India's enviornment : crises and responses

The protection of the environment today is the concern of the people all around the globe. Industrialised countries, newly industi i alised countries and the developing world are faced with a of ecological challenges. The nature and extent of these ecological multitude challenges to man's existence vary from country to country. In Europe one of our main ecological concerns is at present the decay of our age-old forests. In India deforestation, land degradation, siltation of rivers and pollution of water and air are the central features of environmental crises. Furthermore, the tragedy in Bhopal amply revealed some of the inherent dangers of industrialisation.

Man, however, is not helpless in the face of these challenges, provided he uses his imagination and acts quickly and boldly. The second part of the book clearly establishes this. Further, the policies announced by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi give proof of the strong ecological awareness of the Indian administration. In Europe the government of the Federal Republic of Germany has been in the forefront of those demanding and implementing effective measures to reduce air pollution which is the root-cause of the dying forests.

Environmental hazards do not respect national borders. Polluted rivers carry their poisonous loads across national boundaries; air pollution, carried by strong winds, recognises neither national nor continental demarcations. It is therefore vital that international understanding and awareness of environmental problems is created. No country, as big as itmay be, can remain an island of ecological. peace when the outside world is plagued by pollution and ecological disasters. This book jointly published by an Indian and a German Foundation, is intended as contribution towards the creation of this international awareness.