ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
THE purpose of the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE) is to provide a forum where leading professional economists, other social scientists, and policy-makers can exchange ideas on the vital economic and social issues facing Pakistan. With the passage of time, the philosophy of development has undergone a profound change. There is now, as never before, an increasing awareness of the complexities involved in the development process which has engendered a greater sense of realism. In Pakistan’s development experience, a number of problems typically confronting developing countries in their progress towards a self- reliant economy have been tackled. These problems are complex and multi-dimensional in nature. High rates of population growth, uneven distribution of income, rising levels of poverty, low literacy rates, poor quality of education, shortage of skilled and technical manpower, poor health facilities, relatively low savings rates, large internal and external deficits, and inadequate physical infrastructure for energy generation and communications threaten to nullify the modest economic gains made here, as in many other developing countries. Despite these problems, the development process in Pakistan has progressed reasonably well, although not without encountering difficulties. The Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Society is also an occasion for stock-taking of the work done, at PIDE and elsewhere, on various socio-economic problems of Pakistan, as well as for suggesting new initiatives for further research. These Meetings provide for the much-needed communication amongst the economics profession, policy-makers, and various schools of interested observers of the ongoing debate concerning development-related issues. Keeping in view the challenge of global socio-economic changes together with the aim of achieving sustained growth, the theme of the conference this year is Environment and Natural Resource Management. The 23rd Annual General Meeting and Conference, being held on March 12-14, 2008, will address important topics: natural resources, conservation, energy resources, growth, employment, trade and environment, health issues, industrial growth, financial markets, human development, trade and fiscal policy, and economic growth in Pakistan. This year’s conference includes two invited lectures, by Prof. John M. Gowdy and Prof. Mansoob Murshed. There are four panel discussions on critical areas of current interest: population, climate change, water and land use, and forestry. In addition numerous technical sessions in parallel format will have panelists from all over Pakistan and elsewhere.
PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE 23rd ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF PSDE – 2008
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