Perhaps no other term has received as much scholarly attention in the last couple of decades as globalization due to its all-pervasive dynamics and impact on society across the world. The spurt in globalising processes has led to compression of the world on time and space, and as a result, the whole world has turned into a ‘global village, it is asserted. It is well recognised that development is a multidimensional phenomenon with social, economic, political, cultural, environmental domains and so on.
Since last couple of decades, academicians, planners and administrators are focusing their prime attention to understand and find ways to solve the multifarious problems emerging from the rapid pace of transformation brought about by development affecting environment and society. But there is no consensus among them. It is an important issue whether to consider the nexus between development and environment benign and a blessing for the overall benefit of the humankind or a curse as it is causing environmental degradations and giving rise to upsurge in poverty, unemployment, discrimination, inequality and social injustice. It is important to know how economic power and political dynamics are being used in the neoliberal phase of development to serve the interests of the dominant sections. Is development leading to disaster for ecology and environment and defying the human quest for sustainable development? It is important to deliberate upon how the benefits and the costs of development processes can be shared fairly between different countries and among different sections of society within a country to ensure social justice. Lastly, how the risks can be minimized so as to safeguard the planet earth from the discontents arising from neoliberal development policies and its adverse impact on environment and the marginalised sections of society.