Inclusive development: a multi-disciplinary approach

The term inclusive development has emerged in the 21st century and has been adopted in a series of scholarly and policy documents. Its roots, however, can be traced to different concepts in different disciplines. While some see inclusive development as only combining social aspects with economic growth through political approaches, we define inclusive development instead as focusing on social wellbeing and protecting the ecosystem services of nature through redefining political priorities, especially in the context of the Anthropocene. This term can potentially bridge different disciplines together. This article reviews the scholarly and policy literature on the term inclusive development and presents a guiding framework for examining how different disciplines deal with inclusive development.