The Global Environment and The United Nations

The present study is concerned with the politics and economics of the global environment debate between the developing countries; the methods by which bilateral or multilateral environmental treaties are negotiated; with the rules, and regimes established for environmental co-operation; with global bodies that have been, or need to be, created to implement these rules; and with the conflicting national interests on whose resolution any successful regional or global environmental regime depends.

The environmental issues between the developed and developing countries discussed in this study include climate change, technology transfer and biodiversity. Underlying this analysis is a central question: Can a fragmented and often highly conflictual international political system made up of 185 sovereign states achieve the desirable levels of co-operation and policy coordination needed to manage environmental problems on a global scale?

The second part of the book reviews the progress that has been achieved in the policy and regulatory structures for environmental management in India. The entire environment of policy implementation in India at the Central and state levels have been examined, specially the factors that impede the implementation process. On the credit side we examine the role of the grass root groups and the judiciary as important proenvironmental actors. The book concludes with an analysis of strategies in the governmental, industrial and non-governmental sectors to improve the inputs for better environmental management in India.

THE AUTHOR Dr. (Mrs.) Rumki Basu teaches Political Science at Janki Devi College, University of Delhi. She graduated from Lady Shri Ram College and completed her post-graduation, winning a national scholarship from University of Delhi. She did her M. Phil. and Ph. D. in International Organisation from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and is engaged in teaching and research.

She was awarded an ICSSR Teacher-Fellowship for post-doctoral studies. She has also contributed articles to various learned research journals besides reading papers in several national and international conferences.

Dr. Basu's publications include 'Public Ad-ministration : Concept and Theories', 'Personnel Administration in the United Nations' and `An Introduction to the Study of Public Ad-ministration'. Currently she is working on an UGC research project.

**Contents and Sample Pages**