Environmental problems are simultaneously social problems because, as the school of social ecology points out, nearly all present ecological problems arise from deep-seated social problems. These ecological problems cannot be clearly understood or resolved without dealing with problems within society.

Social relations, particularly the organisation of property and production, shape environmental perceptions and practices. Different social groups stand in different relationships to the environment and approach it differently. For instance, a Forest Department focused on maximising revenues from bamboo views a forest very differently from an artisan who harvests bamboo to make baskets. Their varied interests and ideologies generate environmental conflicts.

Environmental crises have their roots in social inequality. Economic, ethnic, cultural, and gender conflicts lie at the core of the most serious ecological dislocations we face today. How environmental problems affect different groups is a function of social inequality, as social status and power determine the extent to which people can insulate themselves from environmental crises.

For example, in Kutch, Gujarat, richer farmers have invested in deep bore tubewells to irrigate their fields, while poorer villagers' earthen wells run dry during droughts. The moist green fields of rich farmers stand in stark contrast to the water scarcity faced by the poor. Addressing environmental problems requires changing relations between different social groups — men and women, urban and rural people, landlords and labourers.