Papers by Prof. Nandan Nawn (D/o Economics)
Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Oct 2, 2015
Abstract Sustainability of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are contingent on both ‘weak sust... more Abstract Sustainability of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are contingent on both ‘weak sustainability’ and ‘strong sustainability.’ Rights-based approach, the most prevalent one in the international policy space towards sustained realization of development goals, is unlikely to ensure either of the sustainability notions. Rather it has to be the (moral) responsibility of the State, communities, and even individuals. After all, adoption of language of responsibility in international environmental law vis-a-vis ‘unidirectional externalities’ has been successful in maintaining the critical natural capital for the ‘sink’ function.
Ecology, economy and society--the INSEE journal, 1970
Springer eBooks, Sep 2, 2015
Energy value (use-value) of irrigation under surplus rainfall conditions, like all parts of the s... more Energy value (use-value) of irrigation under surplus rainfall conditions, like all parts of the state of West Bengal with an annual rainfall of 1000 mm or more, represents the value of unsaved rainwater, an ecosystem function, to the farmer-cultivator for meeting the water requirements of the planted crops, an ecosystem service. In such situations, substantial run-off results in considerable use of labour and material towards irrigation, even if the seasonal effective rainfall is more than the potential evapotranspiration (PET) or the crop water coefficient of a water-intensive crop like paddy.
Journal of Agrarian Change, Sep 3, 2014
In the literature on sustainability of agriculture, both labourers and workers are conspicuously ... more In the literature on sustainability of agriculture, both labourers and workers are conspicuously absent. Here, the sustainability of agriculture has been defined in terms of whether the farm household in question is able to yield an energy surplus when its members and the animals in its possession are obtaining an adequate 'energy income' or Calorie intake. To evaluate the sustainability of 590 farming households in the state of West Bengal, India, during 2004-5, four progressively stricter definitions of sustainability have been proposed, defined and applied. The method of energy balance analysis was followed. A negative surplus was found to be near-universal across size-groups in terms of the net area sown (NAS), the gross cultivated area (GCA) and agro-climatic zones. The threshold output for a non-negative surplus during the cultivating period was 700,000 megajoules (MJ); in terms of the GCA for a positive 'full and final' annual surplus, it was 3 hectares, and in NAS terms it was 2.5 hectares; against NAS per household size, it was 0.6 hectares, for ensuring a positive surplus beyond the annual sustainability. No evidence could be found in favour of household size as an explanation for the negative surplus.
Economic activity in India is supported by minerals extracted domestically. The significance of m... more Economic activity in India is supported by minerals extracted domestically. The significance of mining is also due to its impact on local livelihood opportunities-it generates some during extraction and transport, but it also puts a stop on many others; on some, forever. Once a mine is exhausted, it requires fresh efforts to generate new livelihood opportunities. The need for remedial action to compensate for displacement, adverse impact on ecological and human health and other such is well recognised now. As it is well known, the Supreme Court in Samatha vs State of Andhra Pradesh and Ors (1997; Appeal (civil) 4601-02 of 1997) is a forerunner on this matter, calling for the creation of a ‗permanent fund' to sustain local ‗development'. Churnings in the regulatory framework were certainly influenced by this and other decisions on mining, like SPS & Ors vs State of Karnataka & Ors. (2013; WP (civil) 562 of 2009), Goa Foundation vs UOI & Ors. (2014; WP (civil) 435 of 2012) just to name a few. National Mineral Policy of 1990 considered mining to be the exclusive responsibility of the State; the 1993 policy, reflecting the changes initiated in 1991, paved the way for private sector participation. Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, was amended accordingly. In 2005, the Planning Commission set up a High-Level Committee (HLC) to review and suggest changes in the policy and regulations to augment investment-both public and private-in the mining sector, in a Managing Editor and Coordinator for this ‗Conversations'.
