There is direct relationship between environment and economic development. Economic development without environmental considerations can cause serious environmental damage in turn impairing the quality of life of present and future generations. In the process of economic development, the environmental problems have been ignored or less concentrated. Any country’s environmental problems are related to the level of its economic development, the availability of natural resources and the lifestyle of its population. In India, rapid growth of population, poverty, urbanization, industrialization and several related factors are responsible for the rapid degradation of the environment. Environmental problems have become serious in many parts of the country, and hence cannot be ignored. The main environmental problems in India relate to air and water pollution particularly in metropolitan cities and industrial zones, degradation of common property resources (Tanks, Ponds Lakes, Rivers, Forests etc.) which affect the poor adversely as they depends on them for their livelihood, threat to biodiversity and inadequate system of solid waste disposal and sanitation with consequent adverse impact on health, infant mortality and birth rate.

1. Dr. S. Vijaya Kumar
Professor (Associate) & Head (Retd.)
Bharat Jyoti Awardee
Department of Economics
Kakatiya Government (UG&PG) College (NAAC “A” Grade)
Ex - Member of Board of Studies
Kakatiya University, Warangal – 506 009
Telangana State

2. Introduction
We all know that environment in simple terms means
“The surroundings or conditions in which persons,
animals, or plants lives or operates”. There is a direct
relationship between environment and economic
development. Economic development without
environmental considerations can cause serious
environmental damage in turn impairing the quality of
life of present and future generations. World
Commission on Environment and Development in
1987 for the first defined the concept of “Sustainable
Development” as “Meeting the needs of present
generation without compromising with the needs of
future generations.”

3. Objectives of the Study:
• Environment - Economy Linkages
• Impact of Environmental Degradation on Society
• Link Between Bio-Diversity and Climate Change
• Challenges and Strategies for Sustainable
Development
• Important Policy Measures for Sustainable
Development
• Suggestions and Conclusion
Methodology: The Study is based on information and data
accessed from relevant National and International Journals,
Reports and Websites.

4. ENVIRONMENT - ECONOMY LINKAGES
All economic activities either affect or are affected by natural and
environmental resources. From this perspective, the productivity
of an economic system depends in part on the supply and
quality of natural and environmental resources. Natural and
environmental resources have three economic roles:
(1) Waste disposal services
(2) Natural resources inputs into production
(3) Directly consumed life support services and authentic
amenities.
Economic management lays emphasis on the environment and
the environmental quality in turn on the efficient working of the
economy. Environmental degradation imposes costs on the
economy that results in output and human capital losses. The
impact of water and air pollution is particularly adverse on the
younger, the very aged and the poor. Pollution control is thus
linked to sustainable development and not a luxury good
to be afforded after the development process has taken off.

5. IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ON SOCIETY
 Environmental degradation is the result of the dynamic interplay of
socio-economic, institutional and technological activities.
Environmental changes may be driven by many factors including
economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of
agriculture, rising energy use and transportation.
 It has been estimated that the process of deforestation, bad soil and
water management, submergence of and in dam reservoirs, industrial
and urban expansion, overgrazing, wind and water erosion, salination,
flooding, water logging and so on, contribute to a loss of productivity in
roughly one million hectare of land annually. For instance, a report
based on a comprehensive survey of people displaced by the Rihand Dam
(Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, UP Constructed during 1954-62) stated that,
"Many of the oustees, particularly the tribals, have fallen into the typical
cycle of debt bondage, coupled with increasing destitution and
intermittent employment as contract labourers in coal mines and
elsewhere ... most were simply kicked out with nothing left to fend for
themselves."

6. LINK BETWEEN BIO - DIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
 Climate change is affecting species already threatened by
multiple threats across the globe. Habitat fragmentation due
to colonization, logging, agriculture and mining etc. are all
contributing to further destruction of terrestrial habitats.
 Sea level rise, engulfing low-lying areas causing
disappearance of many islands, and extinctions of local
island species. For example, Tsunami in Japan in 2011. In
2018 in Indonesia and Chennai. Floods in Kedarnath in
2013 and recently in Kerala in 2018.
 Droughts and wildfires may increase. An increased risk of
wildfires due to warming and drying out of vegetation is
likely. Sustained climate change may change the competitive
balance among species and might lead to forests destruction.

7. CHALLENNGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The main challenges are:
 Good Governance, such as political will to transform
development programmes into sustainable long-term
practices.
 Implementation, such as ensuring programmes fit the local
context.
 Instability, such as conflict between nations, climate
change, energy consumption, waste production, threats
to public health, poverty, social exclusion, management
of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, and land use.

8. STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINBLE DEVELOPMENT
 Becoming more responsible with regard to the future
generations: promoting the precautionary principle, the ‘polluter
pays’ principle, and the general principle of responsibility.
 ‘Environmental Responsibility’, ‘Economic Capacity’, and
‘Social Solidarity’ areas must be handled equally.
 Incorporating sustainable development in all areas of
politics. All activities and all processes in the city must be
concerned, because our cities contributing a lot to pollution.
 Increasing the co-ordination between political areas and
improving consistency. Any political decision must be
preceded by an early evaluation of its social, economic and
ecological consequences.
 Achieving the sustainable development objectives through
partnership. All institutional levels must work together
constructively and fully assume their role as an interface with civil
society and the private sector.

9. IMPORTANT POLICY MESURES FOR SUSTAIBLE DEVELOPMENT
 Market based Approaches: Market based instruments in
the form of emission tax, pollution taxes, marketable
permits, depositor fund system, input taxes, differential tax
rates, user administrative charges, subsidies for pollution
abatement equipment etc should be extensively used to
protect environment.
 Regulatory Policies: Regulatory policies for reducing
environmental degradation. Regulators have to make
decisions regarding price, quantity and technology. They
decide the technical standards, regulations and charges on
air, water and land pollutants.
 Public Participation: Public awareness and participation
are highly effective to improve environmental conditions. For
this purpose various formal & informal education
programme, environmental awareness programmes,
advertisement, public movements, afforestation,
conservation of wild life etc are to be organized on a large
scale.

10. IMPORTANT POLICY MESURES FOR SUSTAIBLE DEVELOPMENT
 Trade and Environment: The Government should formulate an
environment friendly trade policy covering both domestic and
international trade. It should encourage the establishment of less
polluting industries, adoption of cleaner technologies, adoption of
environment friendly processes etc to control environmental
degradation.
 Participation in Global Environmental Efforts: Participation in
various international conventions and agreements on environmental
protection and conservation can also help to minimize damages of
environmental degradation. For example, Montreal protocol
(Depletion of Ozone layer), Basel Convention (In Switzerland, is an
international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of
hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of
hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries), Rio
Declaration, the Agenda 21, the Earth summits, etc.
 Renewable energy: Policies should be framed for the use of renewable
energy like solar and wind in place of coal and petrol. Atomic
Energy Agency predicted that renewable energy would overtake natural
gas to become the second largest source of power generation worldwide
within two years, and that global wind and solar generating capacity
would increase by more than 30 per cent.

11. SUGGESTIONS
 Government Should Focus Attention on Blue Economy: Blue Economy refers to the
"sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods,
and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem." The aim of Blue
Economy is to shift society from scarcity to abundance. Blue economy helps in the
sustainable harnessing of ocean resources such as marine aquaculture, deep sea/long
line fishing, biotechnology etc. It is a good sign that the Govt. of India has proposed an
impressive Rs. 550 crore (2019-20) under Sagarmala. This allocation was up from
Rs 381.08 crore (revised estimates) allocated during 2018-19.
 Strict Implementation of Environment and Pollution Laws: There is no dearth of
laws relating to environment and pollution in our country, but their enforcement is
very weak. Hence, they should be implemented very strictly. Promoting “Clean
and Green Campaign” in our country is vital to reduce the effects of “Climate Change”.
Ban polythene carry bags is very essential.
 Developing Recycling methods of waste is essential to contain pollution.
 Save Petrol and Diesel by “Strengthening Public Transport System” to save
environment and foreign exchange.
 Planting more and more trees on war foot basis is the need of the hour.
Afforestation, reforestation and stopping deforestation to increase ground water
level and rain fall for irrigation.
 Developing Public Transport System to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

