Earth and Environmental Science

This book highlights the environmental footprints and best practices in sustainable agriculture. This first volume includes forty-four interesting chapters that present agriculture in the light of food security, circular economy, sustainability, food exports and imports written by leading experts in the field. It provides and interesting read for researchers, policy makers and professionals in the area of agriculture and economy.

This third volume in the set of books is dedicated to various sustainable approaches in textiles and fashion sector with a focus on fibres and raw materials employed. Sustainability is one of the important aspects in today’s industrial context, which is followed by every industrial sector with no exception to textiles and fashion. Sustainability and strict adherence to the principles of sustainability has become as one of the essential needs again for any industrial sector including textiles and fashion. There are countless measures in terms of various approaches to make the textiles and fashion sector sustainable. These measures, but not limited to, ranging from innovating and implementing new fibres and raw materials, introducing innovative manufacturing methods, chemicals, processes to focus on all the possible stages of a textile product’s life cycle from cradle to grave. These approaches include making the textiles and fashion sector circular and also development of new products from sustainable raw materials/processes or combination of both.

This second volume in this set of books discusses various sustainable approaches in textiles and the fashion sector with a focus on consumerism and the supply chain. Sustainability is one of the important aspects in today’s industrial context, and is no exception to textiles and fashion. Sustainability and strict adherence to the principles of sustainability has become as one of the essential needs again for any industrial sector including textiles and fashion. There are countless measures in terms of various approaches to make the textiles and fashion sector sustainable. These measures, but not limited to, ranging from innovating and implementing new fibres and raw materials, introducing innovative manufacturing methods, chemicals, processes to focus on all the possible stages of a textile product’s life cycle from cradle to grave. These approaches include making the textiles and fashion sector circular and also development of new products from sustainable raw materials/processes or combination of both.

This book uncovers the multiple layers of challenges posed to achieve sustainable human health and improves the understanding of interactive areas set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (1) no poverty, (2) zero hunger, (3) good health and wellbeing, (6) clean water and sanitation, and (11) sustainable cities and communities. The book focuses on conceptual understanding, food, nutrition, lifestyle, and their integration to reinforce the ideas of holistic health principles.'

The most important drivers of sustainable health are food, nutrition, and lifestyle. Healthy food is a basic need of human beings. In under-developed regions, people are underweight and facing malnutrition, with a prevalence of deficiency diseases due to low intake of micro-nutrients such as vitamin A, iodine, and protein among others. A good diet as well as lifestyle has a tremendous bearing on a person’s health, emotional stability, and enthusiasm for life.

This book highlights the relevant and timely global change movement: green entrepreneurship. Presented in this book is relevant literature and academic knowledge. The book is expected to  support in creating more green entrepreneurship initiatives in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This open access book is based on the research outputs of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) in 2021. It covers major topics of Chinese and international attention regarding green development, such as climate, biodiversity, ocean, BRI, urbanization, sustainable production and consumption, technology, finance, value chain, and related topics. It also reviews the progress of China‘s environmental and development policies and the impacts from CCICED. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing insight for policy makers in environmental issues.

This book covers topics that addresses the global environmental issues, their challenges, and mitigation strategies for sustainable development. Some of the major challenges global environment is facing currently are global warming induced climate change because of which various extreme weather events such as flood, drought, cyclone, forest fires have increased. Industrialization with urbanization and human anthropogenic activities have caused detrimental effect on the environment resulting in environmental pollution (air and water pollution), deforestation, degradation of ecosystems, soil erosion, ground water depletion, drinking water scarcity, biodiversity loss, depletion of fossil fuels, etc. Therefore, it has become utmost necessary to switch to significant lifestyle stages along with conservation of natural resources for a sustainable environment. Sustainable environment may be defined as the practice of responsibly managing natural resources and protect overall ecosystem to support health and well-being of present and future generations. One of the major environment sustainability is the use of renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biomass which will reduce environmental pollution and also minimize resource misuse. At the same time, crop rotation, solid waste management, water treatment, wastewater treatment are some of the sustainable practices we must carry out for a sustainable environment. Hope, the content of the book gives an overview of recent developments, knowledge gaps related to new research areas related to environment and their future prospects.

