- Table View
- List View
Contemporary Environmental Issues and Challenges in Era of Climate Change
by Pooja Singh Rajeev Pratap Singh Vaibhav SrivastavaOver the last few decades, unprecedented global population growth has led to increased demand for food and shelter. At the same time, extraction of natural resources beyond the Earth’s resilience capacity has had a devastating effect on ecosystems and environmental health. Furthermore, climate change is having a significant impact in a number of areas, including the global hydrological cycle, ecosystem functioning, coastal vulnerability, forest ecology, food security, and agricultural sustainability. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), only immediate and sustained action will prevent climate change causing irreversible and potentially catastrophic damage to our environment. This book presents various scientific views and concepts, research, reviews, and case studies on contemporary environmental issues in changing climate scenarios and highlights different adaptation measures. Increasing awareness of modern-day patterns of climate change, it addresses questions often raised by environmental scientists, researchers, policymakers and general readers.
Water Issues in Himalayan South Asia: Internal Challenges, Disputes and Transboundary Tensions
by Amit RanjanThe book looks into the domestic water issues and disputes in the Himalayan South Asian countries, and based on it analyzes trans-boundary water disputes. Himalayan South Asia comprises India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. All except Afghanistan share river waters with India. Home to some of the major river basins of the world, a part of this region falls into water scarce zone, and according to the United Nations Water Report of 2018 some of them will experience severe water scarcity by 2050.The book also studies water issues in China. Though the country is not a part of the Himalayan South Asia, most of the major rivers of this region originate in China. Over the years, China has been alleged by countries like India for diverting, choking or using the trans-boundary river waters for its purpose. Understanding water competition and issues in China will help one to understand its transboundary water behavior.
Phyto and Rhizo Remediation (Microorganisms for Sustainability #9)
by Naveen Kumar Arora Narendra KumarThe increasing human population and the associated activities have negatively influenced the ecosystems and life on earth. The continuous addition of agrochemicals, heavy metals and industrial wastes/ effluents in the ecosystems have caused great harm, including loss of productivity, biodiversity, climate change and diseases in plants, animals and humans, resulting in increased marginal lands and endangered sustainability of life on earth. Hence, there is an urgent need to reverse the impact of dangerous pollutants through a holistic, sustainable and biotic approach. Bioremediation involves the utilization of biological systems, mainly plants (phytoremediation) or microorganisms or both in combination (rhizoremediation) for the removal or degradation of pollutants and revive the habitats in an eco-friendly manner. Recently, there have been many success stories related to bioremediation involving plants or plant-microbe interactions. These success stories are related to the removal of heavy metals, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, explosives, radionuclides or reduction of biological oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, oil spills in water bodies. Rhizoremediation has also been successfully used for reclamation of saline or marginal soils. With the range of pollutants and the total area (on earth) covered by these toxic chemicals, it is important that these eco-friendly technologies be utilized in a better way. The book throws light on the recent happenings, research and success stories related to bioremediation of polluted habitats through phytoremediation or rhizoremediation. The book also highlights some of the significantly important plant and microbial species involved in remediation, the physiology, biochemistry and the mechanisms of remediation by various plants and microbes, and suggestions for future improvement of bioremediation technology.
Agronomic Crops: Volume 2: Management Practices
by Mirza HasanuzzamanAgronomic crops have provided food, beverages, fodder, fuel, medicine and industrial raw materials since the beginning of human civilization. More recently, agronomic crops have been cultivated using scientific rather than traditional methods. However, in the current era of climate change, agronomic crops are suffering from different environmental stresses that result in substantial yield loss. To meet the food demands of the ever-increasing global population, new technologies and management practices are being adopted to boost yields and maintain productivity under both normal and adverse conditions. Further, in the context of sustainable agronomic crop production, scientists are adopting new approaches, such as varietal development, soil management, nutrient and water management, and pest management. Researchers have also made remarkable advances in developing stress tolerance in crops. However, the search for appropriate solutions for optimal production to meet the increasing food demand is still ongoing. Although there are several publications on the recent advances in these areas, there are few comprehensive resources available covering all of the recent topics. This timely book examines all aspects of production technologies, management practices and stress tolerance of agronomic crops.