12. SUGGESTIONS
 Develop Non – Conventional Methods of Power Generation like Wind Energy,
Geothermal Energy (Generating clean, renewable energy from hot water sources deep
beneath the earth's surface, thus converting earth's heat into electricity), Hydel Energy,
Fuel cells (A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy from
a fuel into electricity through an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen fuel with oxygen
or oxidizing agent) and Solar Energy.
 Introduce a Carbon Tax - We need major legislation such as putting a price on carbon.
Capturing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and planting trees could help
slow and eventually reverse global warming trends.
 Develop National Renewable Energy (RE) Policy - Enact and deploy a
comprehensive new energy road map with innovative renewable energy policies. In
addition, set national renewable energy standards, such as 20 percent by 2020, 40
percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050.
 Electrifying Transportation - Expedite a move to electrify transportation by
encouraging expanded use of electric vehicles (EV). It is welcome that Government og
Telangana has “Electrical Buses” in TSRTC.
 Promote Nuclear Energy - For clean and cheap power we have to produce
electricity through nuclear plants like France where its 75% of electricity is from
nuclear energy.
 Energy Efficiency - Promote energy efficiency in the economy, notably in industry,
transportation, buildings and appliances. To reduce the long-term demand for energy,
engage states, industrial companies, utilities and other stakeholders to accelerate energy
efficiency investments such as large-scale nationwide use of LED lamps, etc.

13. SUGGESTIONS
 Utility-Scale Projects - Plan for the long term; phase out conventional energy
subsidies, and develop a long-term plan to replace fossil with utility-scale renewable
generation.
 Renewable Innovative Financing Solution - Provide innovative financing (e.g., tax-
free solar bonds or green infrastructure bonds. Create and fund a national smart
infrastructure bank to accelerate local demand for renewable energy.
 Decentralized Energy - Avoid future fossil fuel investments in India and, instead,
emphasize nationwide deployment of community-scale solar projects and micro grids
with storage.
 Solar Roadways India should also take advantage of the vast network of roads across
India and the sun that beats down on them and turn them into energy-creating solar
super highways. The idea of solar panel roads is to replace traditional roads with glass-
based "solar panels that you can drive on" in a bid to turn roads into sources of
renewable energy.
 Promote Solar Vehicles - A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or
significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic (PV) cells contained in solar
panels convert the Sun’s energy directly into electric energy.
 Transform India Into a Global Solar Manufacturing Hub - Establish R&D facilities
within academia, research institutions, industry, government and private entities to
guide technology development.
 Eco Friendly Measures – means minimal, or no harm upon ecosystems or the
environment.

14. CONCLUSION
The United Nations estimates that India’s population will reach 1.7
billion by 2050. In that case, the country is likely to face a widening
ecological deficit even if its current per-capita levels of resource-
consumption remain the same. Therefore, for Indian society to continue
to prosper in an increasingly resource-constrained world, business and
government leaders must work actively to protect the natural capital on
which India’s economy, and all human life, depends. Rapid
environmental degradation that has been taking place all over the world
in recent decades has alarmed economists and environmentalists alike.
Fostering sustainable development requires the effective management of
natural, human and physical capital (machinery, buildings, or
computers). Improved coordination across the countries to share
the global resources, technology and scarce resources is the need
of the hour. Global level generosity in promoting and protecting
democracy, exchange of technology, maintaining stability of prices in
the various economies, judicious use of all environmental material
throughout to enhance human development and sustainable
development is vital. Sustainable development can be achieved
only if the environment is conserved and improved.

15. BE ECO FRIENDLY
Thank You