Another major criticism of economic development focused narrowly on GDP
springs from its neglect of environment. In various contexts, we have seen how the
environmental resources have been used up and damaged to an unprecedented extent
in the course of economic growth. Deforestation, soil erosion, lowering groundwater
tables, increasing pollution, pressure on grazing land, rising dependence on fossil
fuels, industrial emissions, use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in
agriculture, climate change are some of the important and urgent environmental
issues before us. While industrialisation has brought a lot of material comforts, at
least to some, it has resulted in a world where natural resources are threatened and
now even the climate is being disrupted. This pattern of growth clearly cannot
continue.
In this chapter, we will explore the relationship between development,
environment and people. How has expansion of economic activities affected
different aspects of environment? What has development meant for peoples’ access
and rights to natural resources and their lives? Can there be different models of
development? We will seek answers to these questions through live issues and
peoples’ lived experiences. We find that there is a need to broaden the focus of
development from material goods and services to all the people (present & future
generations) as well as the environment with all its living and non-living resources.
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from class IX textbook. and distribution and access to resources in these two contexts? contested through problems of Environment. spread of “green revolution” create? What lessons does this have for the future? |
Let us start by recalling the role of environment in development. Many naturally
existing substances like land, water, minerals and ores, products from trees and
animals are central to the production process. In primary sector activities -
agriculture, mining, quarrying - and in the manufacturing and energy sector,
production is hugely dependent on natural resources. The other sectors of the
economy too are dependent on natural resources in various degrees. The potential of
an environment to provide these resources is referred to as an environment's source
function. This function is depleted as resources are consumed or pollution
contaminates the resources.
There is another function that the environment provides. It is to absorb and
render harmless the waste and pollution from various activities. Unwanted by-
products of production and consumption like exhaust gases from combustion, water