Sources of Uncertainty in the Tropical Pacific Warming Pattern under Global Warming Projected by Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Models (Springer Theses)
by Jun YingThis book discusses the sources of uncertainty in future model projections of the tropical Pacific SST warming pattern under global warming. It mainly focuses on cloud radiation feedback and ocean dynamical effect, which reveal to be the two greatest sources of uncertainty in the tropical Pacific SST warming pattern. Moreover, the book presents a correction for model projections of the tropical Pacific SST warming pattern based on the concept of “observational constraints”; the corrected projection exhibits a more El Niño-like warming pattern.
Global Climate Change: Resilient and Smart Agriculture
by V. Venkatramanan Shachi Shah Ram PrasadThis book provides essential insights into methods and practices of ‘Climate-smart Agriculture,’ which is driven by the principles of climate resilience and smart resource use in agricultural production. Climate-smart agriculture is a key policy instrument for achieving poverty eradication and a hunger-free world, as well as mitigating the effects of climate change. This book discusses in detail climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices that can reduce the vulnerability of agricultural systems, improve the livelihoods of farmers and other stakeholders, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from crop production and livestock husbandry. The agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector produces roughly 10–12 gigatons of CO2-equivalent per year; therefore, sustainable practices for agriculture and related land use hold immense potential to mitigate climate change. The potential impacts of climate variability and climate change on agriculture are extensively documented and articulated, especially with regard to global and national environmental agendas that call for innovation, transformation and climate-resilient advances in agriculture. As the book demonstrates, climate-smart agriculture offers an excellent tool for boosting agricultural output to feed the growing global population; for reducing greenhouse gases emissions from agriculture and other land use; and for protecting agricultural production systems from the impending dangers of climate change.
Public Perceptions of Radiation Effects on Health Risks and Well-Being: A Case of RFEMF Risk Perceptions in Malaysia (SpringerBriefs in Environment, Security, Development and Peace #33)
by Yusniza Kamarulzaman Farrah Dina Yusop Noorhidawati Abdullah Azian Madun Kwan-Hoong NgThis book reports on the investigation of the public’s perception of Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) radiation effects on health and well-being, in Malaysia. It elaborates on how understanding the impact of perceived risk is essential in order to investigate the explanatory value and effectiveness of interventions influencing these beliefs. The book expands on the knowledge and understanding of different risk perception related to radiation in order to explain the gap in literature regarding the relationship between risk perceptions that lead to public behaviors. In doing so, the book presents empirical findings of a national study that unveils two key factors affecting public risk perceptions: psycho-graphic and personal factors. It offers a more collective and cultural understanding of public perceptions on radiation risks via a systematic mixed-method research approach. Research in the book also show that while the radiation risk is recognizable and unavoidable, the relevant stakeholders should be more proactive and committed to communicate and rectify the perception of radiation. The book thus serves as a valuable source of reference to understand the debate and to invite more participatory dialogues on radiation risk perceptions among public.
Manual of Digital Earth
by Michael F. Goodchild Huadong Guo Alessandro AnnoniThis open access book offers a summary of the development of Digital Earth over the past twenty years. By reviewing the initial vision of Digital Earth, the evolution of that vision, the relevant key technologies, and the role of Digital Earth in helping people respond to global challenges, this publication reveals how and why Digital Earth is becoming vital for acquiring, processing, analysing and mining the rapidly growing volume of global data sets about the Earth. The main aspects of Digital Earth covered here include: Digital Earth platforms, remote sensing and navigation satellites, processing and visualizing geospatial information, geospatial information infrastructures, big data and cloud computing, transformation and zooming, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and social media. Moreover, the book covers in detail the multi-layered/multi-faceted roles of Digital Earth in response to sustainable development goals, climate changes, and mitigating disasters, the applications of Digital Earth (such as digital city and digital heritage), the citizen science in support of Digital Earth, the economic value of Digital Earth, and so on. This book also reviews the regional and national development of Digital Earth around the world, and discusses the role and effect of education and ethics. Lastly, it concludes with a summary of the challenges and forecasts the future trends of Digital Earth. By sharing case studies and a broad range of general and scientific insights into the science and technology of Digital Earth, this book offers an essential introduction for an ever-growing international audience.
