Development and Environment Sustaining People and Nature

The contributions to this volume offer a social perspective on the processes generating environmental degradation and conservation. Drawing upon original data gathered in 14 countries, the essays analyze key environmental problems and policies within a holistic framework, integrating physical and ecological with economic, social and political processes. The book sheds new light on such critical issues as: the principal actors responsible for environmental destruction; how ecological changes interact with livelihood strategies, property regimes, gender roles and social institutions; individual and collective responses to environmental crisis; and conservation initiatives by the state, the donors, the NGOs and the local communities. The essays aim to present a fresh analysis of conflicts engendered by competition over natural resources and the emergence of environmental movements. In doing so they reveal the vital elements of an alternative approach to sustainable development linking livelihood security, environmental protection and community empowerment.