Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences – serie

This book emphasizes the critical importance of agroecological practices as a response to the climate crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the intricate relationship between agriculture, ecosystems, and climate, advocating for the transformation of farming systems to ensure long-term sustainability. Through research, case studies, and practical examples, the book showcases the potential of agroecology in addressing the impacts of climate change. Sustainable practices such as biodiversity conservation, resource preservation, soil fertility enhancement, and greenhouse gas emission reduction are extensively discussed, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the topic.The book also highlights success stories from various countries in sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to inspire farmers, policymakers, and practitioners to adopt and sustain change. It acknowledges the vulnerabilities faced by smallholder farmers in the region and emphasizes the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific advancements. This integration is seen as essential in providing farmers with the necessary resources, information, and capacity-building opportunities to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The book emphasizes the need for collaboration and innovation among governments, research institutions, civil society organizations, and local communities to promote sustainable agricultural development.Ultimately, the book advocates for sustainable agroecological practices as a means to achieve food security, enhance ecosystem resilience, and foster rural development in sub-Saharan Africa. By adopting climate-friendly agricultural approaches and maintaining ecological balance, it envisions a future where communities thrive, ecosystems flourish, and the impacts of climate change are mitigated.The target audience for this book includes students, agroecology experts, farmers, policymakers, and agricultural practitioners who are interested in the subjectmatter.

This book emphasizes the critical importance of agroecological practices as a response to the climate crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the intricate relationship between agriculture, ecosystems, and climate, advocating for the transformation of farming systems to ensure long-term sustainability. Through research, case studies, and practical examples, the book showcases the potential of agroecology in addressing the impacts of climate change. Sustainable practices such as biodiversity conservation, resource preservation, soil fertility enhancement, and greenhouse gas emission reduction are extensively discussed, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the topic.The book also highlights success stories from various countries in sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to inspire farmers, policymakers, and practitioners to adopt and sustain change. It acknowledges the vulnerabilities faced by smallholder farmers in the region and emphasizes the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific advancements. This integration is seen as essential in providing farmers with the necessary resources, information, and capacity-building opportunities to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The book emphasizes the need for collaboration and innovation among governments, research institutions, civil society organizations, and local communities to promote sustainable agricultural development.Ultimately, the book advocates for sustainable agroecological practices as a means to achieve food security, enhance ecosystem resilience, and foster rural development in sub-Saharan Africa. By adopting climate-friendly agricultural approaches and maintaining ecological balance, it envisions a future where communities thrive, ecosystems flourish, and the impacts of climate change are mitigated.The target audience for this book includes students, agroecology experts, farmers, policymakers, and agricultural practitioners who are interested in the subjectmatter.

This book covers the current escalation of social problems related to the unstable political situation, economic crisis, as well as growing problems related to the state of the natural environment (existential climate crisis; pollution of land, oceans, and the atmosphere; severe declines in biodiversity) which requires a new rethinking of the sustainable tourism paradigm, in relation to the realities of the modern world, based on the practices observed in the tourist services sector. „Tourism is like fire, you can cook food on it, you can also burn down your house”—says the proverb. On the one hand, it allows for the regeneration of physical and mental strength of visitors, as well as provides funds for the economic development of the destination, but on the other hand, it contributes to a lot of damage to the geographical environment. The period of "stopping" of tourism during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many areas to be relieved of the tourist traffic, which resulted in the observed revitalization of the natural environment, but also huge social and economic problems in destinations that are largely dependent on income from tourism.The rapid resurgence of tourism after the pandemic restored revenues but also caused many social tensions. The problem of overtourism returned, and residents protested, calling for "tourists to go home." The entire tourism system requires a thorough analysis of the complex consequences of its development. This book presents many challenges facing contemporary tourism. Its theoretical and practical aspects provide a useful knowledge base for both researchers studying changes in tourism and practitioners in the tourism services sector. The content also serves as an inspiration to search for optimal solutions aimed at the sustainable development of contemporary and future tourism.