Urban Heat Island: Hot and Humid Regions (Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements)
by Napoleon Enteria Matteos Santamouris Ursula EickerThis book discusses the concepts and technologies associated with the mitigation of urban heat islands (UHIs) that are applicable in hot and humid regions. It presents several city case studies on how UHIs can be reduced in various areas to provide readers, researchers, and policymakers with insights into the concepts and technologies that should be considered when planning and constructing urban centres and buildings. The rapid development of urban areas in hot and humid regions has led to an increase in urban temperatures, a decrease in ventilation in buildings, and a transformation of the once green outdoor environment into areas full of solar-energy-absorbing concrete and asphalt. This situation has increased the discomfort of people living in these areas regardless of whether they occupy concrete structures. This is because indoor and outdoor air quality have both suffered from urbanisation. The development of urban areas has also increased energy consumption so that the occupants of buildings can enjoy indoor thermal comfort and air quality that they need via air conditioning systems. This book offers solutions to the recent increase in the number of heat islands in hot and humid regions.
The Population Ecology of White-Headed Langur
by Wenshi PanThis book offers a rare and detailed insight into 20 years’ of in-depth field research and conservation of the white-headed langur. It focuses on the white-headed langur’s natural refuge, territory and home range, diets and foraging strategies, behavior modes, reproductive strategies, population, possible future viabilities, and their interaction with human society. From 1996 through 2016, a small research team led by Prof.Wenshi Pan from Peking University conducted studies and conservation efforts on the white-headed langur, one of the most endangered endemic species of China, in Guangxi and saved the species from extinction. With the help of conservationists’ efforts, the white-headed langur population in Nongguan Mountains, Guangxi, gradually increased from 105 to approximately 820.This book shares the success story of the unification of human development and wildlife conservation.
Ecological Intensification of Natural Resources for Sustainable Agriculture
by Manoj Kumar Jhariya Ram Swaroop Meena Arnab BanerjeeEcological intensification involves using natural resources such as land, water, soil nutrients, and other biotic and abiotic variables in a sustainable way to achieve high performance and efficiency in agricultural yield with minimal damage to the agroecosystems. With increasing food demand there is high pressure on agricultural systems. The concept of ecological intensification presents the mechanisms of ensuring high agricultural productivity by restoration the soil health and landscape ecosystem services. The approach involves the replacement of anthropogenic inputs with eco-friendly and sustainable alternates. Effective ecological intensification requires an understanding of ecosystems services, ecosystem's components, and flow of resources in the agroecosystems. Also, awareness of land use patterns, socio-economic factors, and needs of the farmer community plays a crucial role. It is therefore essential to understand the interaction of ecosystem constituents within the extensive agricultural landscape. The editors critically examined the status of ecological stress in agroecosystems and address the issue of ecological intensification for natural resources management. Drawing upon research and examples from around the world, the book is offering an up-to-date account, and insight into the approaches that can be put in practice for poly-cropping systems and landscape-scale management to increase the stability of agricultural production systems to achieve ‘Ecological resilience’. It further discusses the role of farmer communities and the importance of their awareness about the issues. This book will be of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, capacity builders, and policymakers. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, agronomy, soil science, and environmental sciences. National and international agricultural scientists, policymakers will also find this to be a useful read for green future.
