Ecological economics - Towards a synthesis of two disjunct disciplines

The basis of all human activity is the use of natural resources, which also constitute the basic life support system. All economic activity, directly or indirectly, derives its sustenance from the environmental resources. The correlation between economic growth and natural resource depletion has of late attracted the attention of economists, but they form only a minority. The present article addresses basic issues leading to differing perceptions among ecologists and economists as far as economic growth is concerned and also tries to explore how this gap could be narrowed. The paper also reviews in brief some of the most recent international debates relating to ecological economics. The intricate problems of economic evaluation of ecosystems and the difficulties encountered in this process have been highlighted.