Environment and natural resources play a vital role in healthy and sustainable livelihood between generations on Mother Earth. The human interaction with natural resources for their overall development has led to ever-increasing quantities of degradation of resources at local, national, regional and international levels. All the environmental impacts are severely affecting human-related economic, social and cultural activities between generations. Various international environmental instruments provide the right to a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental human right to all.
In India, the importance of conservation of resources and human rights are addressed through a constitutional mandate under Part III, Part IV and Part IV A. The Constitutional Courts have also stressed the importance and need for effective conservation of resources. The natural resources lawmaking has commenced during the British Raj and continuing through State and Union legislation, Policies and Programmes. Transboundary pollution, climate change and biodiversity conservation have challenged the legal framework across all regions and jurisdictions. Transfrontier natural resource governance has taught the global community to envisage beyond political and geographical boundaries to achieve universal values based on fundamental human rights.
The above said development and multi stakeholders’ interest in natural resources management necessitate further study and research. The dissemination of legal information about the environment and natural resources is vital for effective governance and safeguarding the interest of stakeholders. In the past four decades, in order to fulfil the gaps in resources conservation, various administrative and quasi- judicial agencies have been established by the Parliament.
The Centre for Studies in Environmental and Natural Resources Law in Tamil Nadu National Law University is established in August 2021 by the noble vision of Vice-Chancellor of TNNLU to achieve the goal enshrined in the Constitution of India. The Centre also aims to conduct various research activities with the intent of research and dissemination of knowledge by organizing nationaland international level seminars, workshops, conferences, symposia and training programmes concerning the environment and natural resources law and policies in India.