Environmental Protection and Quality of Life

Abstract

Development of environmental protection together with economic and social development can be considered sustainable only if they support individual quality of life. Conceptually, quality of life is closely related to sustainable development, since sustainability implies a balance between environmental, social, and economic qualities. Environmental quality is reflected in its ability to meet the basic human needs. Quality of life is a complex and multi-dimensional construct that warrants multiple approaches from different theoretical perspectives. Evaluation of the quality of life determined by the environment can be facilitated using objective and subjective measurements. Regardless of how these two indicators are classified, both are considered equally beneficial and valuable for research. Considering all the above mentioned, the aim of this chapter is to shed light on the importance of environmental protection for the quality of life, as well as the necessity to measure quality of life determined by environmental factors in order to adequately manage them.