In the past decade the relationship between humans and the environment has taken centre stage in the quest for development that supports both ecological integrity and sustainable livelihoods. This new Reader brings together for the first time a core selection of recently published key articles that have helped define the emerging field of 'environment and development'. The first of three sections covers the ways in which the environment and environmental change have been conceptualized or (mis)understood, with impacts for both scientific understandings of the environment and the growing importance of local environmental knowledge. The second section highlights thematic areas in the environment and development literature including the effect of population and poverty pressures on the environment, the role of key actors in environment and development and the relationship between people and natural resources. The final section addresses the critical issue of environment and development in practice and theory, including conceptual frameworks used in the field in support of sustainable development and rural livelihoods, as well as frameworks, theories and philosophies guiding research. A general introduction and section introductions provide valuable insights by defining the scope of the field and teasing out the critical debates and approaches to the myriad of cross-cutting issues in this complex growing field of study and practice. Setting the debates in the wider literature these introductions also include extensive bibliographies. This is an essential sourcebook that consolidates the core areas of the field of study for students, academics and practitioners in geography, environmental studies, development studies, economics and natural resource management.