above stakeholders with numerous case studies. The book can serve as a textbook to academia, a reference for policy makers and planners and a resource for conducting continuing education programs for the professionals to introduce both the concepts and practice experience on sustainability.

Sustainability of Business in the Context of Environmental Management studies the newly emerged concept of ‘sustainable business’ in view of the growing Indian economy. It explores the current corporate social responsibility practices adopted with special reference to environmental management in Indian companies. The book compares the legal, financial, economic, industrial, and social behavioural aspects. Out of these aspects, industrial aspect in view of ‘environmental management’ is discussed in detail. It also explores the forces driving the changing relationship between business and society and corporate leadership reacting to environmental challenges. Finally, the book restates the concept of increasing profitability through societal development. Please note: This volume is Co-published with The Energy and Resources Institute Press, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Our Earth is considered as a natural system which organizes and controls itself. However, the present scale of anthropogenic activity is unprecedented in the history of mankind compelling the intelligentia to ponder over the scientific causes of the problems, processes and sustainable and pragmatic solutions. The current rate of resource use and consumption pattern are depleting the planet’s finite resources and damaging life-supporting ecosystems. A large number of toxic substances are increasingly found in air, water, soil, and flora and fauna. We are in the midst of a period of increasing interconnected and complex global challenges that seek action across temporal and spatial scales, diverse sectors, and concerted efforts from global citizens. The environment on account of human’s action has been experiencing imbalances and ecological catastrophe. Environmental issues like global climate change, biodiversity loss, the rapid depletion of natural resources, degradation of global commons, stratospheric ozone depletion have been restricting the safe operating space and transgressing the planetary boundaries endangering the existence of human societies. The global environmental problems if not scientifically managed may end up in the civilizational collapse. Nevertheless, the underlying commonality among these environmental issues is interrelatedness, complexity, and difficulty in identifying and implementing solutions. The global environmental challenges can be managed by adopting sustainable green technologies which dovetails the principles of environmental sustainability with social and ecological sustainability. Green growth is construed as a new development paradigm that sustains economic growth while at the same time ensuring environmental sustainability.

With reference to India.

This book provides insights into the current status of waste management in India and research approaches to minimize waste and convert useful waste into energy alternatives towards achieving environmental sustainability. It also discusses the implications of waste on human health and approaches to minimize the burden. Waste disposal, especially municipal solid waste (MSW), is one of the major environmental problems facing Indian cities. Inadequate management of MSW poses risks to inhabitants and is also a breeding ground for various diseases. Environmental health and the impact of waste on health is another major topic that has to be addressed. In India, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social welfare groups play a major role in collecting and managing waste. However, waste management is still a huge problem and has also expanded into rural areas. Contributed research papers from academic studies and industry focus on applied waste-management methods currently being practiced, waste strategies and ecofriendly approaches such as bioremediation. The outcomes of the research contributions in the book will be useful in implementing and developing a task force to combat the waste-management and energy-demand crises.

The present book is a pioneering work on environmental management for sustainable development. This up-to-date and comprehensive textbook integrates the concepts of environmental science with environmental management dealing with different management tools for achieving sustainable development. The text is suitable for environmental science and management, MBA and BBA students both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.