‘Environmental studies’ is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them. While distinct from ecology and environmental science, the discipline encompasses study in the basic principles of those two fields of learning as well as the associated subjects, such as: policy, politics, law, economics, sociology and other social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature.

Many of the themes of environmental history inevitably examine the circumstances that produced the environmental problems of the present day, a litany of themes that challenge ‘Global Sustainability’ including: population, consumerism and materialism, climate change, waste disposal, deforestation and loss of wilderness, industrial agriculture, species extinction, depletion of natural resources, invasive organisms and urban development. The simple message of sustainable use of renewable resources is frequently repeated and early as 1864 George Perkins Marsh was pointing out that the changes we make in the environment may later reduce the environments usefulness to humans so any changes should be made with great care - what we would nowadays call enlightened self-interest. Richard Grove has pointed out that “States will act to prevent environmental degradation only when their economic interests are threatened”.

This book has been divided into five Chapters. Chapter-I explains the scope, basic principles, concept of ecosystems, biodiversity and the importance of environmental studies. In Chapter-II various natural resources like forest, water, food, land and the economic approach to environmental preservation and conservation. Chapter –III discusses various types of Environmental Pollution (like Air pollution, Water pollution, Soil pollution, Marine pollution, Noise pollution) its causes and control measures. Chapter-IV discusses Regional and sectoral issues like urbanization, agro-forestry, dry lands, goods in services, environment and development, sustainability and other related aspects. The last chapter focuses on various social issues related to growth and environmental issues of global concern together with sustainable development, sustainable resource management and the regulation by the government on these aspects. 

This book provides a short cut to the students of the 5 year law degree course to enable them to get a broad understanding of the topics that would be covered under the revised syllabus with effect from the academic year 2009-2010. 

We owe our gratitude to Mr D. Durga Prasad, LL.B, FCS, for his personal attention, inputs and technical support. Our thanks are also due to Mr. M.Venkateswarlu for his wholehearted and efficient secretarial support in bringing out this Book.