Global Change, Ecosystems, Sustainability: Theory, Methods, Practice

It is impossible to ignore the connection between economic development and ecological sustainability― overwhelming scientific evidence points to anthropogenic pressures slowly destroying life on Earth. The need for corrective action is, therefore, critical.

This edited compilation studies the processes that are causing irreversible changes in the Earth’s systems. It dwells primarily on the change in the ecosystems that sustain human beings and examines the drivers, direction, and magnitude of global change. The book not only studies the methods that enhance the reader’s understanding of the impact of global change but also discusses mitigation strategies. The emphasis is on sustainability in a framework of development, with special attention to equity.

Pranab Mukhopadhyay is with the Department of Economics, Goa University. He studied at Presidency College (now Presidency University), Kolkata, and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and is a Fellow of the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE). His current research interest has been ecosystem services, institutions, and development.

Nandan Nawn is a Professor of Department of Policy Studies, TERI University, New Delhi, where he teaches various courses in the interface of environment, development, and economics. He is an economist by disciplinary training with a doctoral degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University. His research interests lie in ecological economics, agrarian studies, and environment and development. His works have been published in various journals including Journal of Agrarian Change, Economic and Political Weekly, and Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. Recently, he has co-edited Economic Challenges for the Contemporary World: Essays in Honour of Prabhat Patnaik. Presently, he is a co-editor of the “Review of Environment and Development” in Economic and Political Weekly and the Secretary of the Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE).

Kalyan Das is with OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati. He obtained his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University. His present research interests are industry, environment, labour market, and livelihood issues, and he is involved in a number of research projects on Northeast India.