Transition towards sustainable development in South Asia

When the IT (industrial transformation) research agenda was created, with an international and interdisciplinary approach, it became clear that IT carries different messages for different countries: not only due to various levels of economic development, but also because of different climatic conditions and topography, and different cultural and socio-political patterns. Therefore, the challenge is to understand the complex society-environment interaction, identify driving forces for change, and explore development trajectories that have a significantly smaller burden on the environment while addressing concerns regarding the economic development.

In South Asia, recognizing the unsustainability of the existing development paths, governments in particular, and the civil society in general, are putting in place policies and institutional reforms, in a more transparent and participative manner. At another level, corporate governance is also assuming a socially and environmentally friendly face.

This book identifies and documents the IT research being undertaken in South Asia, with the objective of furthering research imperatives that are critical to addressing concerns regarding such transformations. Built around four IT foci (1) transformation towards sustainable energy systems, (2) agricultural sustainability and food security, (3) transition of urban energy and environment, and (4) governance for sustainable development this publication provides an opportunity for the South Asian scientific community to engage in constructive dialogue and share research outcomes with others in the region, as well as globally.