Articles by Gopal K Kadekodi

The outcome of the 2012 Rio+20 summit was a sleek 53-page declaration, The Future We Want, reaffirming all that is to be done in the years to come. The same was said at the 1992 Earth Summit as well. The only thing added in 2012 was the concept of the "Green Economy" to reduce the impact of the Brown Economy model of growth the world over. he Green Economy model is portrayed as an opportunity to enhance ecosystem services, and enable growth and sustainable livelihoods for the poor. But this well-intended vision is without a design to enable green investments to reduce carbon intensities and a framework for creating global Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) market opportunities without jeopardising the basic right to livelihood. The 2012 report reveals a total disjoint between a vision and the operational feasibility of a Green Economy.

A recent report by the National Council of Applied Economic Research comparing benefits and costs of mining and forest services finds that mining benefits outweigh the costs they impose. A scrutiny of the methodology of the report suggests an overvaluation of social benefits and undervaluation of social costs. The report also deviates from received practices in environmental valuation of forest benefits. Its conclusions therefore are inaccurate and state policy must be cautious while allowing activities that may cause irreversible damages to Goa's natural wealth.

Gopal K Kadekodi Wasteland and watershed development programmes, while creating some employment and assets for local population are designed basically to take advantage of the natural capacity for regeneration inherent in a biomass system. The paper makes an assessment of the implications of IRDP/NREP versus the land and water-related programmes for employment generation and natural capital regeneration, asset creation and environmental conservation.