Preface

Environment is becoming a matter of concern for one and all today. There is a tremendous increase in the developmental activities all around the world and their impact on the environment, in the last few decades, has been very ■ alarming.

In this scenario, the awareness about various aspects of environment becomes very important. Every citizen needs to be educated about the environmental issues before a meaningful contribution is envisaged. Thus, environmental education has become the prime concern today. Every curriculum, be it the school education or higher education, gives due emphasis on environmental aspects, even a lot is being published in newspapers, journals and magazines. Many governmental and non-govemmental organizations are working in the area of environmental education. In India, a separate Ministry, i.e. Ministry of Forests & Environment, is looking after various issues related to the environment.

Every contributor or worker in the area of environment has his/her own perception and looks at environment from his/her own point of view. Also, the environmental issues are many in number and complex in nature, so a comprehensive text is needed to give a complete overview of all the aspects of environment. With this objective in mind, this book has been developed to sensitize the users to realize the importance of different aspects of environment and the related current issues.

VKAhluwalia Sunita Malhotra