This book covers the current escalation of social problems related to the unstable political situation, economic crisis, as well as growing problems related to the state of the natural environment (existential climate crisis; pollution of land, oceans, and the atmosphere; severe declines in biodiversity) which requires a new rethinking of the sustainable tourism paradigm, in relation to the realities of the modern world, based on the practices observed in the tourist services sector. „Tourism is like fire, you can cook food on it, you can also burn down your house”—says the proverb. On the one hand, it allows for the regeneration of physical and mental strength of visitors, as well as provides funds for the economic development of the destination, but on the other hand, it contributes to a lot of damage to the geographical environment. The period of "stopping" of tourism during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many areas to be relieved of the tourist traffic, which resulted in the observed revitalization of the natural environment, but also huge social and economic problems in destinations that are largely dependent on income from tourism.The rapid resurgence of tourism after the pandemic restored revenues but also caused many social tensions. The problem of overtourism returned, and residents protested, calling for "tourists to go home." The entire tourism system requires a thorough analysis of the complex consequences of its development. This book presents many challenges facing contemporary tourism. Its theoretical and practical aspects provide a useful knowledge base for both researchers studying changes in tourism and practitioners in the tourism services sector. The content also serves as an inspiration to search for optimal solutions aimed at the sustainable development of contemporary and future tourism.

This book explores the environmental conditions, particularly the climate and soils, of one of the driest regions on earth, the Central-East of the Sahara. These factors control the ecosystems and determine the land's suitability for use. The area receives only 0.5 mm of precipitation annually and contains one of the largest aquifers in the Sahara, with fossil groundwater. The region's lithology includes Cretaceous formations and crystalline rocks, largely covered by quaternary sediments. Exogenous activities have shaped various landscape types, such as ergs with different dunes, deflated depressions with playas, and yardangs.Soils in the region are primarily formed through physical processes and are often shallow, sandy, and enriched with soluble salts. The book provides a detailed analysis of their physical and chemical properties, genesis, and relation to environmental factors and sociological aspects. It also discusses rare ecosystems, including those dependent on food imports and those that arise episodically and last for a few years.Considering all ecological parameters, a land assessment system for irrigated agriculture is developed, along with descriptions of suitable cultivation methods and optimal irrigation systems. The book's contents are based on data from several expeditions and laboratory work funded by the German Research Foundation.

This book explores the environmental conditions, particularly the climate and soils, of one of the driest regions on earth, the Central-East of the Sahara. These factors control the ecosystems and determine the land's suitability for use. The area receives only 0.5 mm of precipitation annually and contains one of the largest aquifers in the Sahara, with fossil groundwater. The region's lithology includes Cretaceous formations and crystalline rocks, largely covered by quaternary sediments. Exogenous activities have shaped various landscape types, such as ergs with different dunes, deflated depressions with playas, and yardangs.Soils in the region are primarily formed through physical processes and are often shallow, sandy, and enriched with soluble salts. The book provides a detailed analysis of their physical and chemical properties, genesis, and relation to environmental factors and sociological aspects. It also discusses rare ecosystems, including those dependent on food imports and those that arise episodically and last for a few years.Considering all ecological parameters, a land assessment system for irrigated agriculture is developed, along with descriptions of suitable cultivation methods and optimal irrigation systems. The book's contents are based on data from several expeditions and laboratory work funded by the German Research Foundation.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most pressing challenges of the Anthropocene, affecting all Earth systems and demanding both global and local responses. Local ecosystems, with their unique characteristics, are often best understood through the lived knowledge of their communities.In the open access book Pathways to Nature Conservation and Resilience in Hot and Arid Lands: The Case of Qatar, an interdisciplinary team offers a comprehensive analysis of Qatar’s ecosystems and their future trajectories. The book identifies strengths, challenges, and knowledge gaps, and presents a roadmap for embedding nature conservation into Qatar’s national sustainability strategy through a multi-sectoral lens.Combining literature review and original research, the study explores Qatar’s natural and human-made habitats, shaped by geological, hydrological, and climatic forces. Climate projections illustrate potential ecosystem changes by century’s end. The book also emphasizes the role of education in fostering sustainability and outlines a transition from tourism to ecotourism to engage stakeholders. It highlights gaps in managing Qatar’s natural capital and proposes solutions rooted in environmental law, ethics, and economics. As the first comprehensive report on Qatar’s ecosystems, it examines the drivers and stakeholders shaping their stewardship and offers actionable recommendations.The roadmap provides clear steps and stakeholder roles for evidence-based policies in climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainability. While focused on Qatar, its insights are relevant to arid regions globally, contributing to broader efforts in dryland conservation.

