Nature-based solutions in agriculture: Sustainable management and conservation of land, water and biodiversity


Book Description

In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the area of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that improve ecosystem functions of environments and landscapes affected by agricultural practices and land degradation, while enhancing livelihoods and other social and cultural functions. This has opened up a portfolio of NbS options that offer a pragmatic way forward for simultaneously addressing conservation, climate and socioeconomic objectives while maintaining healthy and productive agricultural systems. NbS can mimic natural processes and build on land restoration and operational water-land management concepts that aim to simultaneously improve vegetation and water availability and quality, and raise agricultural productivity. NbS can involve conserving or rehabilitating natural ecosystems and/or the enhancement or the creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems. In agricultural landscapes, NbS can be applied for soil health, soil moisture, carbon mitigation (through soil and forestry), downstream water quality protections, biodiversity benefits as well as agricultural production and supply chains to achieve net-zero environmental impacts while achieving food and water security, and meet climate goals.







Green City Planning and Practices in Asian Cities


Book Description

Urban planners across the world are faced with sustainable development issues in their work, especially when they are tasked with creating green cities or where sustainable and smart growth in urban settings are set as primary goals. This book introduces green city planning and practices from the three dimensions of green-building innovation, community development and smart city strategies, and argues that effective implementation of green city planning are a necessary pre-condition for reaching sustainable urban development. A range of authors representing a broad disciplinary spectrum bring together the different standards of green building methods and urban design techniques and clearly sketch the roles of both spatial designers and urban researchers in the implementation of green city planning at regional, community and single-building level in order to arrive at an integrated approach across different scales.




Geospatial Science for Smart Land Management


Book Description

Responsible land distribution in Asia, with ever-increasing limitations in space, requires the use of smart technologies, sophisticated models, intelligent algorithms, and big data repositories. This book presents new land management perspectives and fit-for-purpose, flexible, dynamic, and effective solutions for land management and land administration problems. Written by global experts from different Asian countries, including China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, etc., all these cases demonstrate how and why the uptake of geospatial technologies is booming and how to handle land scarcity and competing spatial interests in both urban and rural areas in Asia. FEATURES Summarizes trends of geospatial technologies in Asia Describes and applies leading-edge geospatial models Explains fit-for-purpose digital land administration Provides case studies and examples that include the use of smart land management tools Helps readers advance their understanding of geospatial and land management science Truly an interdisciplinary book, this text is a practical guide for an array of readers, such as practitioners in public and private companies involved in both geospatial and land management applications, as well as graduate students, researchers, academics, and professionals working in land administration, land management, spatial planning, real estate studies, geosciences, geoinformatics, and geodesy.




Africa Environment Outlook 2


Book Description

This is the second comprehensive report on the state of Africa's environment, produced in collaboration with the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). This report highlights the central position Africa's environment continues to play in sustainable development, as well as its potential to achieve progress in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. The report profiles Africa's environmental resources as an asset for the continent's development. It highlights the opportunities presented by the region's natural resource base to support the continent's development. It also underscores the concept of sustainable livelihoods, and the importance of the environmental initiatives in supporting them.




Urban Dynamics, Environment and Health


Book Description

The comprehensive volume focuses on spatial, temporal, conceptual and empirical approaches to various elements of urban dynamics, environment and urban health. It demonstrates a multidisciplinary account of the significant dimensions of urbanization and urban life. Chapters by leading international experts are presented in sections on urban dynamics, Urban Environmental Issues, Urban Health Problems and Urban Development, Planning and Policies. Each chapter provides a breadth of information on conceptual and empirical studies of urban issues. It enables the readers to understand the interconnections of various vital elements of each urban-related topical issue locally, regionally and globally. Extensive maps, charts, diagrams and tables as cartographic tools facilitate the reader’s understanding. It also outlines an action plan for policy program change in both the developed and less developed countries toward sustainable urban development and environment for better health, prosperity and quality of life of the present and future urban population. It is an indispensable reference for students, research scholars of geography and environmental, medical, and social sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.




OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Czech Republic 2018


Book Description

This is the third Environmental Performance Review of the Czech Republic. It evaluates progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with special features on waste, materials management and circular economy and sustainable urban development.




Sustainability for Healthcare Management


Book Description

Sustainability is not unique to health, yet sustainability is a unique vehicle for promoting healthy values. This book challenges healthcare leaders to think through the implications of our decisions from fiscal, societal and environmental perspectives. It links health values with sustainability drivers in order to enlighten leadership about the value of sustainability as we move toward a new paradigm of health. Fully updated for the second edition, the book now includes case studies about: Waste disposal and cost Chemicals of concern Cost of water Green building ratings This book is a unique resource for researchers, students and professionals working in health and healthcare management because the book connects key concepts of environmental sustainability with healthcare operations. Readers will gain an appreciation for translating leadership priorities into sustainability tactics with beneficial operational outcomes.




OECD Green Growth Studies Green Growth Indicators 2017


Book Description

Policies that promote green growth need to be founded on a good understanding of the determinants of green growth and need to be supported with appropriate indicators to monitor progress. This book is an update of the 2014 edition.