Books | Sustainable Development

	Directions, Innovations, and Strategies for Harnessing Action (DISHA) A TERI publication
This book is the outcome of the second phase of the GREEN India 2047 project. This provides a detailed picture of the impact of development on the environment and natural resources over the next 50 years, outlines specific elements of initiatives or actions to make that development sustainable, and lists the major stakeholders who have to assume responsibility for correcting the aberrations of the past so that the future can become truly sustainable. Download the Introduction chapter (PDF) from the website.
	A Century Of Hope by M S Swaminathan
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, renowned agricultural scientist, asserts in this collection that we can be proud of the achievements of independent India in creating self-confidence in our agricultural capability. The tasks now relate to the total eradication of hunger and the promotion of an evergreen revolution rooted in the principles of ecology, social and gender equality, and employment generation. For, the concept of sustainability includes all these dimensions. He emphasizes that frontier technologies like biotechnology, space, communication, information and renewable energy technologies can all be of great help in fostering sustainable advances in agriculture. We have uncommon opportunities today for spreading an ecology of hope movement through the integration of traditional wisdom and modern science. Such a movement will, however, become a reality only if principles of ethics and equity govern all areas of human endeavor. "What we now refer to as 'medical plants' are the products of observations, selection and conservation by tribal and rural families over several centuries. Yet, these primary conserves of genetic material and holders of knowledge live in poverty, while those who use their discoveries and material in breeding and biotechnological enterprises live rich." "Food security today is a function of purchasing power. It is best measured in terms of million person-years of job, rather than in million tonnes of food grains. The famine of remunerative and sustainable livelihood opportunities, and not the non-availability of food in the market, is the main cause of the under-and malnutrition prevailing among nearly 300 million children, women and men in the country now."

	Environmental Politics - People's Lives And Development Choices by Sumi Krishna
In the relatively short period of two decades since the emergence of environmentalism as an organized movemental advocacy has matured from protesting against environmental damage to questioning the very character and course of development. This book is an original, thought provoking and gender-sensitive enquiry into why environmentalism has not yet had a greater impact on people's lives or on development policy in India.
	Social Change Through Voluntary Action by Harsh Sethi, Pravin Visaria, M L Dantwala
Over the past few decades, there has been a glaring deterioration in India's social and political ethos. The repercussions of this process on public behaviour are evident in all walks of life which are characterized by apathy, cynicism and a general gloom. Bucking this general trend, the contributions to this volume maintain that there is reason to believe that voluntary action can be a potent instrument for bringing about social transformation, for eliminating poverty, and for building an egalitarian and humane society. To this end, they present convincing examples of successful socio-economic transformation brought about by a determined application of these ideals.
	Eco-Pioneers : Practical Visionaries Solving Today's Environmental Problems by Steve Lerner [Buy this book from FirstandSecond.com]
Lerner has spent four years searching out what he calls "eco-pioneers"--people who are working to reduce the pace of environmental degradation. Here he provides case studies of eco-pioneers who are exploring sustainable ways to log forests, grow food, save plant species, clean up cities, conserve water, protect rivers and wildlife, treat hazardous waste, and reduce both waste and consumption.
	Our Ecological Footprint : Reducing Human Impact on the Earth by Williams E. Rees, Phil Testemale, Mathis Wackernagel [Buy this book from FirstandSecond.com]
Synopsis: "Equipped with useful charts and thought-provoking illustrations, this book introduces a revolutionary new way to determine humanity's impact on the Earth and presents an exciting and powerful tool for measuring and visualizing the resources required to sustain households, communities, regions, and nations."
	Sustainable Communities : Th_blanke Potential for Eco-Neighbourhoods Hugh Barton (Editor) [Buy this book from FirstandSecond.com]
Synopsis: An examination of the practicality of re-inventing neighbourhoods. It presents the findings of a worldwide review of eco-villages and sustainable neighbourhoods, demonstrating what is possible. The main thrust of the book is on the ordinary localities in which people live. It includes case studies from the UK, Denmark, Germany and the USA, plus a detailed appendix listing eco-neighbourhoods and schemes.

	Eco-restructuring - Implications For Sustainable Development by Robert U Ayres, Paul M Weaver
This volume is a significant contribution to the literature or sustainability. It identifies on a sectoral basis the critical issues facing the world as a whole, and the technical feasibility of addressing them. A new paradigm of eco-restructuring for sustainable development is introduced, involving shifts in technology, economic activities, and lifestyles needed to harmonize human activities with natural systems.
	Pollution Control In The South And North - A Comparative Assessment Of Environmental Policy Approaches In India And The Netherlands O J Kuik, M V Nadkarni, F H Oosterhuis, G S Sastry, A E Akkerman
Environmental pollution is a matter of concern for all countries in the world, whether rich or poor. In an effort to address this problem, most nations have introduced some form of environmental policy. Being a relatively new government activity, the continuing challenge is to find a suitable mix of policy instruments which are simultaneously effective and efficient, equitable, administratively feasible and generally acceptable. India and the Netherlands both have a long history of fashioning environmental policies. Even though they have fundamentally differing starting points - India is still in the process of industrializing while the Netherlands is in the post-industrial phase - the authors of this book maintain that the two countries can learn from each other's experiences. The primary aim of this study is, accordingly, to provide an analysis of and insights into the constraints and strengths of pollution control instruments prevalent; in both countries and to recommend improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of such measures.