The over-exploitation of important earth resources such as land and water has led to a number of environment-related problems the world over. At the same time, land-use change caused by various human activities has led to extinction of many plant and animal habitats and species. In this context, the relevance of biodiversity for human survival is becoming a major international political issue as scientific evidence builds on the global health implications of biodiversity loss. These issues are closely linked with the issue of climate change, as many of the health risks due to climate change are associated with rapid degradation of biodiversity. This present work focuses on holistic natural resource-based spatio-temporal planning, development, and management and considers them as essential to save the degraded ecosystem for sustainable resource management. Contributions are compiled in two volumes: 1. Climate Change and Biodiversity and 2. Landscape Ecology and Water Management. Geoinformatics along with its tools such as remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) have been used in assessing the results of various environmental problems both physical and social. The volume will be useful for geographers, geoscientists, hydrologists, landscape ecologists, environmentalists, engineers, planners and policy makers.

This book identifies and analyzes livelihood impacts of recent environmental and socio-economic changes in urban and rural settings of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, north western Himalaya, India. The findings of the research deal with the broader objectives of the changing patterns of agricultural production with special reference to diversification, as well as forest-based livelihood outcomes, Clean Development Mechanism forest project activities, the roles of different ethnic groups and non-governmental organizations and the benefits and shortcomings of tourism as a livelihood source. These tasks are studied by using an exploratory approach, with participant observation, interviews through random and cluster sampling among villagers, local land users and officials, as well as with land cover interpretation and secondary statistical data. This book is relevant for educational use together with policy input on the issues exploring livelihood security in a rapidly growing developing country.

The over-exploitation of important earth resources such as land and water has led to a number of environment-related problems the world over. At the same time, land-use change caused by various human activities has led to extinction of many plant and animal habitats and species. In this context, the relevance of biodiversity for human survival is becoming a major international political issue as scientific evidence builds on the global health implications of biodiversity loss. These issues are closely linked with the issue of climate change, as many of the health risks due to climate change are associated with rapid degradation of biodiversity. This present work focuses on holistic natural resource-based spatio-temporal planning, development and management and considers them as essential to save the degraded ecosystem for sustainable resource management. Contributions are compiled in two volumes: 1. Climate Change and Biodiversity and 2. Landscape Ecology and Water Management. Geoinformatics along with its tools such as remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have been used in assessing the results of various environmental problems both physical and social. These volumes will be useful for geographers, geoscientists, hydrologists, landscape ecologists, environmentalists, engineers, planners and policy makers.

In this book, an interdisciplinary research group of faculty members, researchers, professionals, and planners contributed to an understanding of the dynamics and dimensions of emerging challenges and risks in megacities in the rapidly changing urban environments in Asia and examined emerging resilience themes from the point of view of sustainability and public policy. The world’s urban population in 2009 was approximately 3.4 billion and Asia’s urban population was about 1.72 billion. Between 2010 and 2020, 411 million people will be added to Asian cities (60 % of the growth in the world’s urban population). By 2020, of the world’s urban population of 4.2 billion, approximately 2.2 billion will be in Asia. China and India will contribute 31.3 % of the total world urban population by 2025. Developing Asia’s projected global share of CO2 emissions for energy consumption will increase from 30 % in 2006 to 43 % by 2030. City regions serve as magnets for people, enterprise, and culture, but with urbanisation , the worst form of visible poverty becomes prominent. The Asian region, with a slum population of an estimated 505.5 million people, remains host to over half of the world’s slum population . The book provides information on a comprehensive range of environmental threats faced by the inhabitants of megacities. It also offers a wide and multidisciplinary group of case studies from rapidly growing megacities (with populations of more than 5 million) from developed and developing countries of Asia.

This book is an initiative presented by the Commission on Geographical Education of the International Geographical Union. It focuses particularly on what has been learned from geospatial projects and research from the past decades of implementing geospatial technologies (GST) in formal and informal education. The objective of this publication is to inform an international audience of teachers, professionals, scholars, and policymakers about the state of the art and prospects of geospatial practices (GPs) as organized activities that use GST and lessons learned in relation to geographical education. GST make up an advanced body of knowledge developed by practitioners of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), global positioning systems, (GPS), and digital cartography (DC). GST have long been applied in many different sectors; however, their first use in higher education began in the early 1980s and then diffused to secondary schools during the 1990s. Starting with GIS and RS, it evolved into a much broader context, as GST expanded to include GPS and DC with new communication technologies and Internet applications. GST have been used around the world as a combination of tools and special techniques to make research, teaching, and learning more effective.

