As
part of the Environmental Capacity Building Programme (EMCaB)
implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government
of India, a baseline survey on the status of Teaching and Research
in Environmental Economics in India was done in 1999. This baseline
survey included the names of institutions, specialists, courses
offered at undergraduate and post graduate levels, M.Phil. and Ph.D.
dissertations, research projects undertaken/completed and
publications in environmental economics.
ENVIS
Centre on Environmental Economics, Madras School of Economics
proposed a Resurvey to determine the current status of environmental
economics in the various institutions of India. One of the aims of
the Resurvey is to assess the benefits of the EMCaB programme. Hence
the survey includes questions on the above aspects and for the
period of seven years from 2000-01 to 2006-07.
The
baseline survey of 1999 provided the information of 92 institutes of
India dealing with environmental economics whereas the present
resurvey report highlights the increase in the number of institutes
to 121. The increase is probably due to improved awareness about
environmental issues and recognition of economic analysis in
managing environmental problems. The Resurvey also reports that
several IIT’s and IIM’s are now offering a module on
environmental economics in the compulsory environment related course
in the undergraduate and postgraduate level of engineering.
The
Resurvey further highlights the significant increase in both number
of projects and the number of publications in national and
international journals. While all this may not be attributable to
the EMCaB programme, the influence this programme had through
creation of library resources and networks can not be undermined.
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