Multidimensional approaches deal with the heterogeneous environmental and development issues and means to calculate the intangibles in nature without the common denominator like money. The approach recognizes that any development which disturbs a local ecosystem can adversely impact regions across geographical and political boundaries. The policy orientation in multidimensional approach is that of ‘level transfer mechanism’ to check the environmental impact and anticipate measures for preventing any socio-economic crisis. This approach is an attractive operational tool for studying Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development (ESSD). The level transfer mechanism involves the following basic associated approaches that have to be taken into consideration to assess the impact over society and natural resources.
1. Studying the economic bottom-line:
This critically examines the conventional ‘profit’ bottom line approach of enterprise initiatives for example, business (industry and commerce), industrial agriculture (agribusiness) and aquaculture. To avoid unconstrained exploitation of environmental resources calls for example, for ‘green’ development of land cleared for development.
2. Corporate environmental responsibility:
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This is a demonstration of environmental awareness in corporate partnerships. This is to develop eco-efficiency, environmental management through regulatory mechanism to be complied by all corporate all over the world such as ISO 14000, environmental impact analysis (EIA), studying ecological footprints etc.
3. Producer responsibility:
Besides promoting amongst producers environmental monitoring and industrial ecology, this may inspire environmental assessment, bioregionalism, product stewardship and accountability structures.
4. Precautionary principle:
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This subscribes to clean-up technologies, urban environment renewal, non-polluting technologies, carbon credits and land management.
5. Eco-design:
This approach initiates ecologically sustainable designs and techniques such as eco-building, biomachines, green machines, bio-fuels, intermediate technology, eco-preneur, organic agriculture and sustainable lifestyles based upon indigenous knowledge.
6. Gandhian gram swarajya:
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It is the doctrine of local self-sufficiency propagated by Mahatma Gandhi for economic and cultural awakening of Indian villages. This is the approach towards environmental stewardship and conserving nature by using resources available in the local area.
7. Deep ecology:
This approach was initiated by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess in 1972. It is anti-anthropocentric that is it believes that humans are not at the centre of everything in nature but are merely a part of it. It believes in population reduction, ‘no-go’ wilderness reserves, sacred groves, old forest preservation.
8. Eco-feminism:
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It views, the patriarchal structure of society and the miseries of women as a fallout of the so called ‘anthropocentric’ approaches to nature such as the positivist GNP led growth pattern, mass production through machines that exclude women and their requirements.