Growing Pains: Environmental Management in Developing Countries

Growing Pains: Environmental Management in Developing Countries

by Carlos Magarinos (Foreword), WalterWehrmeyer (Foreword), YacobMulugetta (Foreword)

Synopsis

Environmental management is a global phenomenon, embracing all businesses in all countries, whether or not there already exists an organised response to managing environmental impacts.

Today, there are gross inequalities between the world's richest and poorest nations in terms of income distribution, consumption patterns, access to resources and environmental impact. Yet both the developed north and the developing south are committed, at least in words, to achieving sustainable development.

Public awareness of environmental issues in the North has been rising in recent years and further degradation is now largely minimized through more stringent regulatory regimes, voluntary agreements and growing consumer and stakeholder pressure on corporations. Still, the north is continuing to lead an environmentally unsustainable lifestyle as environmental improvements are nullified by overall increases in consumption levels. In the south, a billion people still do not have access to the most basic needs. Poor countries need to accelerate their consumption growth if they are to ensure that the lives of their people are enriched. However, with rapid economic growth and corresponding increases in consumption now under way, their environmental impact is soon to become substantially greater. In a world that strives towards stemming global crises such as climate change, the path already taken by the rich and high-growth economies over the past century cannot be repeated by the south if the desired objective is to create a future that is truly sustainable.

Growing Pains examines environmental management in the south from a number of perspectives. It is designed to stimulate the discussion about the role that corporations and national and international organizations play in sustainable development. It does not offer panaceas, as each country has its own problems and opportunities; and, after almost 50 years of failed panacea-oriented economic development policy transfer from the north to the south, it is time to abandon hope for universal solutions and instead look to individual approaches that work.

The book is divided into five themes: globalization; the role of business; a focus on national strategies; trade and the environment; and the organizational and structural challenges of sustainable development.

With contributions from an outstanding collection of authors in both the developed and developing worlds including UNIDO; the Thailand Environment Institute, Arthur D. Little, Inc., Shell Peru; IUCN, the Russian Academy of Sciences and IIED, this important and unique new book presents a body of work that will provide essential reading for businesses working in developing countries, environmental and developmental NGOs and researchers engaged in the debate and sharing of best practice in this increasingly critical subject area.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 01 Nov 1999

ISBN 10: 1874719233
ISBN 13: 9781874719236
Book Overview: After almost 50 years of failed panacea-oriented economic development policy transfer from the north to the south, it is time to abandon hope for universal solutions and instead look to individual approaches that work. thought-provoking and ... stands out as a comprehensive piece of work Progress in Development Studies

Media Reviews

It is essential reading for all those working on poverty eradication and sustainable development. - 'International Affairs' |

| This new unique book, with contributions from an outstanding collection of authors in both the developed and developing worlds provides essential reading for theoreticians, ... government ministers and policy planners, chief executive officers in the private sector and their advisers, and heads of institutions. - 'Social and Environmental Accounting' |

| It is undoubtedly essential reading for businesses working in developing countries and those involved in international environmental cooperation, both in the field and in its management. It has high value as background reading for students and researchers in environmental management. - 'International Journal of Environment and Pollution' |

| ... the central message throughout the book is that solutions exist at the local level pertaining to local actors, and as such governmental and multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank, should revise their policies. - 'Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor' |

| ... a book which is thought-provoking and, in the ever-growing field of literature on environmental management and best practice, stands out as a comprehensive piece of work ... promoted as an essential read for businesses working in developing countries, environmental NGOs and researchers engaging in the debate ... it would also work as a text for development economics students. - 'Progress in Development Studies '

Author Bio
Edited by WALTER WEHRMEYER and YACOB MULUGETTA.