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BOOK REVIEW 
 

Natural Resources Management Law: A Referencer 
 

M. K. Ramesh  
 
Philippe Cullet, Lovleen Bhullar, and Sujith Koonan (eds.). 2024. The Oxford 
Handbook of Environmental and Natural Resources Law in India. Oxford 
University Press. 880. ISBN: 9780198884682. 

  

 
The Oxford Handbook of 
Environmental and Natural 
Resources Law in India (2024), 
edited by Philippe Cullet, 
Lovleen Bhullar, and Sujith 
Koonan, is a welcome 
addition to the growing 
literature on the subject. 
While several publications 
have addressed various 
aspects of environmental and 
natural resource laws, this 
work is perhaps the most 
significant effort in this 
regard. Environmental Policy 
and Law in India by Armin 
Rosencranz and Shyam 
Divan—published over three 
decades ago—is the gold 
standard on the subject, 
serving the needs of 

 
 Formerly, Professor of Law, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, 
Karnataka 560072; 799, ‘Surabhi’, IV Block, Sir M. V. Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560110; 
mkramesh@nls.ac.in    

Copyright © Ramesh 2025. Released under Creative Commons Attribution © 
NonCommercial 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC 4.0) by the author.  

Published by Indian Society for Ecological Economics (INSEE), c/o Institute of  Economic 

Growth, University Enclave, North Campus, Delhi 110007.  

ISSN: 2581–6152 (print); 2581–6101 (web).  

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v8i8.1722 

mailto:mkramesh@nls.ac.in
https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v8i8.1722


 Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal [106] 

 

academics, law professionals, policymakers, and activists; no other definitive 
work on the subject has been published by any other scholar in India. This 
volume, to a large extent, fills that void. Notably, over 60 research scholars 
from across various disciplines, not confined to the field of law, have 
contributed to the 42 chapters of this volume. Furthermore, the handbook 
provides an analysis of the legal frameworks governing environmental and 
natural resource management in India. The compilation, therefore, is a 
significant resource for academics, practitioners, and policymakers 
interested in India’s environmental and natural resources law. 

The volume is organized thematically and covers a wide range of topics, 
including constitutional and regulatory frameworks as well as specific 
sectors such as water, forests, wildlife, pollution, and biodiversity. The 
contributors offer not only descriptive insights into the laws but also critical 
reflections on their effectiveness and the interplay between them and social 
justice. They also delve into the ongoing challenges faced by communities, 
the environment, and development processes. Each chapter reflects upon 
an area and presents its arguments, tracing the historical, political, 
ecological, and economic roots of each issue, environmental and social 
justice concerns, and legal and institutional arrangements and their 
challenges. It also addresses emerging global problems, as well as matters 
related to sustainability and development. By ensuring that the 
contributions integrate environmental and natural resources law, the editors 
have created a seamless and unified discourse. This novel approach has 
hardly been attempted in other works, let alone in legal pedagogy. 

Pooling together all the contributions into a single well-knit volume is 
indeed a herculean task. The editors deserve praise for ensuring a relatively 
high level of uniformity in the approach to and treatment of the areas 
covered by the authors. Nonetheless, the following critical comments and 
observations have been provided so that the editors and authors can 
address them in the next edition of their work. 

The major limitation of the volume is that it is neither comprehensive nor 
cohesive in its coverage of the various issues, despite its claims. For 
instance, certain major areas of enquiry have either been left out or are 
glossed over, such as the environmental impact assessment process, 
regulations governing wetlands, water pollution control, coastal zones, and 
cases concerning mineral royalties. Furthermore, there appears to be more 
breadth than depth in various areas of enquiry. While this makes the book 
accessible to a wide audience, experts may find that some sections lack 
detailed legal analysis or practical solutions to complex challenges. For 
example, the chapter “Forests and Wildlife” could have included an analysis 
of the content, feel, and texture of the legal framework governing the sector 



[107] Ramesh 

 
 

as well as how institutional arrangements are shackled by traditional 
revenue, land administration, and agricultural processes. Similarly, the 
“Biodiversity” chapter would benefit from exploring the need to deepen the 
democratic spirit and prescriptions to do so, while the “Water Resource 
Management” chapter could include the draft legislative efforts of several 
expert bodies. 

The book frequently highlights the gaps in India’s environmental and 
natural resource laws. However, the chapters are limited to describing these 
issues rather than offering concrete policy recommendations. Considering 
the book’s academic nature, this is not entirely unexpected. However, 
readers seeking actionable solutions may feel that the book’s critical 
reflections could be more prescriptive in terms of reforms. 

While the book showcases the struggles faced by Adivasis and other local 
communities, as well as the importance of protecting their rights, the 
chapters fall short of exploring how local knowledge and customary law can 
be more effectively integrated into legal frameworks. Such perspectives on 
Adivasi traditions and homespun wisdom are essential, especially in the 
context of resource management and conservation. 

Notwithstanding these minor issues, the book is a salutary contribution to 
jurisprudence on the subject. It is a valuable resource for anyone looking to 
understand the legal context surrounding India’s environmental challenges. 
It is more appropriate to consider this work as a reference book on the 
subject. The volume has the potential to become an excellent resource base 
for further study, providing a comprehensive analysis of the legal, social, 
and political dynamics that shape India’s approach to environmental 
protection and resource management. 

Data Availability Statement: The data used in this paper is not provided 
in a repository. This is a book review, which does not have any original 
primary data included in the work 

Conflict of Interest Statement: No potential conflict of interest was 
reported by the author. 


