China's spectacular economic growth has caused the incidence of absolute poverty to plunge over the past two decades; however, this massive rate of industrialisation has also led to a pollution crisis

Since the ascent of economic liberalisation in the 1990s, Washington Consensus policies - exemplified by structural adjustment and reform - have become the norm across the globe. As a result the State redefines its role from that of a provider of basic services to a 'facilitator' that enables access to these services.

The right to permanent sovereignty of indigenous peoples over natural resources is implicit in international law particularly in the right of ownership of the lands they historically or traditionally

Maharashtra is among the few states in India that has enacted and implemented legislation to regulate the use of groundwater. The Act, known as Maharashtra Groundwater (Regulation for Drinking Water Purposes) Act 1993 stipulates inter alia, a minimum distance of 500 metres between a public drinking water source (PWS) and a well or a bore well of any farmer not used for that purpose.