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The early roots of the concept of 'sustainable development' can be traced back to the development-environment debate, sparked off by the adoption of the economic growth model of development by most of the countries in the world and realization of the consequences it produced in various forms of environmental degradation. In 1983, the UN set up the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) to examine the critical problems, formulate realistic proposals to solve them, and ensure that human progress will be sustained through development without ruining the resources of the future generations. Then Our Common Future (1987) defined sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In this context, the present volume - based on papers presented at a national seminar in India and aimed at disseminating knowledge and data on some issues of sustainable development - covers the concepts, approaches, and experiences in various fields, as well as the role of NGOs.