Contemporary Environmental Issues – The Indian Perspective

Abstract

India has a unique environmental setting due to its geographic location which provides essentials of life to support nearly 17.71% of the world human population and 45,500 floral and 91,200 faunal species. As a developing country India is constantly facing various challenges related to its environment which is severely affecting the economic growth of the country. The continuous impact of various natural and anthropogenic activities on the environment is a serious concern for India which accounts for 5.7% of the national GDP along with millions of annual human death and loss of biodiversity. This chapter provides a detailed description of various environmental issues of the country, highlights the existing gaps present in the current environmental practices and discusses the new opportunities for economic growth towards a sustainable future.