The issue of sustainable development, which is defined as the balancing of environmental protection with the generation of increased opportunities for employment and higher living standards, has assumed great importance in recent years. This has been due to the concern expressed by environmentalists that economic growth in developed and developing countries is having a negative impact on regional and international eco-systems. The increasing global environmental degradation has even spurred international organisations like the World Bank to provide capital and other expertise to help halt and, where possible, to reverse the process of environmental decay. This volume consists of pa...