Sclerotia Grains in Soils: A New Perspective from Pedosclerotiology (Progress in Soil Science)
by Makiko WatanabeThis book introduces what sclerotia grains are, and where and how they exist in soils, by compiling the results obtained from the studies on fungal sclerotia formed by Cenococcum geophilum (Cg) and related species, the visible black small grains persistent for a few thousand to ten thousands of years in forest soils and sediments. The chapters contain the results and discussions on the ecological distribution and regulating factors, characteristics, and function of Cg sclerotia grains, carried out by researchers from soil geography, soil science, soil microbiology, physiology, forestry, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, material science, and related disciplines. The anatomy of sclerotia grains in soil was realized in terms of interdisciplinary joint researches, which resulted in deepening understanding of the ecological function of the mesoscale organic component in soils. This book covers the natural history of sclerotia in soils, pedo-sclerotiology.
East Asian Low-Carbon Community: Realizing a Sustainable Decarbonized Society from Technology and Social Systems
by Weisheng Zhou Xuepeng Qian Ken’ichi NakagamiThis book presents new vision of regional de-carbonization with concrete scheme design and substantial quantitative demonstration from original interdisciplinary studies. It provides new horizon for not only climate change, environmental conservation but also for international cooperation and peace in East Asia. The chapters introduce diverse low carbon society principles from local to global level with best practices integrating technology evolution and social innovation. While the book is designated for academics and the ultimate goal is to facilitate international climate regime making and environmental cooperation, local government and international organizations (United Nations, World Bank, and others) officers, researchers, international NGO/NPOs, consultants, students (particularly those studying environmental policy studies or international relationships), as well as reporters will find this book useful in broadening their understanding of low-carbon development in East Asia.
Coalbed Methane in China: Geological Theory and Development
by Yan Song Xinmin Zhang Shaobo LiuThe coalbed methane (CBM) reserve in China ranks third in the world with a total resource of 36.8×1012 m3. Exploitation of CBM has an important practical significance to ensure the long-term rapid development of China natural gas industry. Therefore, in 2002, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China set up a national 973 program to study CBM system and resolve problems of CBM exploration and exploitation in China. All the main research results and new insights from the program are presented in this book. The book is divided into 11 chapters. The first chapter mainly introduces the present situation of CBM exploration and development in China and abroad. Chapters 2 through 9 illustrate the geological theory and prospect evaluation methods. Then chapters 10 and 11 discuss CBM recovery mechanisms and technology. The book systematically describes the origin, storage, accumulation and emission of CBM in China, and also proposes new methods and technologies on resource evaluation, prospect prediction, seismic interpretation and enhanced recovery. The book will appeal to geologists, lecturers and students who are involved in the CBM industry and connected with coal and conventional hydrocarbon resources research.
Eco-Friendly Adhesives for Wood and Natural Fiber Composites: Characterization, Fabrication and Applications (Composites Science and Technology)
by Mohammad Jawaid Tanveer Ahmed Khan Mohammed Nasir Mohammad AsimThis book provides an overview of eco-friendly resins and their composite materials covering their synthesis, sources, structures and properties for different industrial applications to support the ongoing research and development in eco-friendly and renewable commercial products. It provides comparative discussions on the properties of eco-friendly resins with other polymer composites. It is a useful reference on bio-based eco-friendly polymer resins, wood-based composites, natural fibers and biomass materials for the polymer scientists, engineers and material scientists.
