URBANIZATION POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT

Book Details

• Author: Satish K. Sharma and Suman Lata Pathak

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Binding: Hardcover

• Number of Pages: 360

• Release Date: 01-01-2024

• ISBN: 9788131613528

• Sale Territory: India Only

About the Book

This study explores the intricate relationship between urbanization, population growth, and environmental changes in the western Himalayas, offering a historical perspective. The authors challenge the conventional belief that urban development is solely driven by population growth, emphasizing the pivotal role of political and economic elites in shaping urban growth. Over the course of two centuries, royal constructions of palaces and temples became central to political power and wealth, influencing urban expansion.

Natural resources, such as water, minerals, and forests, were also key factors in determining where settlements grew and attracting labor migration. The book presents an empirical analysis within a historical framework, highlighting how the development of cantonment towns, military consolidation, and legislative control over resources fueled urban growth. This led to population increases, economic activities, and advancements in transportation and communication.

However, the study also delves into the negative consequences of rapid urbanization, including the overexploitation of forest resources and the ecological disruptions that followed. These changes led to imbalances between humans and nature, with serious long-term ecological consequences. The volume provides fresh avenues for research on rivers, biodiversity, geopolitics, and the socio-cultural, economic, and political spheres, contributing to both national and international academic discourse.

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Socio-Historical Dynamics of Urban Development

3. Urbanization in the Mountainous Regions of India

4. Political Economic Dynamics of Rise of British Summer Capital

5. Urbanism, Emerging Identities, and Change

6. Changing Ecology and Preserving Urban Heritage

7. Urban Sprawl, Challenges and Peoples’ Response

8. Conclusions: Re-thinking Urbanization

About the Authors

• Satish Kumar Sharma is a former Professor of Sociology and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He has held prestigious roles such as Director of the Population Research Centre and Institute of Tribal Studies, and has been a Social Scientist with WHO Collaborating Centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh. He has authored, edited, and co-edited 12 books and contributed chapters and articles in renowned journals and books.

• Suman Lata Pathak is a former Associate Professor of Sociology at Dev Samaj College for Women, Chandigarh. Her research focuses on the East African diaspora, particularly returned Indian Sikh immigrants in Chandigarh. She has published extensively in reputed journals and books.