This volume synthesizes critical environmental challenges of dynamic earth and human environment systems in South Asia emphasizing geographical dimensions. It deals with spaceborne monitoring, climate, ecohydrology, forests and biodiversity, land-use and land-cover change (LUCC), natural hazards, and disasters in order to contribute towards a sustainable future. The contributions range from traditional field techniques to the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems. The book integrates environmental attributes relating the past, present, and future of South Asia broadly based on biophysical and human dimensions in spatio-temporal perspectives. The monitoring of natural hazards and climate issues is considered a vital component in the context of environmental geography, especially in observation and understanding of climate and water-induced disasters. It is important to communicate the advances in geoscience techniques to increase the resilience of the vulnerable society of South Asia and to promote livelihood security. The sustainability of South Asia depends strongly on the earth environment, and thus the development of geo-environmental monitoring is critical for a better understanding of our living environment. The aim of the book is to present dynamic aspects of environmental geography to contribute to future earth initiatives in South Asia.

Thisbook deals with the relationship between geomorphology and society. This topic hashad rather scant treatment in the literature except to some extent under thelabel “applied geomorphology”. In this text the authors aim to bring togetherconceptual issues and case studies of how geomorphology influences society and,indeed, how society is in turn influenced by geomorphology. In an age in whichthe influence of human activities on global environments has become soparamount that it is increasingly common to refer to it geologically as the “anthropocene”,the book aims to reflect on the geomorphological significance of widespread anddiverse forms of human impact in a range of environmental settings.

This book identifies and analyzes livelihood impacts of recent environmental and socio-economic changes in urban and rural settings of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, north western Himalaya, India. The findings of the research deal with the broader objectives of the changing patterns of agricultural production with special reference to diversification, as well as forest-based livelihood outcomes, Clean Development Mechanism forest project activities, the roles of different ethnic groups and non-governmental organizations and the benefits and shortcomings of tourism as a livelihood source. These tasks are studied by using an exploratory approach, with participant observation, interviews through random and cluster sampling among villagers, local land users and officials, as well as with land cover interpretation and secondary statistical data. This book is relevant for educational use together with policy input on the issues exploring livelihood security in a rapidly growing developing country.

The over-exploitation of important earth resources such as land and water has led to a number of environment-related problems the world over. At the same time, land-use change caused by various human activities has led to extinction of many plant and animal habitats and species. In this context, the relevance of biodiversity for human survival is becoming a major international political issue as scientific evidence builds on the global health implications of biodiversity loss. These issues are closely linked with the issue of climate change, as many of the health risks due to climate change are associated with rapid degradation of biodiversity. This present work focuses on holistic natural resource-based spatio-temporal planning, development, and management and considers them as essential to save the degraded ecosystem for sustainable resource management. Contributions are compiled in two volumes: 1. Climate Change and Biodiversity and 2. Landscape Ecology and Water Management. Geoinformatics along with its tools such as remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) have been used in assessing the results of various environmental problems both physical and social. The volume will be useful for geographers, geoscientists, hydrologists, landscape ecologists, environmentalists, engineers, planners and policy makers.

In this book, an interdisciplinary research group of faculty members, researchers, professionals, and planners contributed to an understanding of the dynamics and dimensions of emerging challenges and risks in megacities in the rapidly changing urban environments in Asia and examined emerging resilience themes from the point of view of sustainability and public policy. The world’s urban population in 2009 was approximately 3.4 billion and Asia’s urban population was about 1.72 billion. Between 2010 and 2020, 411 million people will be added to Asian cities (60 % of the growth in the world’s urban population). By 2020, of the world’s urban population of 4.2 billion, approximately 2.2 billion will be in Asia. China and India will contribute 31.3 % of the total world urban population by 2025. Developing Asia’s projected global share of CO2 emissions for energy consumption will increase from 30 % in 2006 to 43 % by 2030. City regions serve as magnets for people, enterprise, and culture, but with urbanisation , the worst form of visible poverty becomes prominent. The Asian region, with a slum population of an estimated 505.5 million people, remains host to over half of the world’s slum population . The book provides information on a comprehensive range of environmental threats faced by the inhabitants of megacities. It also offers a wide and multidisciplinary group of case studies from rapidly growing megacities (with populations of more than 5 million) from developed and developing countries of Asia.

