This book contains papers presented at the fourth in a series of trans-disciplinary conferences on Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development, and Ecological Hazards, first held in 2006. Papers presented at the conference suggest solutions to move our planet to a more sustainable modus operandi, and avoid the oft-projected "point of no return." The papers are based on economic, social, political, and environmental sciences and examine risk, lessons learned from nature, and new technologies. They present planning and development solutions that may address air, water, energy, soil, and/or ecology.
This book contains the proceedings of the third in a now-biennial series organized by the Wessex Institute of Technology around the urgent need to determine solutions regarding sustainable development before our planet reaches a point of irreversibility. The aggressive search for new sources of energy and materials, the rapid rate at which natural resources are being consumed, and the destructiveness of the resulting pollution are all having a negative impact on the planet that needs to be stopped, if not reversed. As at the first two, participants at this conference will take stock of our situation and try to facilitate constructive principles and policies for a way forward, something that can only be done by transdisciplinary cooperation. Thus papers will examine ethical, political and social issues, health, safety and risk, lessons from nature, planning and development, and new technologies.
The state of our planet continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. We have arrived at a situation where we need to determine urgent solutions before we reach a point of irreversible deterioration. Much has been written in different contexts about reaching sustainability but the concept itself needs to be defined in the framework of all different disciplines in order to arrive at optimal solutions. Hence this book is essentially trans-disciplinary in order to find appropriate sustainable solutions, involving, collaboration across a wide range of disciplines. Publishing papers from the First International Conference on Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards, the book features articles encompassing topic areas such as: Water Resources; Air; Soil; Ecology; Health Risk; Energy; Planning and Development; Political and Social Issues; The Re-Encounter; New Technologies; Learning from Nature; Safety.
This book ontains papers presented at the Second International Conference on the Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards, held in South Africa, December 15-17, 2009. The Conference goes by the shortened name Ravage of the Planet to emphasize the urgency of the problems under discussion. Like the first conference held in Patagonia, Argentina, this meeting was prompted by the need to take stock of the continuous deterioration of our planet and to formulate constructive policies for the immediate future. The success of the first Conference led to the decision to reconvene the meeting in Africa. That continents engagement in global change trends became more pronounced with the World Summit on Sustainable Development that took place in Johannesburg in 2002 and addressed Millenium Development Goals. South Africa actually held its first National Conference on Environment and Development in 1991. It is well known that in the effort to achieve sustainable development, Africa faces challenges with water and energy supply, sanitation access; renewable technologies transfer, food security, health issues (especially childrens health), rapid urbanization, housing, biodiversity threats, and climate change vulnerability. Because of its geographic position, spanning two hemispheres and nearly all climatic zones, as well as its still low carbon emissions, pristine ecosystems and endemic biodiversity regions, Africa provides excellent opportunities for environmental research and earth and space observations, as well as studies of the socio-economic aspects of sustainability sciences. AUDIENCE: Researchers and professionals involved in ecosystems and environmental problems, as well as policy makers, social and political scientists
This book is the fifth volume in the European Environmental Law Forum (EELF) Book Series. The EELF is a non-profit initiative established by environmental law scholars and practitioners from across Europe aiming to support intellectual exchange on the development and implementation of international, European and national environmental law in Europe. One of the activities of the EELF is the organisation of an annual conference.The fifth EELF Conference dedicated to 'Sustainable Management of Natural Resources - Legal Instruments and Approaches' was held in Copenhagen from the 30th of August to the 1st of September 2017 at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with the Department of Law, Aarhus University.This book is a collection of peer reviewed contributions addressing various legal aspects of sustainable management of natural resources. Natural resources are in this book understood in broad terms encompassing biodiversity, water, air and soil, as well as raw materials. Based on the contributions, it can be asserted that despite many efforts there is still a long way to go in order to achieve sustainable management of natural resources. Making ecosystem integrity ultimately the bottom-line for sustainable development requires not only dedication in the design and coherence of (environmental) legislation at international, EU and national level, but also a strong commitment to the implementation and enforcement of the legislation. Thus, it is necessary to carefully consider how different legal instruments and approaches may pave the way for the sustainable management of natural resources.
