The global and local dimension

Abstract

As a result of the increasingly interconnected world in which we live, it has become far easier for problems that may have previously remained localized to become global in nature, and vice versa. Diseases that spread from person to person can infect diverse populations in a highly mobile world. Environmental degradation can occur in response to global demand for natural resource materials as well as pressure from indigenous communities. Understanding the local and global dynamics of some problems is a helpful step in effectively addressing them. Do the problems stem from local actions, global pressures, or both? What is the relationship between local and global activities? Who are the other players, what is their capacity, and do they operate on a local, regional, or global level? © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.