Economic activity in India is supported by minerals extracted domestically. The significance of m... more Economic activity in India is supported by minerals extracted domestically. The significance of mining is also due to its impact on local livelihood opportunities-it generates some during extraction and transport, but it also puts a stop on many others; on some, forever. Once a mine is exhausted, it requires fresh efforts to generate new livelihood opportunities. The need for remedial action to compensate for displacement, adverse impact on ecological and human health and other such is well recognised now. As it is well known, the Supreme Court in Samatha vs State of Andhra Pradesh and Ors (1997; Appeal (civil) 4601-02 of 1997) is a forerunner on this matter, calling for the creation of a 'permanent fund' to sustain local 'development'. Churnings in the regulatory framework were certainly influenced by this and other decisions on mining, like SPS & Ors vs State of Karnataka & Ors. (2013; WP (civil) 562 of 2009), Goa Foundation vs UOI & Ors. (2014; WP (civil) 435 of 2012) just to name a few. National Mineral Policy of 1990 considered mining to be the exclusive responsibility of the State; the 1993 policy, reflecting the changes initiated in 1991, paved the way for private sector participation. Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, was amended accordingly. In 2005, the Planning Commission set up a High-Level Committee (HLC) to review and suggest changes in the policy and regulations to augment investment-both public and private-in the mining sector, in a changing climate. The preface of the HLC report recognised the difficulty Managing Editor and Coordinator for this 'Conversations'.
This paper problematizes the basis for international policies and regulations towards adaptation,... more This paper problematizes the basis for international policies and regulations towards adaptation, mitigation and adjustment for ‘climate change’. Specific aspects of Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC have been evaluated on the basis of theory and methods of ecological science. In particular, requirements of legal certainty have been found to be at odds with the uncertainty in the supposed basis. The paper calls for adopting ethical rationality along with scientific rationality towards addressing problems of the society that are ecological in nature.
Biological Conservation, 2021
Highly populated tropical countries face tremendous pressures in reconciling the needs for improv... more Highly populated tropical countries face tremendous pressures in reconciling the needs for improved economic security and the protection of declining biodiversity. India is no exception and its biodiversity is under severe pressure due to complex interactions among land use change, other human economic activities, and climate change. Preservation and restoration of biodiversity is perhaps the cheapest and least risky way to mitigate the impacts of threats such as climate change, diminishing food and nutritional security, declining economy, absence of affordable healthcare, rising zoonotic diseases and lack of capacity to address these issues. Here we describe a framework for biodiversity conservationthe National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being (NMBHWB) for Indiawhich integrates biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change, agriculture, health, bio-economy and capacity building in the realm of biodiversity science. We provide an overview of the seven Programs of the Mission which make it interdisciplinary, integrative, and comprehensive in its approach. The Mission explicitly links research with policy-making and implementation for effective management of biodiversity with sustainable development. With its emphasis on convergence and synergies among various goals, themes and project sites, the Mission will further develop new models for stakeholder consultations and coproduction of knowledge. We posit that the NMBHWB will enable India to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Targets while advancing India's commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change and other international environmental conventions and treaties.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020
Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal, 1970
Economic activity in India is supported by minerals extracted domestically. The significance of m... more Economic activity in India is supported by minerals extracted domestically. The significance of mining is also due to its impact on local livelihood opportunities-it generates some during extraction and transport, but it also puts a stop on many others; on some, forever. Once a mine is exhausted, it requires fresh efforts to generate new livelihood opportunities. The need for remedial action to compensate for displacement, adverse impact on ecological and human health and other such is well recognised now. As it is well known, the Supreme Court in Samatha vs State of Andhra Pradesh and Ors (1997; Appeal (civil) 4601-02 of 1997) is a forerunner on this matter, calling for the creation of a ‗permanent fund' to sustain local ‗development'. Churnings in the regulatory framework were certainly influenced by this and other decisions on mining, like SPS & Ors vs State of Karnataka & Ors. (2013; WP (civil) 562 of 2009), Goa Foundation vs UOI & Ors. (2014; WP (civil) 435 of 2012) just to name a few. National Mineral Policy of 1990 considered mining to be the exclusive responsibility of the State; the 1993 policy, reflecting the changes initiated in 1991, paved the way for private sector participation. Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, was amended accordingly. In 2005, the Planning Commission set up a High-Level Committee (HLC) to review and suggest changes in the policy and regulations to augment investment-both public and private-in the mining sector, in a Managing Editor and Coordinator for this ‗Conversations'.
Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal, 2018
Research on economics of the environment is carried out through mostly the orthodox or heterodox ... more Research on economics of the environment is carried out through mostly the orthodox or heterodox paradigm. The orthodox paradigm is rooted in the neoclassical framework, while the heterodox paradigm follows a more inclusive, transdisciplinary approach that includes political ecology, environmental history, and environmental sociology. This difference in quite evident in many locations of the Global North, such as Europe. It can be witnessed by means of simple and analytical indicators like the journals listed by professional societies: Environmental Policy and Governance, by the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE) and Environmental and Resource Economics, by the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economics (EAERE). The ESEE's own journal Environmental Policy and Governance characteristically includes papers on values, politics, and institutions even within its limited scope. The EAERE's own journal Environmental and Resource Economics typically includes papers on optimal control, bargaining, experimental economics, marginal abatement costs, and dynamic efficiency. Interestingly, Environment and Development Economics is listed by both societies under 'publications'. Such compartmentalization into the orthodox and heterodox paradigms is virtually absent in the Indian context in terms of structure or function. The Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE) represents both paradigms-it has had an agricultural economist and a hydrologist as
Sustainability in Debate, 2016
A workshop on ‘Sustainability in Higher Education from the vantage of the Global South’was organi... more A workshop on ‘Sustainability in Higher Education from the vantage of the Global South’was organized by the Azim Premji University between 12 and 14 January 2015 inBengaluru, India. Its goal was to explore how sustainability can be integrated into undergraduate,postgraduate and professional courses. The workshop was divided intofour sessions with interlinked themes ”“ the first, with a focus on framing sustainability;the second, on integrating sustainability in higher education; the third, on sustainabilitycurricula; and the last, on pedagogy for sustainability. All four sessions were informedby the broader educational goal of enabling students from diverse backgrounds toenvision, conceptualise, research and implement sustainability in varied personal andprofessional contexts. Participants of the workshop drew upon their varied experiences,from India and institutions across the world, in the teaching and learning of the multidimensionalconcept of sustainability in diverse geographie...
Economic and Political Weekly, Jun 20, 2013
Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 2015
Abstract Sustainability of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are contingent on both ‘weak sust... more Abstract Sustainability of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are contingent on both ‘weak sustainability’ and ‘strong sustainability.’ Rights-based approach, the most prevalent one in the international policy space towards sustained realization of development goals, is unlikely to ensure either of the sustainability notions. Rather it has to be the (moral) responsibility of the State, communities, and even individuals. After all, adoption of language of responsibility in international environmental law vis-a-vis ‘unidirectional externalities’ has been successful in maintaining the critical natural capital for the ‘sink’ function.
Nature, Economy and Society, 2015
Energy value (use-value) of irrigation under surplus rainfall conditions, like all parts of the s... more Energy value (use-value) of irrigation under surplus rainfall conditions, like all parts of the state of West Bengal with an annual rainfall of 1000 mm or more, represents the value of unsaved rainwater, an ecosystem function, to the farmer-cultivator for meeting the water requirements of the planted crops, an ecosystem service. In such situations, substantial run-off results in considerable use of labour and material towards irrigation, even if the seasonal effective rainfall is more than the potential evapotranspiration (PET) or the crop water coefficient of a water-intensive crop like paddy.
Journal of Agrarian Change, 2014
In the literature on sustainability of agriculture, both labourers and workers are conspicuously ... more In the literature on sustainability of agriculture, both labourers and workers are conspicuously absent. Here, the sustainability of agriculture has been defined in terms of whether the farm household in question is able to yield an energy surplus when its members and the animals in its possession are obtaining an adequate ‘energy income’ or Calorie intake. To evaluate the sustainability of 590 farming households in the state of West Bengal, India, during 2004–5, four progressively stricter definitions of sustainability have been proposed, defined and applied. The method of energy balance analysis was followed. A negative surplus was found to be near‐universal across size‐groups in terms of the net area sown (NAS), the gross cultivated area (GCA) and agro‐climatic zones. The threshold output for a non‐negative surplus during the cultivating period was 700,000 megajoules (MJ); in terms of the GCA for a positive ‘full and final’ annual surplus, it was 3 hectares, and in NAS terms it w...
Judicial reforms in India: issues and aspects, 2007
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Papers by Prof. Nandan Nawn (D/o Economics)