2019 Press Conference Records of Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the People’s Republic of China
by Mini Eco Environ People's Repub ChinaThis book introduces the press release work carried out by Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China in 2019. It is divided into four parts, each arranged chronologically. The first part contains the records of Li Ganjie, Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, who attended the press conference on "Promoting Ecological Civilization and Building a Beautiful China". The second part contains the records of Minister Li Ganjie's attendance at the press conference of the National People's Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference as well as the "Minister channel". The third part contains the records of four press conferences on ecological and environmental protection held by the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China. The fourth part contains the records of 12 regular press conferences held by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Sustainable Development Insights from India: Selected Essays in Honour of Ramprasad Sengupta (India Studies in Business and Economics)
by Purnamita Dasgupta Anindita Roy Saha Robin SinghalThis volume is a collection of essays that provide a comprehensive coverage of multiple aspects of the discourse on environment, development and sustainability. It is designed to bring in a host of perspectives highlighting the synergies and the trade-offs in this debate, showcasing research along with policy implications of putting research into use.The global discussion on sustainability paints the broad canvas for this book. This volume aims to probe some contemporary issues that will help in understanding the sustainability narrative in India. The topics span over a host of questions on energy, environment, natural resources and related constituents of development. The discourse further extends to the role of economic modelling, public policy debates, political intervention, stakeholders’ response, community participation and so on. The discussions are often based on empirical support, review of existing literature as well as policy analysis. With an ultimate aim to understand the overall development narrative of the people of India, the discourse takes in its ambit the nuances of resource utilisation, economic growth, COVID-19 impacts, competitiveness and market structures, urbanization, sectoral reforms, environmental hazards, climate change, pollution, natural resource accounting and management to name a few.The book is divided into four sections, namely, The Big Picture: Evolving Perspectives; The Energy Scenario: Dilemmas and Opportunities; Sustainability Cross-Cuts: Developmental Aspects and Externality Empirics: Knowledge and Practice. The first section contains commentaries on the overarching themes of economic growth, development and sustainability. It presents some emerging perspectives on the developmental crisis that has emerged through the environmental lens with additional focus on the need for inclusion of creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources to achieve the ambitious SDG targets. The second section brings out the dilemmas and opportunities in the energy sector, that has been a key player in discussions of sustainability, especially for India where significant technological advances in conventional forms of energy supply coexists with fairly low levels of per capita energy consumption and energy security is a key challenge. The section on sustainability crosscuts attempts to highlight the problems and processes of mainstreaming the sustainability question into conventional thinking through the concepts of a circular economy, green accounting techniques, institutional and governance structures, public policy and inclusive growth, amongst others. The last section presents some empirical studies on environmental externalities, the unaccounted environmental effects of economic production and consumption and finally the behavioural aspects of the stakeholders that are crucial in the larger narrative of sustainable development.This edited volume contains contributions of reputed scholars from various Indian universities, research institutions and professionals from outside academia, who are proven experts in their fields. The link between policy, practice, and well-being of the large vulnerable population of India is the major focus of enquiry that will help researchers, practitioners and policy planners in conducting further research in energy, environment, resource and linked areas of development economics. General readers with an active interest in energy, environment, and economic development are also likely to find this book an interesting read, especially in the times of several environmental challenges facing humankind.
Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme: Policy Briefs: Volume 2 (Urban Health and Wellbeing)
by Franz W. GatzweilerThis book is a collection of policy briefs produced from research presented at the 16th Conference on Urban Health in Xiamen, China, November 4–8, 2019, under the theme “People Oriented Urbanisation: Transforming Cities for Health and Well-Being”, co-organized by the Urban Health and Wellbeing (UHWB) programme of the International Science Council (ISC). The UHWB programme takes an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and systemic view on issues of health and wellbeing in cities which include the urban economy and finance systems, education, employment, mobility and transport, food, energy and water resources, access to public services, urban planning, public spaces and urban green, as well as social inclusion. Contributions to this book have been made by scientists from multidisciplinary research fields. The policy briefs in this book present the background and context of an urban health issue, research findings and recommendations for policy/decision-makers and action-takers. In some cases, they inform about relevant events and developments from the science community or important opinion pieces which address health emergencies, like the current COVID-19 pandemic. The book is intended for citizens and political decision-makers, who are interested in systems perspectives on urban health and wellbeing, examples of how to deal with the increasing complexity of cities and the accompanying environmental and social impacts of increasing urbanization. Furthermore, it hopes to inspire decision-makers to facilitate finding solutions, in order to reach the goal of advancing global urban health and wellbeing.
