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MIND Book on Sustainomics |
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MIND announces Prof. Munasinghe's latest book:
Making
Development More Sustainable:
Sustainomics Framework and Practical Applications
Members who register with the Sustainomics Network
below are entitled to order
a free copy of the Table of Contents and sample chapters. To
order the book at a discount price, e-mail: mind@mindlanka.org.
This 650 page
book provides a comprehensive, rigorous and practical analysis
that assesses sustainable development prospects today, by
applying the innovative sustainomics framework. It's main
message is optimistic - although the problems are serious, an
effective response can be mounted to make development more
sustainable, provided it is initiated immediately.
Sustainomics shows us the first practical steps in making the
transition from the risky business as-usual scenario to a safe
and sustainable future. Mohan Munasinghe explains the key
principles underlying sustainomics clearly, concisely and
relatively free of technical jargon, while mathematical and
other details are provided in annexes. The book also
illustrates the methodology with empirical case studies that
are practical and policy-relevant over a wide range of time
scales, countries, sectors, ecosystems and circumstances. The
extensive bibliography will be useful to those who wish to
research specific topics. The book will appeal to a wide
audience, including students, researchers from many
disciplines, lecturers, policy analysts and public and private
decision makers, as well as development practitioners,
concerned citizens and stakeholders.
Chapters include:
1. Overview And Summary; 2.
Sustainomics Framework; 3. Economics of the
Environment;
4. Ecological
and Social Aspects; 5. Global Analytical Applications; 6.
International Process Applications: Multi-Level,
Multi-Stakeholder, Trans-Disciplinary Dialogues; 7. National
Economywide Applications; 8. Mathematical Macro-Model
Applications; 9. Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Modeling
Applications; 10. Energy Sector Applications; 11. Transport
Sector Applications; 12. Water Resource Applications; 13.
Ecological and Agricultural System Applications; 14. Resource
Pricing Policy Applications; 15. Project Applications; 16.
Local Applications: Hazards, Disasters and Urban Growth; Bibliography; Index.
Soft cover. 650 pages.
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'Professor Munasinghe should be commended for writing a
comprehensive, concise and clear volume that offers an
immediate and practical path for making current development
more sustainable, by applying the Sustainomics framework. He
demystifies the complexities of sustainable development with a
critical and probing analysis. This book is unique. It
presents an easily understandable and rigorous conceptual
framework, while showing practical applications using a wide
range of empirical case studies. Mohan brings together a wide
range of skills. As a respected and award winning researcher,
his analysis is rigorous and well-documented. As a senior
decision maker and manager with over 35 years of experience in
the development arena, his advice is eminently practical.
Finally, as a veteran professor with an enviable record of
publications, he presents his arguments lucidly and
convincingly. This text written by a leading world authority
on sustainable development is an invaluable resource.'
Prof. James Gustave Speth,
Dean, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies,
Yale University; and former Administrator, United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), New York, USA.
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'This
book on sustainable development
is an
impressive presentation of policy-oriented research by Mohan
Munasinghe. He has managed to effectively mobilize a wide
array of scientific theories, methods and tools of decision
support towards the goal of making development more
sustainable. In a trans-disciplinary spirit, but with his feet
firmly on the ground and drawing on knowledge from economic,
ecological and social disciplines, the author presents a set
of well chosen and eminently practical case studies. These
examples at various levels ranging from the
global/transnational to the local, convincingly demonstrate
the relevance of his approach.'
Prof. J.B. (Hans) Opschoor,
Rector, Institute of Social Studies, and Professor of
Environmental Economics, Free University Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
Click image to enlarge |
Click image to enlarge
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At the launch of his new book 'Making Development More Sustainable: Sustainomics Framework and Practical Applications', Prof. Mohan Munasinghe (centre), Chairman, Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND) and Vice Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was felicitated by Hon. Cristina Narbona (right), Spanish Minister of Environment, and Prof. Thomas Schelling (left), 2005 Nobel Laureate in Economics, at the recent International Forum on Global Climate Change Strategies Beyond 2012, organized by the European Union in April 2007, Madrid, Spain. |
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Sustainomics Network Membership
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MIND recognizes sustainable development (SD) as a primary challenge of the 21st century (with poverty alleviation as the main goal). The Sustainomics Network is a global initiative supported by MIND, for "making development more sustainable" (MDMS). Membership is free to anyone interested in sustainable development, who wishes to register below. Members will be able to order a wide range of MIND publications (free or discounted), receive periodic updates with the latest information on Sustainomics and SD, be linked to a other global networks on SD, and have the right to communicate directly on SD issues with MIND experts.
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Professor Mohan Munasinghe outlined the first ideas about sustainomics from 1990 onwards, culminating in a formal paper presented at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro , which set out key elements of the framework. The aim was a more holistic and practical synthesis that would help to make development more sustainable. The neologism "sustainomics" was coined to project a more neutral image by focusing attention on sustainable development, and avoiding any disciplinary bias or hegemony. Sustainomics also seeks to balance people-oriented Southern priorities including promotion of development, consumption and growth, poverty alleviation, and equity, with environment-oriented Northern concerns about issues like natural resource depletion, pollution, unsustainable growth, and population increase. A decade or more of experience in further developing and practically applying the sustainomics framework in the field, was described at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (Munasinghe 2002a, GOSL 2002). Meanwhile, the approach has been cited and used in the work of many world bodies (e.g., ADB, CSD, EC, OECD, UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, etc.), governments (e.g., Canada , Netherlands , Sri Lanka , UK , etc.), and individual researchers.
Sustainomics is defined as "a transdisciplinary, integrative, comprehensive, balanced, heuristic and practical framework for making development more sustainable." Unlike other traditional disciplines, it focuses exclusively on sustainable development. Thus, the main principle of the framework seeks to make ongoing and future development efforts more sustainable in a practical way, as a first step towards the ultimate goal of sustainable development. Other key principles stress: (a) balanced and consistent consideration of the three dimensions of the sustainable development triangle (social, economic and environmental); (b) better integration by transcending conventional boundaries imposed by discipline, space, time, stakeholder viewpoints, and operational needs; and (c) practical application of innovative methods and tools throughout the full cycle from data gathering to policy implementation and feedback. In brief, Sustainomics is an innovative transdisciplinary framework (or transdiscipline), based on a holistic set of key principles, theories and methods. It facilitates sound research and decision making, drawing on many other scientific approaches and techniques involving the natural and social sciences, engineering and humanities -- because no single traditional discipline can cover the vast scope and complexity of SD issues.
Sustainable development is broadly described as "a process for improving the range of opportunities that will enable individual human beings and communities to achieve their aspirations and full potential over a sustained period of time, while maintaining the resilience of economic, social and environmental systems" . Adapting this general concept, a more focused and practical approach towards making development more sustainable seeks "continuing improvements in the present quality of life at a lower intensity of resource use, thereby leaving behind for future generations an undiminished stock of productive assets (i.e., manufactured, natural and social capital) that will enhance opportunities for improving their quality of life".
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Registration (information kept
strictly confidential) |
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I would like further information on the book "Making
Development More Sustainable". |
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