Sustainable Development In India Emerging Scenarios And Concerns

Sustainable development across the globe is the only course to a peaceful future for the coming generations. The current severe rise in temperatures in France and other European countries bear witness to the climate change and its impact that the future holds. Health issues and life style related diseases are on the rise amidst increasing life expectancy. Grave inequalities still engulf the globe in various forms. Biodiversity degradation is also extensive. Discussions and planned initiatives for sustainable development becomes liminal in this context. This book offers for the readers discussions on a multitude of interrelated concerns with contributions on issues ranging from internal security to environment management and emerging scenario surrounding the domain of sustainable development.

This volume is a collection of essays that provide a comprehensive coverage of multiple aspects of the discourse on environment, development and sustainability. It is designed to bring in a host of perspectives highlighting the synergies and the trade-offs in this debate, showcasing research along with policy implications of putting research into use. The global discussion on sustainability paints the broad canvas for this book. This volume aims to probe some contemporary issues that will help in understanding the sustainability narrative in India. The topics span over a host of questions on energy, environment, natural resources and related constituents of development. The discourse further extends to the role of economic modelling, public policy debates, political intervention, stakeholders’ response, community participation and so on. The discussions are often based on empirical support, review of existing literature as well as policy analysis. With an ultimate aim to understand the overall development narrative of the people of India, the discourse takes in its ambit the nuances of resource utilisation, economic growth, COVID-19 impacts, competitiveness and market structures, urbanization, sectoral reforms, environmental hazards, climate change, pollution, natural resource accounting and management to name a few. The book is divided into four sections, namely, The Big Picture: Evolving Perspectives; The Energy Scenario: Dilemmas and Opportunities; Sustainability Cross-Cuts: Developmental Aspects and Externality Empirics: Knowledge and Practice. The first section contains commentaries on the overarching themes of economic growth, development and sustainability. It presents some emerging perspectives on the developmental crisis that has emerged through the environmental lens with additional focus on the need for inclusion of creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources to achieve the ambitious SDG targets. The second section brings out the dilemmas and opportunities in the energy sector, that has been a key player in discussions of sustainability, especially for India where significant technological advances in conventional forms of energy supply coexists with fairly low levels of per capita energy consumption and energy security is a key challenge. The section on sustainability crosscuts attempts to highlight the problems and processes of mainstreaming the sustainability question into conventional thinking through the concepts of a circular economy, green accounting techniques, institutional and governance structures, public policy and inclusive growth, amongst others. The last section presents some empirical studies on environmental externalities, the unaccounted environmental effects of economic production and consumption and finally the behavioural aspects of the stakeholders that are crucial in the larger narrative of sustainable development. This edited volume contains contributions of reputed scholars from various Indian universities, research institutions and professionals from outside academia, who are proven experts in their fields. The link between policy, practice, and well-being of the large vulnerable population of India is the major focus of enquiry that will help researchers, practitioners and policy planners in conducting further research in energy, environment, resource and linked areas of development economics. General readers with an active interest in energy, environment, and economic development are also likely to find this book an interesting read, especially in the times of several environmental challenges facing humankind.

This book analyzes different perspectives around sustainable development, risk management and managing demand across various sectors in India. Diverse theories and analytical methods from various disciplines, as well as case studies, are brought together to present an in-depth study. The book discusses the challenges of achieving sustainability, the role of quantitative research to assess current scenarios, and the role of policy making to bring improvements in the Indian context. It examines the socioeconomic ways of pursuing sustainable development in the areas of agriculture, climate change and energy; the environment and natural resources; health and society. It also analyzes important quantitative models for sustainability policy analysis and provides case studies to understand the practical implementations of the models. This book will be a great reference manual that covers a whole gamut of analytical techniques that are useful for students, research scholars and practitioners of economics, environmental studies, development studies, sociology, South Asian studies and public policy, among others.

With special reference to India.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the most significant global development of this decade with its influence spreading over the world till next decade. Sustainable Development Goals were presented by the United Nations for adoption in 2015 as- “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, to provide a roadmap for development until 2030. India adopted these goals and integrated global aspirations to our our policies. Today, our policymakers are more concerned than ever towards addressing the problems of poverty, hunger, climate change etc. Sustainable Development Goals has given a new approach to our policy-making. The Protracted policies and approvals with inconsistent results are getting replaced by targeted/ time defined policies and clearances. This book presents the current state of India on each sustainable development goal along with the recent policy initiatives taken in terms of change in domestic laws, policy measures etc. The book follows a 360-degree approach on each goal and presents 17 nicely crafted essays for students aspiring to become future administrator (through UPSC Civil Services Examination or State Public Service Examination). It will also help the informed citizens who care about the nature and aspire a better future of our nation in getting a deeper understanding on the events happening around us.

Sustainable development and sustainability—the two interchangeable used words—are significantly attracting the world academia to analyze emerging patterns of development. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), followed by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have been framed by the United Nations, suggesting the world to formulate the relevant developmental policies to achieve a sustainable future. Constraints in Achieving Sustainability of India gives an in-depth discussion on major issues and challenges India is facing towards realization of the sustainable development. Purpose of the book is to develop, contribute, and disseminate scientific knowledge pertaining to the issues related to sustainable development. The chapters are developed so that the contents can facilitate comprehension of the major constraints in achieving sustainability including but not limited to environmental, social, economic, and governance-related issues from local, regional, to national level. Resource management, climate change, agriculture, population, education, women, poverty, infrastructure, crime, corruption, governance, are the other relevant topics that have been both identified and suitably discussed. Constraints in Achieving Sustainability of India can be utilized as a guiding tool for realizing sustainability in development, especially, in the Indian context. The book covers environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability in Indian context with ample case studies from local communities to highlight impact of various dimensions. Table of Contents: Preface Contributors 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Sustainable Development: concept, components and history 3. Environment, Culture, and Sustainable Development: a historical perspective 4. Management and Rural Livelihood Sustainability in High Mountain Villages of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand 5. Evaluating the Role of Agro-forestry in Combating and Adapting to Impacts of Climate Change in the West Sikkim District, Sikkim 6. Water Resource Issues and its Sustainable Management in Urban Villages of South Delhi 7. Population Dynamics and Sustainability Issues in the Indian Himalayan Region 8. Gendered Occupations or Occupational Genders: a study of Kolkata metropolis 9. Urban Rurality, In-betweenness of Place and Urban Planning Process of Khora Colony, Uttar Pradesh 10. Critical Role of Higher Education Institutions in Achieving Sustainable Development in India 11. Perspectives on Public Health Policy and Sustainable Development Goals in India 12. Sway of Indian Cinema in Diffusing Environmental Sentience 13. Poverty Lines and Poor in India: a trend analysis from 1983-84 to 2004-05 14. Sanitation Workers and Associated Problems for the Sustainability of Religious Events: a case study of Magh Mela, Prayagraj 15. Assessment of Basic Infrastructure Development and Associated Issues in India 16. Assessing Urban Basic Services, Crime and Well-being in Low-income Housing of Shiv Vihar, JJ Colony, Delhi and Way to Sustainability 17. Corruption in India and Sustainable Development Goals: mapping the role of law and good governance 18. Principles and Challenges of Good Governance in Achieving Sustainability of India Index About the Editors