Energy Economics and the Environment: Conservation, Preservation and Sustainability

Energy is a basic prerequisite for the growth and development of national wealth. Based on primary research, Energy Economics and the Environment integrates a network of diverse disciplines to provide a theoretical and practical understanding of the constantly neglected challenges associated with conservation, preservation and sustainability of environment and energy. It highlights the issues and prospects in safeguarding environmental biodiversity and renewable energy efficiency, ecosystem chains and human living standards. This book studies the vulnerability associated with global climate alterations that limits direct social and economic benefits from ecosystem goods and services, and presents significant methods through illustrative case studies to tackle energy and environmental questions. In its final analysis, the book proposes possible unconventional mitigation strategies to restore sustainable biodiversity of ecosystems.

Mohammad Younus Bhat is currently working as an assistant professor in the Department of Economics and International Business, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES). Prior to this, he was associated with Jamia Millia Islamia and Amity University. He did his PhD in environmental economics from Jamia Millia Islamia. His area of research is economic valuation of biodiversity. He has published his work in many national and international journals. He has participated in various national and international conferences and workshops within and outside India on environment and natural resource economics.

Hiranmoy Roy has been engaged in teaching and research since the last 20 years. His areas of research interests are development economics and energy studies. Earlier, he worked with Assam (Central) University (2001–2004), Karimganj College (2005–2008) and IBS―Hyderabad (2008–2010). At present, he is the Head, Department of Economics, School of Business (SoB), UPES, Dehradun. He has written four books and presented 40 papers at national and international conferences. He has also published 25 research papers in national and international peer reviewed journals. He has completed two research project sanctioned by University Grants Commission (UGC) and UCO Bank in the years 2003–2004 and 2007–2008. He has also completed energy policy-related projects of the NITI Aayog in 2016. Five scholars have completed their PhD under the supervision of Dr Roy. and currently six PhD scholars are registered under him. He has been a visiting faculty at the Institute of Technology Management under DRDO, Mussoorie, and has also taken guest sessions in IIM Kashipur.

M. S. Bhatt is former professor of environmental economics and head of the Department of Economics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has been associated with the University of Kashmir, Srinagar; Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi; the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi; African–Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), Delhi; The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi; the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore; and the Centre for Rural and Industrial Research, Chandigarh, among others. His main areas of specialization are, development economics, agrarian economics, environmental economics, research methodology and Kashmir studies. He was a member of the expert committee for economic reforms (Godbole Committee) appointed by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. He has completed 10 major research projects and acted as a principal investigator in a number of research projects. He coordinated two UGC-sponsored special projects (DRS-I SAP, for five years) on environmental economics (DRS-I, SAP) and computer application programme (under emerging Area Programme of UGC, for 10 years). He has a rich experience of teaching and research spanning over a period of 40 years. He has guided 19 PhD scholars and 5 MPhil dissertations. He has authored/co-authored seven books and published more than 100 articles in national and international journals. He has participated in more than 50 seminars and presented papers in many national and international conferences organized in India and abroad. He has extensively written on Jammu and Kashmir’s economy and economic evaluation of wetlands of north-western India. He has acted as a resource person, member of selection committees, member of boards of management to many national, international universities and research organizations such as AARDO, IGNOU, Central University Jammu, JNU, Central University Orissa, Central University Uttar Pradesh and University of Kashmir. As Head, Department of Economic Jamia Millia Islamia, Bhatt through hard work, dedication and introduction of new academic programmes raised the academic profile of the department which was formally recognized by the University’s Academic Council through a formal resolution and by the eminent scholar professor Musheer-ul-Hassan who was the then Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia. He has served as full-time elected member of Jamia Academic Council for nine years.