Providing both a theoretical background and practical examples of natural resource conflict, this volume explores the pressures on natural resources leading to scarcity and conflict. It is shown that the causes and driving forces behind natural resource conflicts are diverse, complex and often interlinked, including global economic growth, exploding consumption, poor governance, poverty, unequal access to resources and power. The different interpretations of nature-culture and the role of humans in the ecosystem are often at the centre of the conflict. Natural resource conflicts range from armed conflicts to conflicts of interest between stakeholders in the North as well as in the South. The varying driving forces behind such disputes at different levels and scales are critically analysed, and approaches to facilitate and enforce mediation, transformation and collaboration at these levels and scales are presented and discussed. In order to transform existing resource conflicts, as well as to decrease the risk of future conflicts, approaches that enhance and enforce collaboration for sustainable development at global, regional, national and local levels are reviewed, and sustainable pathways suggested. A range of global examples is presented including water resources, fisheries, forests, human–wildlife conflicts, urban environments and the consequences of climate change. It will be a valuable text for advanced students of natural resource management, environment and development studies and peace and conflict management. The book will also be of interest to practitioners in the field of natural resource management.
Sustainable Resource Management: Modern Approaches and Contexts presents the application of the current concept of sustainability to the management of natural resources, such as water, land, minerals and metals using theoretical field knowledge and illustrative real-world examples. Initially, the book defines sustainability, detailing its evolution and how it has been adapted to each of the contexts in which it is used. Furthermore, sustainability is made up of three main areas of science—environmental, social and economic—which are rarely considered together. This book is a complete reference guide to sustainability of natural resources for academics, researchers, practitioners and postgraduate-level students, and more. As sustainability is an interdisciplinary field, linked to most sciences, it is also of use to all fields of science that need to maintain sustainable practices and specific details on the methodologies and techniques needed for sustainable resource management. - Provides an integrated approach for modern tools, methodologies and indicators for sustainable resource management - Evaluates emerging trends and advanced approaches in sustainable resource management, detailing the most up-to-date research and management considerations - Describes advanced sustainable resource management technologies and presents case studies where applicable
Published in two volumes, this new book, Advances in Sustainable Development and Management of Environmental and Natural Resources: Economic Outlook and Opinions, addresses the varied aspects of natural resources and their management in conjunction with socioeconomic aspects. With chapters from authors from around the world, this volume features 24 chapters that cover many aspects of the sustainable utilization of management of natural resources and provides new insight into the nexus of ecology and economy and their application in various fields of science. The chapters include case studies and research from India, Africa, South America, and elsewhere. After first laying the foundation, the volume goes on to discuss sustainable development and natural resource management from an economics point of view. Chapters address myriad issues involved in natural resources and environmental management, including soil and water resources management in arid lands, resource management for agricultural purposes, contemporary global legal norms of environment and sustainable development, how emissions factor into regional economies, mitigation of the impact of climate change through sustainable practices, rainwater harvesting technology, and much more. The chapters include case studies that discuss soil, agroforestry, agriculture, wetlands, and floral diversity. The book provides a solid foundation for a realistic perspective of the role of sustainable development and management of natural resources while taking the socioeconomic impact into consideration as well. It will be a valuable resource and reference for the study of ecology, economics, sustainable development, natural resource management, and other allied fields.
The International Journal of Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM) provides the scientific community with a forum to present the interaction between the complementary aspects of computational methods and experimental measurements, and to stress the importance of their harmonious development and integration. The steady progress in the efficiency of computers and software has resulted in the continuous development of computer simulation, which has influenced all scientific and engineering activities. As these simulations expand and improve, the need to validate them grows, and this can only be successfully achieved by performing dedicated experimental tests. Furthermore, because of their continual development, experimental techniques are becoming so complex and sophisticated that they need to be controlled by computers, with the data obtained processed by means of computational methods. The aim of the Journal is to review the latest work in computational methods and experimental measurements, with a view to achieving harmonious development and interaction between the two.
Climate change and environmental degradation have intensified the pressures on crucial resources such as food and water security and air quality. In this collection, academic researchers and practitioners who have lived and worked in countries as geographically and culturally diverse as Brazil, China, India, Ghana, Palestine, Uganda and Venezuela draw on their wide-ranging international and inter-sectoral experience to offer valuable comparative insights into the relationship between research and evidence-based policy for sustaining natural resources. Their contributions provide a novel mix of disciplinary perspectives ranging across geography, ecology, social policy, the political economy, philosophy, international development, engineering technology, architecture and urban planning. They examine the institutions involved in generating and mediating evidence about the sustainability of natural resources in a changing environment, and the different methodologies employed in collecting and assessing evidence, informing policy and contributing to governance. The authors demonstrate not only that social science evidence on governance and policy implementation to sustain natural resources must complement natural science inputs, but also that local communities must be an integral part of any programme development. This book was originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Social Science.
