Economic growth is considered to be a pre-condition for meeting the basic requirements of humanity. It depends not only on human capital, but also on environment or natural capital. Economic growth improves the quality of life, but only up to a certain point, beyond which further economic growth may be associated with a loss of quality of life. Asia has been regarded as the fastest growing economic region in the world with more than thirty countries. Many of the emerging Asian economies have developed remarkably over the last four decades. The Asian economy is accelerating rapidly with a high annual growth rate of between 4 and 8%. But at the same time, the region has been characterized by unsustainable growth, population increase, increased consumption and urbanization, which is a challenge to the region’s sustainable development. Based on this understanding, this study, aims to explore the importance of mainstreaming natural capital in shaping the development path in some selected Asian countries and to shed light on how the integration of natural capital has been incorporated into the decision-making processes of these countries. Furthermore, the study delves into the obstacles and challenges associated with mainstreaming natural capital.
Natural capital, Economic growth, Economic development, Sustainable development