This volume synthesizes critical environmental challenges of dynamic earth and human environment systems in South Asia emphasizing geographical dimensions. It deals with spaceborne monitoring, climate, ecohydrology, forests and biodiversity, land-use and land-cover change (LUCC), natural hazards, and disasters in order to contribute towards a sustainable future. The contributions range from traditional field techniques to the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems. The book integrates environmental attributes relating the past, present, and future of South Asia broadly based on biophysical and human dimensions in spatio-temporal perspectives. The monitoring of natural hazards and climate issues is considered a vital component in the context of environmental geography, especially in observation and understanding of climate and water-induced disasters. It is important to communicate the advances in geoscience techniques to increase the resilience of the vulnerable society of South Asia and to promote livelihood security. The sustainability of South Asia depends strongly on the earth environment, and thus the development of geo-environmental monitoring is critical for a better understanding of our living environment. The aim of the book is to present dynamic aspects of environmental geography to contribute to future earth initiatives in South Asia.

This book is an initiative presented by the Commission on Geographical Education of the International Geographical Union. It focuses particularly on what has been learned from geospatial projects and research from the past decades of implementing geospatial technologies (GST) in formal and informal education. The objective of this publication is to inform an international audience of teachers, professionals, scholars, and policymakers about the state of the art and prospects of geospatial practices (GPs) as organized activities that use GST and lessons learned in relation to geographical education. GST make up an advanced body of knowledge developed by practitioners of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), global positioning systems, (GPS), and digital cartography (DC). GST have long been applied in many different sectors; however, their first use in higher education began in the early 1980s and then diffused to secondary schools during the 1990s. Starting with GIS and RS, it evolved into a much broader context, as GST expanded to include GPS and DC with new communication technologies and Internet applications. GST have been used around the world as a combination of tools and special techniques to make research, teaching, and learning more effective.

Thisbook deals with the relationship between geomorphology and society. This topic hashad rather scant treatment in the literature except to some extent under thelabel “applied geomorphology”. In this text the authors aim to bring togetherconceptual issues and case studies of how geomorphology influences society and,indeed, how society is in turn influenced by geomorphology. In an age in whichthe influence of human activities on global environments has become soparamount that it is increasingly common to refer to it geologically as the “anthropocene”,the book aims to reflect on the geomorphological significance of widespread anddiverse forms of human impact in a range of environmental settings.

This book demonstrates the benefits of applying a new interdisciplinary approach that combines global change and human mobility. The term "globility" was coined in the year 2000 when the commission with the same name was created by the International Geographical Union with the purpose of theorizing about and asserting the concept of human mobility. First the book offers theoretical reviews of human mobility. Then it proceeds to study patterns of mobility in today's world as it faces new challenges in migration policies (including border controls, management of refugee movements, social initiatives to empower unauthorized immigrants), the integration issue, environmental hazards, and so on. The response to these diverse challenges reveals an increasing fluidity of human mobility and new forms of engagement of people on the move. Readers will obtain a better understanding of current human mobility from a large number of regions and from different thematic perspectives.

This book reviews the recent evolutions of cities in the world according to entirely revised theoretical fundamentals of urban systems. It relies on a vision of cities sharing common dynamic features as co-evolving entities in complex systems. Systems of cities that are interdependent in their evolutions are characterized in the context of that dynamics. They are identified on various geographical scales—worldwide, regional, or national. Each system exhibits peculiarities that are related to its demographic, economic, and geopolitical history, and that are underlined by the systematic comparison of continental and regional urban systems, following a common template throughout the book. Multi-scale urban processes, whether local (one city), or within national systems (systems of cities), or linked to the expansion of transnational networks (towards global urban systems) throughout the world over the period 1950–2010 are deeply analyzed in 16 chapters. This global overview challenges urban governance for designing policies facing globalization and the subsequent ecological transition. The answers, which emerge from the diversity of situations in the world, add some reflections on and recommendations to the “urban system framework” proposed in the Habitat III agenda.