China’s Resources, Energy and Sustainable Development: 2020
by Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Joint Research Centre for Resources, Energy and Sustainable Development Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua UniversityThis book explores sustainable development from the perspective of resources and energy, based on China’s practical experience and cross-disciplinary research. It focuses on major challenges, key solutions and policy recommendations, and studies and explores seven important themes of resources, energy and sustainable development, including: 1) China’s low-carbon energy transition, 2) China’s urbanization and low-carbon development, 3) China’s low-carbon action in cities, 4) China’s low-carbon power transition, 5) China’s water resources management, 6) electric vehicle development and key metal resources and 7) China’s low-carbon development of the iron & steel industry. This book contributes to a more integrated understanding of many themes and their relationships in the area of resources, energy and sustainable development and guides the related policy and management.
Environment, Development and Sustainability in India: Perspectives, Issues and Alternatives
by Manish K. VermaThis book provides a comprehensive account of asymmetric linkage in the trilogy of environment, development and sustainability and its impact on society. It examines varied perspectives and issues of development related to environmental destruction and sustainability challenges. By examining the recent trends of development and recording the dilemmas which are creating ecological imbalances, it explores some alternative ways of development to achieve sustainability. Divided into three parts, it has a broad canvass. The first section examines critically the ‘perspectives’ on ecology, practice and ethics, rural development and man–forest interaction in the metropolis. ‘Issues’ of dams, river, agricultural distress, environmental migration, eco-tourism, ecological conservation and land acquisition are assessed in part second. ‘Alternative’ means of development is explored in part third by incorporating chapters on the constructed wetland, biofuels, subsistence economy, water and traditional knowledge practice. This interdisciplinary book is of immense significance to academicians, researchers, postgraduate and graduate-level students of social sciences and environmental studies; policymakers, development practitioners and NGOs working in the area of environment and development.
Proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical Conference 2019: IGC-2019 Volume I (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #133)
by Satyajit Patel C. H. Solanki Krishna R. Reddy Sanjay Kumar ShuklaThis book comprises select proceedings of the annual conference of the Indian Geotechnical Society. The conference brings together research and case histories on various aspects of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The book presents papers on geotechnical applications and case histories, covering topics such as (i) Characterization of Geomaterials and Physical Modelling; (ii) Foundations and Deep Excavations; (iii) Soil Stabilization and Ground Improvement; (iv) Geoenvironmental Engineering and Waste Material Utilization; (v) Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering; (vi) Earth Retaining Structures, Dams and Embankments; (vii) Slope Stability and Landslides; (viii) Transportation Geotechnics; (ix) Geosynthetics Applications; (x) Computational, Analytical and Numerical Modelling; (xi) Rock Engineering, Tunnelling and Underground Constructions; (xii) Forensic Geotechnical Engineering and Case Studies; and (xiii) Others Topics: Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils, Offshore and Marine Geotechnics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Field Investigations, Instrumentation and Monitoring, Retrofitting of Geotechnical Structures, Reliability in Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Education, Codes and Standards, and other relevant topics. The contents of this book are of interest to researchers and practicing engineers alike.
Proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical Conference 2019: IGC-2019 Volume II (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #134)
by Satyajit Patel C. H. Solanki Krishna R. Reddy Sanjay Kumar ShuklaThis book comprises select proceedings of the annual conference of the Indian Geotechnical Society. The conference brings together research and case histories on various aspects of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The book presents papers on geotechnical applications and case histories, covering topics such as (i) Characterization of Geomaterials and Physical Modelling; (ii) Foundations and Deep Excavations; (iii) Soil Stabilization and Ground Improvement; (iv) Geoenvironmental Engineering and Waste Material Utilization; (v) Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering; (vi) Earth Retaining Structures, Dams and Embankments; (vii) Slope Stability and Landslides; (viii) Transportation Geotechnics; (ix) Geosynthetics Applications; (x) Computational, Analytical and Numerical Modelling; (xi) Rock Engineering, Tunnelling and Underground Constructions; (xii) Forensic Geotechnical Engineering and Case Studies; and (xiii) Others Topics: Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils, Offshore and Marine Geotechnics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Field Investigations, Instrumentation and Monitoring, Retrofitting of Geotechnical Structures, Reliability in Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Education, Codes and Standards, and other relevant topics. The contents of this book are of interest to researchers and practicing engineers alike.
Proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical Conference 2019: IGC-2019 Volume III (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #136)
by Satyajit Patel C. H. Solanki Krishna R. Reddy Sanjay Kumar ShuklaThis book comprises select proceedings of the annual conference of the Indian Geotechnical Society. The conference brings together research and case histories on various aspects of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The book presents papers on geotechnical applications and case histories, covering topics such as (i) Characterization of Geomaterials and Physical Modelling; (ii) Foundations and Deep Excavations; (iii) Soil Stabilization and Ground Improvement; (iv) Geoenvironmental Engineering and Waste Material Utilization; (v) Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering; (vi) Earth Retaining Structures, Dams and Embankments; (vii) Slope Stability and Landslides; (viii) Transportation Geotechnics; (ix) Geosynthetics Applications; (x) Computational, Analytical and Numerical Modelling; (xi) Rock Engineering, Tunnelling and Underground Constructions; (xii) Forensic Geotechnical Engineering and Case Studies; and (xiii) Others Topics: Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils, Offshore and Marine Geotechnics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Field Investigations, Instrumentation and Monitoring, Retrofitting of Geotechnical Structures, Reliability in Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Education, Codes and Standards, and other relevant topics. The contents of this book are of interest to researchers and practicing engineers alike.
The World’s Future Crisis: Extractive Resources Depletion (Approaches to Global Sustainability, Markets, and Governance)
by Shahla SeifiThis book focuses mainly on strategic decision making at a global level, which is rarely considered in approaches to sustainability. This book makes a unique contribution as the work looks at global consequences of mineral exhaustion and steps that can be taken to alleviate the impending problems. This book highlights how sustainability has become one of the most important issues for businesses, governments and society at large. This book explores the topic of sustainability as one that is under much debate as to what it actually is and how it can be achieved, but it is completely evident that the resources of the planet are fixed in quantity, and once used, cannot be reused except through being reused in one form or another. This is particularly true of the mineral resources of the planet. These are finite in quantity, and once fully extracted, extra quantities are no longer available for future use. This book argues and presents evidence that the remaining mineral resources are diminishing significantly and heading towards exhaustion. Once mined and consumed, they are no longer available for future use other than what can be recycled and reused. This book demonstrates that future scarcity means that best use must be made of what exists, as sustainability depends upon this, and best use is defined as utility rather than economic value, which must be considered at a global level rather than a national level. Moreover, sustainability depends upon both availability in the present and in the future, so the use of resources requires attention to the future as well as to the present. This book investigates the alternative methods of achieving the global distribution of these mineral resources and proposes an optimum solution. This book adds to the discourse through the understanding of the importance of the depletion and finiteness of raw materials and their use for the present and the future, in order to achieve and maintain sustainability.
Redefining the Agenda for Social Justice: Voices from Europe and Asia
by Francine Mestrum Meena MenonThe book relates three years of history of social movements from Asia and Europe who work on social justice, as a rough overview. The work for the book is mainly done on the ground, day after day, working in villages and cities, with people and their organisations, organising resistance and preparing alternatives. It is based on the fact that European and Asian concerns are identical, in spite of divergent levels of development and wealth, and that the existing international initiatives, such as the ILO’s social protection floors, or the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are perfectly compatible with neoliberal policies.The book goes beyond and sees social commons as a strategic tool for transforming societies. It is basically a project for the sustainability of life, of humans, of societies, and of nature. The book describes the ideas at the basis of the work in different sectors. It is not about the practice of social policies but about the ideas and discourses that can in the end shape the political practices. In sum, this book, presents a new social paradigm. It concretely shows how social justice and environmental justice do go hand in hand.