Ecological Limits and Economic Development

Description

The relationship between human civilization and nature is complex. It has been exacerbated in the present times by the continued transformation and utilization of predominantly exhaustive resources to attain economic prosperity. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of ecological constraints in limiting development, and examines how this can be overcome in a sustainable manner. Combining a behavioural analysis of resource dynamics with normative policy discussions of their sustainable use, it explores the linkages between the biosphere and economic systems.   The book engages with a wide range of contemporary development issues, both at the conceptual as well as at the applied level, especially in the Indian context: • How policies can address expan sion of scale due to ecological limits and the issue of equitable sharing of resources • The role of scientifi c knowledge, technology, social norms, and culture in creating and expanding the space for economic development • The interactive dynamics of population, economic growth, and use and distribution of major natural resources—land and soil, water, forests, biodiversity, energy, and non-energy resources • The issue of global warming and climate change