There is major environmental, resource use, and related development challenges in South Asia, which have profound implications for health and well-being within the region, as well as for global environmental change and sustainability. At the same time, given its significance and growing share of the world’s population and consumption, South Asia will crucially need to be an important part of the solution of sustainable well-being in the decades to come. The Routledge Handbook of the Environment in South Asia provides a comprehensive study of these issues. After a detailed introduction ties together the key insights and debates discussed, the Handbook is split into three sections:

• Current and Emerging Environmental Challenges
• Cross-cutting Themes
• The Way Forward – Strategies, Barriers and Solutions

Section one looks at topics such as food security, biodiversity and forestry, industrial pollution and coastal environments. The second section highlights how poverty, trade and gender cross-cut environmental themes, and also includes chapters on media representations of environmental issues, environmental policy-making and the role of NGOS and the courts. Section three focuses on the way forward, and contains chapters on water conservation, organic agriculture, solar and wind energy development, and eco-tourism.
Written by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is a timely contribution to better understanding the scope and range of South Asia’s environmental challenges, potential resolutions and how these issues fit into the larger, global context. It is a cutting-edge and up-to-date resource for students, scholars and policy-makers of Environmental Studies, Sustainability and South Asian Studies.