This book demonstrates the benefits of applying a new interdisciplinary approach that combines global change and human mobility. The term "globility" was coined in the year 2000 when the commission with the same name was created by the International Geographical Union with the purpose of theorizing about and asserting the concept of human mobility. First the book offers theoretical reviews of human mobility. Then it proceeds to study patterns of mobility in today's world as it faces new challenges in migration policies (including border controls, management of refugee movements, social initiatives to empower unauthorized immigrants), the integration issue, environmental hazards, and so on. The response to these diverse challenges reveals an increasing fluidity of human mobility and new forms of engagement of people on the move. Readers will obtain a better understanding of current human mobility from a large number of regions and from different thematic perspectives.

This book demonstrates the benefits of using commercially available surfactants, or surface-active agents, for remediation of metal-contaminated soil and sediment. First the book offers theoretical reviews of commercially available surfactants, then it proceeds to a study of various available surfactants for the mobilization of metals. Surfactants representative of amphiphiles discovered in the digestive environment of sediment-ingesting organisms are used to examine the extent and rate of metal (Al, Fe, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) mobilization from contaminated estuarine sediment. Metals can cause harmful effects to the environment and organisms. It is difficult to treat contaminants that are often tightly bound to the extremely small size of the estuarine sediments.The book also demonstrates the mechanisms of metal mobilization that appear to be related to complexation with monomers and adsorption to micelles of the anionic amphiphiles, and to the denudation of hydrophobichost phases or coatings on the sediment by micelles of both anionic and nonionic surfactants.Readers obtain a better understanding of current commercial surfactants, their impact on the environment, and possible remediation. This transdisciplinary book contributes toward Sustainable Development Goals numbers 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and 13 (Climate Action) set by the United Nations and is useful for students and teachers of sediment studies, coastal studies, environmental sciences, hydrology, civil engineering, and policy sciences.

This volume provides a holistic and concise overview of the complex science of climate change involving the interplay of multiple factors. It also acts as a primer and a one-source reference to all the aspects of climate change, allowing researchers to understand the complexity of this science and to see the larger picture, thereby aiming towards holistic solutions.Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, the impacts of climate change have been the worst nightmare to hit humanity so fiercely, causing loss of human life and irreparable destruction to natural and man-made infrastructure in many parts of the world. The difference between climate change now and in the past is that of sudden and disproportionate disruption of the natural energy dynamics by the changing consumption patterns of billions of human beings who, in their quest for economic superiority, have polluted the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The picture that emerges from the exhaustive analysis of international data drawn from the most reliable sources indicates that we have possibly gained access to the gateway of extinction and it is time that we take corrective steps immediately.The book’s chapters not only provide an overview of climate change science but also include detailed discussion on current research. This unique analytical text is suitable for conservation environmentalists, researchers, and academicians working in the field, along with policy makers, research and training institutes, and nongovernment organizations.

This book reviews the recent evolutions of cities in the world according to entirely revised theoretical fundamentals of urban systems. It relies on a vision of cities sharing common dynamic features as co-evolving entities in complex systems. Systems of cities that are interdependent in their evolutions are characterized in the context of that dynamics. They are identified on various geographical scales—worldwide, regional, or national. Each system exhibits peculiarities that are related to its demographic, economic, and geopolitical history, and that are underlined by the systematic comparison of continental and regional urban systems, following a common template throughout the book. Multi-scale urban processes, whether local (one city), or within national systems (systems of cities), or linked to the expansion of transnational networks (towards global urban systems) throughout the world over the period 1950–2010 are deeply analyzed in 16 chapters. This global overview challenges urban governance for designing policies facing globalization and the subsequent ecological transition. The answers, which emerge from the diversity of situations in the world, add some reflections on and recommendations to the “urban system framework” proposed in the Habitat III agenda.

