D. Chandrasekharam, Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. J. Bundschuh, International Technical Co-operation Programme CIM (GTZ/BA), Frankfurt, Germany Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad ICE, San José, Costa Rica.

• Preface; Sustainability assessment of energy systems: An overview of current status; The value of geothermal energy for developing countries; The geothermal potential of the developing world; Barriers, risks and new regulatory schemes for the development of geothermal resources; Geothermal energy: Capacity building and technology dissemination; Geothermal energy development – Possible market facilitation roles of UNEP and the GEF; Small geothermal projects for rural electrification; Direct heat utilization of geothermal resources; Introduction to geothermal greenhouse design; Introduction to geothermal aquaculture use; Introduction to geothermal heat pumps; Agri-business uses of geothermal energy; Geochemical and geophysical methods in geothermal exploration; Optimisation of the exploration and evaluation of geothermal resources; Geochemical techniques in geothermal development; Geochemistry of thermal waters and thermal gases; Environmental aspects of geothermal energy resources utilization; Economics and financing; Resources and policy of geothermal energy in Central America; Country updates: Development of the geothermal energy in Costa Rica; Geothermal development in Mexico; Geothermal energy resources of India.