This book covers themes related to the geosphere, biosphere, sociosphere and ecosphere dealing with changing geographical, environmental and socio-economic realities to plan a sustainable future for the northeast region (NER) of India. The NER consists of eight states—Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim—and they carry political, economic and social importance. The book integrates the past, present and future of geospheric attributes incorporating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to meet the demands for improving human wellbeing under diverse and challenging socio-economic, political and environmental conditions. The key SDGs, as in food and agriculture, health, education, water, energy and other overarching goals of the region, have yet to incorporate providing sustainable jobs and promoting equality and inclusive development, although there have been a few studies in that regard.

The challenges to achieve SDGs in the NER are formidable compared to the rest of India. The NER has put a great deal of effort into achieving the SDGs, mainly in poverty (SDG-1), good health (SDG-3), education (SDG-4), gender (SDG-5), decent work (SDG-8) and reduced inequalities (SDG-10), similar to the rest of the country. However, the standard development indicators such as road length, access to health care, power consumption and other measures are far below the national average. A multi-pronged strategy has played a pivotal role in the region, but development strategy to attain the SDGs 2030 must be more inclusive in empowering people with maximising self-governance, considering the resources, needs and aspirations of the people.

This book evaluates the performance of the SDGs and fills in the gaps. It includes case studies focusing on different SDGs using advanced cartographic, statistical and GIS techniques and methods. It also provides unique findings that serve as valuable resources for plannersand policy-makers so that a sustainable future in Northeast India can be achieved.

This 2-volume book highlights cutting-edge ecodesign research and covers broad areas ranging from individual product and service design to social system design. It includes business and policy design, circular production, life cycle design and management, digitalization for sustainable manufacturing, user behavior and health, ecodesign of social infrastructure, sustainability education, sustainability indicators, and energy system design. Featuring selected papers presented at EcoDesign 2021: 12th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, it also includes diverse, interdisciplinary approaches to foster ecodesign research and activities.  In the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), it addresses design innovations for sustainable value creation, considering technological developments, legislation, and consumer lifestyles. Further, the book discusses the conceptof circular economy, which aims to develop circular business models for resource efficient society by taking advantage of digital technologies including artificial intelligence, internet of things, digital twin, data analysis and simulation.

Written by experts from academia and industry, Volume 1 highlights sustainable design such as product and process design, collaborative design, sustainable innovation, digital technologies, design methodology for sustainability, and energy system design. The methods, tools, and practices described are useful for readers to facilitate value creation for sustainability.

The book emphasizes the open innovation which mainly consists of innovation inside-out and outside-in needed by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). This open innovation relates to the performance and survival of SMEs in a global competition. The SMEs must learn, have, and do innovative initiatives and actions. This book elaborates all related concepts and innovative practices toward better performances, which includes the impacts of globalization and dynamic markets with a special focus on sustainability. Every country has different perspectives considering open innovation as a solution to the businesses. Thus, readers can see the best practices to be adopted or adapted in their business environment.

The book includes the solution for the SMEs in terms of creating values. Open innovation is known as a window for creating values. Open innovation can be seen by SMEs as a possible way to adapt and thrive in an increasingly competitive and volatile environment, including to overcome their limitations. By implementing open innovation, SMEs will compensate for their lack of internal resources and competencies through external resources to develop new technologies and take advantage of market opportunities.

This book is dedicated to the entrepreneurs, businessmen, practitioners, policymakers, academician, and students in developing strategies and having future plan related to innovation which is crucial for creating values in business operations. A benchmarking through innovation is important to improve among businesses to achieve effectiveness and efficiency.