Communities And Conservation - Natural Resource Management In South And Central Asia
by Ashish Kothari, R V Anuradha, Neema Pathak, Bansuri Taneja

The introductory section provides a regional and global overview of the need for, and conceptual and practical issues facing, community-based conservation (CBC). The next section presents country profiles of CBC in India, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The contributors highlight the factors that either assist or hinder CBC. The third section explores a range of emerging issues that confront community-based conservation. These includes: The importance of institutional structures The relevance of traditional and local knowledge The legal and policy frameworks Gender and other equity issues Benefit-sharing These issues are then examined in a series of case studies from India and Sri Lanka. The case studies have been selected to represent diverse situations such as state-controlled projects, community-controlled ones, and those which are jointly managed. With its unique blend of theory and practice and its wide comparative coverage in terms of issues discussed and countries studied, this volume will be essential reading for all those involved with environmental studies, natural resource management, bio-diversity, ecology, community development and development studies. It will also be of interest to policy-makers, administrators, NGOs and donor organizations.

	A New Moral Economy For India's Forests? - Discourses Of Community And Participation Roger Jeffery
The book begins with a comprehensive introduction by the editors which focuses on the concept of 'community participation' in forest conservation. They argue that a 'new moral economy ' is in the process of being evolved. In recognising the legitimacy of 'local' involvement, JFM policies and strategies tend to impose new, limited rights and understand customary claims selectively due to distorted notions of who constitutes a 'community' and why, and what constitutes 'participation' in natural resource management. The essays that follow take up a variety of important topics such as examining the discourse on community participation in forest management in a historical and conceptual framework; discussing the nature of the 'community' which is expected to participate; evaluating the possible forms of participation; exploring the discourses that have developed around questions of gender and class; understanding the respective roles of the community, NGOs and the forest department in JFM; and assessing the problems involved in 'going to scale' and developing full-fledged projects. Overall, the contributors highlight the need for greater attention to regional networks of power and resource use. Community participation, they argue, must allow the local populace to choose their own methods of conservation and not degenerate into merely another way of co-opting villagers into the agenda of the state. Comprising original essays which report recent research and field experiences from all over India, this thought-provoking volume will interest those in the fields of environment studies, forestry, economics, management, politics, human geography, sociology, social anthropology and development studies as well as policy-makers, bureaucrats and non-governmental organisations.
	Living On The Move - Bhotiyas Of The Kumaon Himalaya Vineeta Hoon
Using the Bhotiyas of the Kumaon Himalaya as an example, the purpose of this study is to show how communities practicing transhumance and nomadism all over the world are in a state of transition. Having spent a year living with them, Vineeta Hoon describes the traditional lifestyles of the Bhotiyas and how, despite the intrusion of the forces of modernization, history and global politics, they are still able to maintain their identity, cultural values and subsistence practices. Refuting the general belief that pastoral nomadism is environmentally destructive, the author demonstrates that transhuman lifestyles and strategies are environmentally sensitive ways of surviving in harsh mountain habitats. Focusing on the Bhotiyas' traditional resource use strategies, Dr Hoon uses the systems-ecology approach to describe their annual migration cycle and the factors influencing the different land use and subsistence strategies adopted by them. A unique feature of this study is that it considers the Bhotiyas' own perceptions of their needs and how these are fulfilled by the use of the primary resources of time, space and energy. Viewing these resources in concrete geographical terms, concise and simple diagrams show the interrelationship between space (land), time (daily clock and annual calendar) and energy (all the biomass utilized). The author concludes that transhumant and nomadic communities are today in a fragile state because of the intrusion of external factors into their lives. She argues that these societies are in danger of imminent collapse unless appropriate strategies and policies are evolved rapidly. With its unusual insights, this book will be of considerable interest to those involved with anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, social and political geography, environmental studies and ecology.

Asking the Earth
by Winin Pereira and Jeremy Seabrook
All over the planet, development has become a dirty word. Was development always so destructive? In their celebrated book--now in its second Indian edition--the authors go back in time to exhume the fatal origins of the unsustainable economics of the West and of the deadly megamachine called development. As a contrast to unsustainable development, the authors describe in detail the sustainable lifestyle of the Warlis, a tribal community living fairly close to Mumbai.

More Book on Ecology from Vedams Books