Rationale

The environment (air+water+soil+biodiversity+energy+space) of our planet is degrading at an alarming rate because of non-sustainable urbanization, industrialization and agriculture. Our air, water, land and food are polluted. Pollution rate has exceeded the manageable capacity of nature at many places such as the Mediterranion region, the Aral sea etc. which have lost their beauty and unique ecology. Almost 50% of the land is eroded and robbed of its fertility. The extent of damage done to the world’s biological diversity and ecosystem cannot be assessed. Our renewable and non-renewable resources are being alarmingly exhausted due to increasing population pressure posing difficulty to manage threat to future generation.
Environmental issues are receiving utmost attention and have been debated at various international forums e.g. the first Earth Summit held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972; the second one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992; the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002; the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols etc. Declarations of far reaching consequences were made at these summits. But current approaches in environmental protection have shifted from the end of pipe mitigation to zero emission strategies and to 3 R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Every nation desires economic growth, and at the same time it craves for ecoconservation and sustainable development. Administrative authorities are required to frame plans, programs and policies for a better scientific and technological development of production, distribution and consumption process with sustainability. Green technology concepts are emerging as the future strategy for environmental management. It has become a challenge for scientists to devise remedial measures to control pollution levels and safeguard the future. Therefore, there is a strong need to discuss environmental issues afresh using the latest information. Keeping these objectives in view, RAEP 2009 is being organized by St. John’s College, Agra, India in a 5-star hotel  Clarks Shiraz, Agra from December 17-19, 2009 with the focal theme: ‘Environmental Protection Strategies for Sustainable Development.'