4
destruction is the most important human impact on other species. It is the furthermost threat to ecosystem integrity and biodiversity (Malanson 2004).
The history of mankind (Wallace 1870) shows that emergence and development
of civilizations (David 1979) would not have been possible without harnessing the
natural resources. But overexploitation of the resources resulted direct or indirect
spoiling of the nature itself. In this changing and challenging technology-driven
anthropocentric world, we need to rethink and reinvent man’s role in nature. Thus,
the present volume intends to focus on the major themes to include: (a) habitat and
environmental issues of human concerns, (b) ekistics and ecology of social environment and (c) hazards and environmental management for sustainable development.
1.2 Population and Resources
Increasing use of resources by the growing population and augmentation of economic growth through industrialization has been putting pressure on the environment at global as well as local levels, which threatens balance in the earth’s natural
systems (Rockström et al. 2009). It has been recorded that the average global surface temperature has increased by 0.85 °C during the period 1880 and 2012, and it
is projected to rise up to 2.68–4.8 °C in 2100, with a consequent sea level rise up to
0.98 m (IPCC-WGI 2013). Environmental degradation challenges the very basis of
peoples’ livelihoods, and poor people will be constrained to exploit natural resources
for their survival aggravating environmental degradation (Bremner et al. 2011).Wild
life reportedly has been declined more than 30% during the period 1970–2010 at
global level, and annual economic loss attributable to forest degradation is estimated to be equivalent to USD 4.5 trillion (SCBD 2010).
As industrialization, expanded development and embedded population growth
continued to elevate demand for natural resources (Behrens et al. 2007) and their
exploitation, there had been augmenting concern over the destructive impacts of
man on global environment (Davenport and Davenport 2006), including social systems of humanity (Mesjasz 2009). Prehistoric records reveal the fact that there was
co-evolution of man and nature, with deterministic role of the later on human habitats and livelihoods over millennia. Later history of human civilizations found
increasing influence of man on nature through agriculture, industry, trade and commerce, urban ekistics, etc., towards all-possible human activity-oriented progress of
mankind. It is found that humans have been impacting their environments for millennia, not all impacts have been harmful (Redman 1999). But in the beginning of
the twenty-first century, the most critical problems faced by humanity comprise
global pandemics, warming, water scarcity, energy demand, financial crush and terrorism. Today, in our extremely interrelated global systems, any environmental failure in one region may have huge consequences of terrorizing the entire global
system (Schimel et al. 2007).
Historical ecology (Crumley 1987, 1994; Balée 2006) provides platform for
interdisciplinary dialogue to geographers, historians, archaeologists and anthropologists in investigating the results of human thought and action on landscapes. It is
Rukhsana et al.
destruction is the most important human impact on other species. It is the furthermost threat to ecosystem integrity and biodiversity (Malanson 2004).
The history of mankind (Wallace 1870) shows that emergence and development
of civilizations (David 1979) would not have been possible without harnessing the
natural resources. But overexploitation of the resources resulted direct or indirect
spoiling of the nature itself. In this changing and challenging technology-driven
anthropocentric world, we need to rethink and reinvent man’s role in nature. Thus,
the present volume intends to focus on the major themes to include: (a) habitat and
environmental issues of human concerns, (b) ekistics and ecology of social environment and (c) hazards and environmental management for sustainable development.
1.2 Population and Resources
Increasing use of resources by the growing population and augmentation of economic growth through industrialization has been putting pressure on the environment at global as well as local levels, which threatens balance in the earth’s natural
systems (Rockström et al. 2009). It has been recorded that the average global surface temperature has increased by 0.85 °C during the period 1880 and 2012, and it
is projected to rise up to 2.68–4.8 °C in 2100, with a consequent sea level rise up to
0.98 m (IPCC-WGI 2013). Environmental degradation challenges the very basis of
peoples’ livelihoods, and poor people will be constrained to exploit natural resources
for their survival aggravating environmental degradation (Bremner et al. 2011).Wild
life reportedly has been declined more than 30% during the period 1970–2010 at
global level, and annual economic loss attributable to forest degradation is estimated to be equivalent to USD 4.5 trillion (SCBD 2010).
As industrialization, expanded development and embedded population growth
continued to elevate demand for natural resources (Behrens et al. 2007) and their
exploitation, there had been augmenting concern over the destructive impacts of
man on global environment (Davenport and Davenport 2006), including social systems of humanity (Mesjasz 2009). Prehistoric records reveal the fact that there was
co-evolution of man and nature, with deterministic role of the later on human habitats and livelihoods over millennia. Later history of human civilizations found
increasing influence of man on nature through agriculture, industry, trade and commerce, urban ekistics, etc., towards all-possible human activity-oriented progress of
mankind. It is found that humans have been impacting their environments for millennia, not all impacts have been harmful (Redman 1999). But in the beginning of
the twenty-first century, the most critical problems faced by humanity comprise
global pandemics, warming, water scarcity, energy demand, financial crush and terrorism. Today, in our extremely interrelated global systems, any environmental failure in one region may have huge consequences of terrorizing the entire global
system (Schimel et al. 2007).
Historical ecology (Crumley 1987, 1994; Balée 2006) provides platform for
interdisciplinary dialogue to geographers, historians, archaeologists and anthropologists in investigating the results of human thought and action on landscapes. It is
Rukhsana et al.