Environment Studies has been a research area in CSD since 2006. The focus has been to analyse the interface between environment and institutions and to evolve an appropriate strategy for the management of natural resources. Economic development and environmental concerns are inextricably linked. In a situation where the majority of people lives in subsistence economies and suffers chronic poverty, survival is a key concern. Their environment is the basis of their subsistence. Despite industrialization's numerous usages, it has large number of negative impacts, especially in the form of externalities -- water, air and noise pollution, degradation in health, loss in agricultural production and displacement affects communities adversely. This adverse impact is rarely taken into account. Another important issue is the impact of change in land resources on the life style of the poor people. For the economically challenged and in particular for the landless and otherwise asset-less, loss of access to non-individual, common property assets belonging to communities represents a cause of income and livelihood deterioration. Food insecurity, marginalization and loss of income are the principal measures of productive capacity may arise mainly because of changes in land resources including common property resources. It means increasing destitution and poverty. Change in this context is an urgent need and must be addressed with commitment by researchers as well as community organisers.
We invite scholars to join us in our search for solutions and answers and in our larger quest for social justice and equity -- environmental justice is at the core of these concerns. CSD's main goal is to build the professional skills required to enable researchers to address local and global environmental concerns. The center's efforts are building around the following broad areas of environment research.
- Environment impact assessment
- Management of natural resources
- Valuation of externalities
- Public policy responses to natural resources
- Advocacy on environmental problems
- Research on the commons in different environments