Soils and Food Security
Soils and Food Security

Author: Ronald E. Hester

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 1849734267

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As an ecosystem service, soil also serves to capture nutrients and sequester carbon, and these issues are discussed in the context of adding value to soil protection. The influence of modern agricultural techniques in enhancing soil productivity is also discussed. Throughout the book case studies support the discussion.

Novel Measurement and Assessment Tools for Monitoring and Management of Land and Water Resources in Agricultural Landscapes of Central Asia
Novel Measurement and Assessment Tools for Monitoring and Management of Land and Water Resources in Agricultural Landscapes of Central Asia

Author: Lothar Mueller

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-10-04

Total Pages: 714

ISBN-13: 3319010174

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The book aims to initiate a sustainable use of land and water resources in Central Asia by the transfer of scientific methods. It deals with the most advanced methods worldwide for better monitoring and management of water and land resources. We offer an array of methods of measuring, assessing, forecasting, utilizing and controling processes in agricultural landscapes. These are laboratory and field measurement methods, methods of resource evaluation, functional mapping and risk assessment, and remote sensing methods for monitoring and modeling large areas. The book contains methods and results of data analysis and ecosystem modeling, of bioremediation of soil and water, field monitoring of soils, and methods and technologies for optimizing land use systems as well. The chapter authors are inventors and advocators of novel transferrable methods. The book starts with an analysis of the current state of water and land resources. Finally concrete proposals for the applicability of novel methods are given.

Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning
Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning

Author: Zhanbin Li

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2022-08-16

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1119742404

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CHECK DAM CONSTRUCTION FOR SUSTAINABLE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING Authoritative and comprehensive reference on the potential for watershed development through the use of check dams Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning summarizes current knowledge of check dams as key soil and water conservation structures in some of the most sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems in the world, as exemplified by the Mediterranean area and the Chinese Loess Plateau, providing detailed information on check dam design and watershed planning, the use of advanced modeling techniques, challenges in dam construction and how to overcome them. The work integrates decades of research in the field of soil and water conservation and gully management, including advanced studies in check dam construction and watershed management. It also covers important new techniques and methods, such as hydrological modeling, isotope tracing, and more. To aid in reader comprehension, the five highly qualified editors have divided the work into three distinct sections. Sections I and II focus on the experience gained from the erosion hotspots in the Chinese Loess Plateau, whereas Section III expands the scope to other regions with different functions for check dams, including headwater ecosystems and alpine environments. Sample topics covered in Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning include: The regulating effect of check dam systems on sediment redistribution and the formation and development of dam systems in small watersheds Water and soil conservation made possible by check dam construction and sediment source analysis of water-sediment retarding effects of check dams The regulation of check dam systems on the erosion dynamic process and the mechanism of erosion reduction by check dams Flood control risk assessment on warping dam systems and the development and utilization model of check dam systems With its systematic coverage of all aspects of dam construction and maintenance, Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning supports decision making by local authorities and can also be used as a professional guide for ecologists, hydrologists, and water resource managers.

Urban Resilience: Methodologies, Tools and Evaluation
Urban Resilience: Methodologies, Tools and Evaluation

Author: Octavio Francisco González Castillo

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-01-10

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 3031075862

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This book presents a select set of papers from an international and multidisciplinary approach, outlining the vanguard in the field of methodology, tools, and evaluation of the movement towards urban resilience. Reflecting on and redesigning the guidelines that orient the planning and management of urban development has become, today, an issue of global scope and priority that demands the committed and determined participation of society. Faced with the formidable challenge of guiding our cities towards sustainability, it is necessary to develop new approaches, paradigms, models, methodologies, and tools that make it possible to assess and raise the resilience profile of urban socio-ecosystems. The experiences that are developed in this book offer a wide and diverse set of concepts, theories, methodologies, instruments, and casuistry, impregnated by resilience notion, to inspire, influence, and guide thinking and practice for architects, urban planners, government officials, businessmen, civil and research organizations. In this book, the reader will be able to review either theoretical-methodology to organize notions on urban resilience, or application cases in a variety of areas and subsystems of a city but, being all of them inevitably and intricately linked through a complex matrix of structures and interactions that determine future, well-being, and resilience of urban socio-ecosystems in the global anthropo-environment.

Learning from Change
Learning from Change

Author: International Development Research Centre (Canada)

Publisher: IDRC

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0889368953

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Learning from Change provides an overview of the common themes and experiences in participatory approaches to monitoring and evaluation across different institutions and sectors. It is a compilation of selected case studies and discussions between practitioners, academics, donors, and policymakers in participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E). It explores conceptual, methodological, institutional, and policy issues that need to be addressed to enrich our understanding and practice of PM&E. The book is in three sections. The first provides a general overview of PM&E, synthesizing literature surveys and regional reviews of PM&E practice around the world. The second presents case studies that illustrate the diverse range of settings and contexts in which PM&E is being applied. The third raises the key issues and challenges arising from the case studies and discussions, and proposes areas for future research and action. Learning from Change will be an important reference for development professionals worldwide as well as for anyone interested in the process of participatory development, including researchers, academics, fieldworkers, development practitioners, and policymakers.