Economic Dev & Environment

Synopsis

in This Revealing Study, Omar Noman Sheds Light On The Confusion And Chaos That Have Marked Debates On The Environment And The Economy, Showing How Ad Hoc, Random Changes Are Frequently Recommended Without Clarity Of Objectives. He Also Shows How The Challenge To Development Policies Has Lacked Rigour And Failed To Present Feasible Alternatives, Leading To Further Impasse. Omar Noman, Who Has Worked With The U.n. Agencies And Governments In Many Developing Countries, Sets Out A Five-point Agenda For Addressing These Issues: Abandon An All-embracing Environment Umbrella, Evident In National Conservation Strategies, Which Cover Too Wide A Mandate For Focused Policy Interventions; Public Expenditure Implications Should Be Consistent With Fiscal Realities And Be Aware Of The Limits Imposed By Structural Adjustment Programmes; Recognise Competing Resource Claims For Economic Development, Particularly The Centrality Of Poverty Alleviation Concerns; Identify The Different Incentives Appropriate For The Two Distinct Types Of Environmental Problems - Natural Resource Management Or Pollution Issues; And Integrate Priority Environmental Issues Into Existing Sectoral Institutions, Rather Than Imposing Additional Burdens Of Cross-sectoral Co-ordination On Weak Institutional Structures. Economic Development And Environmental Policy Offers A Realistic Alternative To Dealing With The Complexities Of Natural Resource Management And Pollution Concerns, Without Ignoring The Imperatives Of Poverty Alleviation And Economic Development. Case Studies From Pakistan, Lesotho And Jordan Are Presented Together With Other Applied Examples From Across The World.