242
grative frameworks may need to be adapted to suit developing country contexts and,
in some cases, new models will need to be developed. For example, while smart
cities developed in the global North may be commendable in their ability to capture
complex impacts and employ ecological design, they may not address the economic
and social constraints and challenges in the developing world.
The IE community can also offer solutions to contemporary challenges, including how to address the problems of rebound that arises from improving energy
effi ciency (Gillingham et al. 2013 ) and avoiding “lock-in” of polluting technologies
in eco-industrial networks (Boons et al. 2011 ; Shi et al. 2010 ). Analyses on how to
include these effects into policy are needed, not only in countries that already have
energy effi ciency and EIP policies in place but also those that are developing new
policies.
5 How Can the Global South Contribute to IE?
Industrial ecology concepts and tools have developed primarily in the developed
world. However, owing to their low energy and material consumption patterns,
developing countries can provide unexamined contexts for the developed world to
learn from. Some of these contexts where the IE lens has provided valuable insights
are (1) informal recycling by the unorganized sector in several developing countries
(Medina 1997 ; Wilson et al. 2006 ); (2) provisioning of fresh vegetables and fruits
on a regular basis to reduce food wastage due to ineffi cient management of household food inventories (Sahakian et.al. in press ); and (3) water balance of cities in
India (Eckelman et al. 2010 ).
In some cases, historic management of resources in developing countries has
been postulated as more sustainable than the way resources are currently managed
around the world; examples are fl ood management along the Brahmaputra in West
Bengal (Rasid and Paul 1987 ) and community-based construction and maintenance
of water tanks in the pre-British era in various regions in India (Mosse 1997 ). IE can
offer qualitative and quantitative measures to understand and monitor such
initiatives.
6 Conclusions
Some developing countries have realized the benefi ts of IE approaches and have
used its concepts for sustainable growth of communities; others are yet to realize the
value of this approach. The benefi ts of IE for developing countries include strategy
elaboration and policy framing for sustainable development. Developing countries
need to re-examine their development strategies and make important decisions to
improve social welfare and build healthy economies, while protecting their ecological heritage. Redefi ning a country’s development pathway is a complex process that
M. Shenoy
grative frameworks may need to be adapted to suit developing country contexts and,
in some cases, new models will need to be developed. For example, while smart
cities developed in the global North may be commendable in their ability to capture
complex impacts and employ ecological design, they may not address the economic
and social constraints and challenges in the developing world.
The IE community can also offer solutions to contemporary challenges, including how to address the problems of rebound that arises from improving energy
effi ciency (Gillingham et al. 2013 ) and avoiding “lock-in” of polluting technologies
in eco-industrial networks (Boons et al. 2011 ; Shi et al. 2010 ). Analyses on how to
include these effects into policy are needed, not only in countries that already have
energy effi ciency and EIP policies in place but also those that are developing new
policies.
5 How Can the Global South Contribute to IE?
Industrial ecology concepts and tools have developed primarily in the developed
world. However, owing to their low energy and material consumption patterns,
developing countries can provide unexamined contexts for the developed world to
learn from. Some of these contexts where the IE lens has provided valuable insights
are (1) informal recycling by the unorganized sector in several developing countries
(Medina 1997 ; Wilson et al. 2006 ); (2) provisioning of fresh vegetables and fruits
on a regular basis to reduce food wastage due to ineffi cient management of household food inventories (Sahakian et.al. in press ); and (3) water balance of cities in
India (Eckelman et al. 2010 ).
In some cases, historic management of resources in developing countries has
been postulated as more sustainable than the way resources are currently managed
around the world; examples are fl ood management along the Brahmaputra in West
Bengal (Rasid and Paul 1987 ) and community-based construction and maintenance
of water tanks in the pre-British era in various regions in India (Mosse 1997 ). IE can
offer qualitative and quantitative measures to understand and monitor such
initiatives.
6 Conclusions
Some developing countries have realized the benefi ts of IE approaches and have
used its concepts for sustainable growth of communities; others are yet to realize the
value of this approach. The benefi ts of IE for developing countries include strategy
elaboration and policy framing for sustainable development. Developing countries
need to re-examine their development strategies and make important decisions to
improve social welfare and build healthy economies, while protecting their ecological heritage. Redefi ning a country’s development pathway is a complex process that
M. Shenoy