This book demonstrates the benefits of using commercially available surfactants, or surface-active agents, for remediation of metal-contaminated soil and sediment. First the book offers theoretical reviews of commercially available surfactants, then it proceeds to a study of various available surfactants for the mobilization of metals. Surfactants representative of amphiphiles discovered in the digestive environment of sediment-ingesting organisms are used to examine the extent and rate of metal (Al, Fe, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) mobilization from contaminated estuarine sediment. Metals can cause harmful effects to the environment and organisms. It is difficult to treat contaminants that are often tightly bound to the extremely small size of the estuarine sediments.The book also demonstrates the mechanisms of metal mobilization that appear to be related to complexation with monomers and adsorption to micelles of the anionic amphiphiles, and to the denudation of hydrophobichost phases or coatings on the sediment by micelles of both anionic and nonionic surfactants.Readers obtain a better understanding of current commercial surfactants, their impact on the environment, and possible remediation. This transdisciplinary book contributes toward Sustainable Development Goals numbers 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and 13 (Climate Action) set by the United Nations and is useful for students and teachers of sediment studies, coastal studies, environmental sciences, hydrology, civil engineering, and policy sciences.

This book focuses on interdisciplinary issues of human health in the changing urban environments of India’s largest megacities—Delhi and Mumbai. The authors explore human health concerns related to increased temperatures and air pollution in these cities in a study based on primary data collected through interviews, as well as secondary data on causes of mortality from 2001 to 2012. During this period, the surface temperatures for both megacities were mapped using Landsat Images.The rapidly increasing populations of cities and urban centers alter ecosystem services such as water, air and land cover, with disastrous impacts on health and wellbeing, particularly in megacities. In 2015, polluted air was estimated to have been responsible for 6.4 million deaths worldwide, and it is projected that it will cause between 6 and 9 million deaths per year by 2060. In 2017, outdoor air pollution resulted in 1.2 million deaths in India and brought about a 3% loss in GDP. The increase in population, vehicles, and industries has led to changes in land use and land cover and a rise in city temperatures and air pollution, creating urban heat islands (UHIs). Together, UHIs and air pollution have damaging impacts on human health that range from stress and headache to asthma, bronchitis, and chronic diseases, and even to death.Delhi has been experiencing emergency conditions in terms of environmental health over the past two years. At the same time, both the Delhi and Mumbai urban agglomerations are growing at a rapid pace, and the United Nations has projected that they will be the second and third most populous cities in the world by 2025. In this context, the book offers significant insights into the past patterns and responses to the present global urban health emergencies, and explores sustainable means of combating the problem to enable college and university researchers to develop innovative solutions. Further. It presents trans-disciplinary research thatcuts across the WHO Action Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Habitat III to help policymakers gain a better understanding of the global challenges of urban health and wellbeing. The book is especially useful for students and researchers in geography, urban demography, urban studies, environmental studies, health sciences, and policy studies.

This book focuses on interdisciplinary issues of human health in the changing urban environments of India’s largest megacities—Delhi and Mumbai. The authors explore human health concerns related to increased temperatures and air pollution in these cities in a study based on primary data collected through interviews, as well as secondary data on causes of mortality from 2001 to 2012. During this period, the surface temperatures for both megacities were mapped using Landsat Images.The rapidly increasing populations of cities and urban centers alter ecosystem services such as water, air and land cover, with disastrous impacts on health and wellbeing, particularly in megacities. In 2015, polluted air was estimated to have been responsible for 6.4 million deaths worldwide, and it is projected that it will cause between 6 and 9 million deaths per year by 2060. In 2017, outdoor air pollution resulted in 1.2 million deaths in India and brought about a 3% loss in GDP. The increase in population, vehicles, and industries has led to changes in land use and land cover and a rise in city temperatures and air pollution, creating urban heat islands (UHIs). Together, UHIs and air pollution have damaging impacts on human health that range from stress and headache to asthma, bronchitis, and chronic diseases, and even to death.Delhi has been experiencing emergency conditions in terms of environmental health over the past two years. At the same time, both the Delhi and Mumbai urban agglomerations are growing at a rapid pace, and the United Nations has projected that they will be the second and third most populous cities in the world by 2025. In this context, the book offers significant insights into the past patterns and responses to the present global urban health emergencies, and explores sustainable means of combating the problem to enable college and university researchers to develop innovative solutions. Further. It presents trans-disciplinary research thatcuts across the WHO Action Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Habitat III to help policymakers gain a better understanding of the global challenges of urban health and wellbeing. The book is especially useful for students and researchers in geography, urban demography, urban studies, environmental studies, health sciences, and policy studies.