Managing Natural Resources

Natural resource management and sustainable development has in recent years assumed great importance, especially in light of the current ecological crisis and environmental dangers. Issues related to natural resource exploitation, their conservation, preservation and management have become major areas of teaching and research. The sustainability of natural resources, especially water and land resources, and their efficient use, is one of the core programmes of the Indian Government's Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-2017) for strategic development. Although land and water resources - the focus of this book - are vital for human survival and development, both are under increasing strain worldwide. These resources have wide and significantly varying implications for rural and urban settlements, especially in India, where the population is growing and the demand of land and water is intensifying. This has necessitated the urgent need for a review of the availability and conservation of land and water resources. As well as dealing with theoretical concepts, this title presents case studies on natural resources, which reveal the realities at micro and meso levels. Pedagogical features, such as maps, diagrams, satellite images and latest database of primary and secondary nature distinguish this book from other works on the subject. The book will be of use to postgraduate students and research scholars of geography and related disciplines.