An Introduction to Sustainable Development (Routledge Perspectives on Development) - Hardcover

Elliott, Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415191505 ISBN 13: 9780415191500

Publisher: Routledge, 1999

Synopsis

This revised and updated third edition provides an invaluable introduction to the characteristics, challenges and opportunities of sustainable development. The book's primary focus is on the developing world where conditions such as rising poverty and mounting debt combine to present particular challenges of sustainability. A key text, An Introduction to Sustainable Development includes:

• an analysis of the origins of sustainable development
• a discussion of the impact of past development processes on people and the environment
• details of the steps taken at a variety of levels to ensure sustainable development is identified
• a discussion of the particular challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in urban and rural contexts in the developing world
• a summary of the ongoing challenges of sustainable development for the global community.

In the five years since the first edition there have been important shifts in development thinking. These shifts are reflected in this revised edition which considers the outcomes of Rio Conference, and contains many more insights into best sustainable practice on the ground. In this latest edition, the breadth and depth of the material has increased, and a new larger format enables the use of a more accessible design and use of student-friendly features e.g. boxed examples, discussion questions and further reading and glossary.

Overall, this new edition of a classic text is a must-read for all those studying disciplines where sustainable development is key.

About this title

Review

"[I]nteresting and relevant text boxes amplifying chapter concepts and a clear writing style."-"Choice ..."a clear writing style. Suitable for general readers through professionals who want an introductory treatment of sustainable development."-"Choice, April 2000 "Offers a non-technical examination of issues of environmental degradation, economic globalisation and social justice that shape debates about sustainable development.."-Environments

Synopsis

Recent developments and interventions in the field of sustainable development have made this revised and updated second edition of An Introducton to Sustainable Development particularly timely as the world rises to the challenge of determining the prospects of sustainable development in the future. The book evaluates the progress made in the last decades of the twentieth century towards establishing new patterns and processes of development which are sustainable; in terms of the demands they make on the world's physical, ecological and cultural resources of the globe, and the characteristics of technology, societal organisation and economic production which underpin them. The focus of the book is in the developing world where conditions such as rising poverty and mounting debt combine to present particular challenges of sustainability. The resolution of these issues is seen to depend on changes that include the operation of international institutions, the activities of government and private sector interests, as well as changes in the behaviour of community organisations and individuals across the globe.

Containing a wealth of student-friendly features including boxed case studies drawn from across the world, discussion questions, guides for further reading and a glossary, this text provides an invaluable introduction to the characteristics, challenges and opportunities of sustainable development.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0415191505
• ISBN 13: 9780415191500
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 232