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This book presents an up-to-date, systematic and scientific analysis of water resource problems in India and suggests measures to overcome them through effective water management. In addition, the book provides an overview of how changes in legislation, policies, institutional responsibilities, science, technology, practical techniques and public perception have influenced the ways of river management over the past years.River water conservation is a planned activity connected with various habitat features and outlines how to conserve all river water spread across the world. The restoration and conservation of river water must be of the highest priority for sustaining humanity and ecology for the present and future generations. In order to solve the water problems, conservation and recycling of water should be made mandatory for all domestic, industrial and agricultural projects. Apart from the priority to watershed development, rainwater harvesting and other appropriate conservation measures should be adopted to create awareness among the public so that their mind-set, attitudes and habits change proactively and they adopt sustainable practices rather than wait for legislation and regulations. The book augments the knowledge base of behaviour of rivers and evaluates the issues related to rivers so as to develop river system management techniques emerging from in-depth scientific analyses. It is useful for students, researchers, water resource managers, hydrologists and all those who are engaged or interested in any aspect of river water conservation and management of water resources in the country.

This book summarizes contemporary research on land degradation, desertification, and how such issues relate to socioeconomic growth in developing countries. With a focus on local and regional levels, the book offers an in-depth analysis of aeolian action as a physical process, causes of land degradation, and desertification. The causes and effects of land degradation were investigated by utilizing multiscale and multidisciplinary methodologies, merging spatial socioeconomic data with remote sensing data, and using multiple levels and disciplinary approaches. The book also describes how to combine GIS with cutting-edge technologies such as remote sensing, geostatistics, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis, and analytical hierarchy approaches, among others. Included is a thorough case study of the unusual but understudied semi-arid Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, South India. This book encourages the participation of all socioeconomic groups in decision-making and assists authorities and planners in developing suitable plans for the sustainable agricultural growth of an area. The book is an invaluable resource to comprehend and resolve issues about sustainable environmental planning and management.

This book identifies and discusses research directions, challenges and achievements in contemporary geography. It also documents the most current theoretical and methodological considerations undertaken by scientists representing various sub-disciplines of geography with particular reference to human geography. It was assumed that the thematic structure of the currently active International Geographical Union (IGU) problem commissions corresponds to the most relevant and current research directions in geography. Reflecting this assumption, the book consists of 14 chapters contributed by geographers representing 14 problem commissions of the IGU, which allows us to examine geography from different perspectives and to provide the reader with a complete overview of contemporary research issues in human geography. The first part discusses contemporary research problems and issues related to scientific methodology and achievements of selected geographical sub-disciplines, including urban geography, agricultural geography, transport geography, and political geography, among others. The second part focuses on the interdisciplinarity of geography and the topics of global dimension undertaken by geographers such as global change, GIS and geospatial technology, marginalization, and environmental change. This part also discusses the internal relations between geographical specializations and their links with other related sciences, including geology, sociology, and economics. The third part discusses the holistic approaches of geography applied to particular regions, territories, or conditions (Africa, costal systems, geomorphology and local development).

This book introduces the issues of the contemporary state of Bihar, India, in terms of its performance on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicators and the initiatives taken by the central and state governments towards realizing human development. Doing so, it draws upon the mistakes committed in the past and moves ahead towards a better future with the idea of sustainable human development. The book also presents a comprehensive evaluation of the background and indicators of the human development index, and it analyses the impact of COVID-19 on India in general and on Bihar in particular.India is a nation of unbalanced states in terms of development. In spite of all the development initiatives, India still contains states that have not conformed to the breakthrough claimed by the nation, and the state of Bihar falls under this category. Bihar has emerged as the worst performer in human development, based on the ranking of the Human Development Index 2020. Nevertheless, Bihar has the potential for overall development to achieve its glorious past once again, by various pro-poor policies implemented by the government of Bihar in the last two decades, which is critically analysed in detail.

This book explores the concept and issues of sustainability and its symbiotic relationship with existing water resources, the surrounding climate and geospatial development. It covers many dimensions of sustainable water resources, climatic variability, change. It also includes case studies on the basis of specific problems and issues, providing sustainable solutions for the future of the earth.Over the past several decades, climate change has significantly impacted a number of components of the hydrological cycle and hydrological systems, including changes in precipitation patterns and intensity; widespread melting of snow and ice; increased atmospheric water vapour; increased evaporation; and changes in soil moisture and runoff. Excess runoff eventually reaches larger bodies of water such as lakes, estuaries and the ocean, contaminating the water supply and limiting human and environmental access to water. An improved understanding of how changing anthropogenic activities could affect water resources, and climate in various parts of the world is a necessary step towards sustainability. This awareness requires analyses of challenging interactive areas within the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and sociosphere, as resultant long-term sustainable strategies and measures are greatly needed.

Since the last decades of the twentieth century, the circumstances surrounding map use and map making have drastically changed owing to advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs). In particular, the spread of web maps and mobile devices have altered the way people interact with maps. This book features the latest works on theoretical and practical issues of these changes by terming them "e;ubiquitous mapping"e;. In particular, the book pays attention to not only the technological basis but also multidisciplinary human-social aspects. The book covers the topics of the evaluation of ICT-based technologies for context-aware mapping, the theory and application of crowd-sourced geospatial information and collaborative mapping, and both the positive and negative effects of ubiquitous mapping on human society.

Sustainable water resources planning deals with the interface of water resources science and the needs of human populations. It highlights works that addresses practical methods and basic research in, for example: quantity and quality management of groundwater and surface water resources; sustainability of water resources and water availability; water use and reuse including managed aquifer recharge and storage; geopolitical and socio-economic aspects of water resource management; water development and human activity impacts on ecological systems and human health, including, for instance, agricultural and climatic impacts, subsurface waste storage and injection, geothermal energy development and subsurface energy storage. This book provides up-to-date systematic and scientific analyses of such water problems and suggests sustainable measures to overcome them through effective surface and sub-surface water resource management. It is immensely valuable to students, researchers, water resource managers, hydrologists and all those who are engaged or interested in any aspect of river water conservation and management of water resources.

This book introduces the use of various remote sensing data such as microwave, hyperspectral and very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery; mapping techniques including pixel and object-based machine learning; and geostatistical modelling techniques including cellular automation, entropy and land fragmentation. Remote sensing plays a vital role in solving urban and environmental challenges at the landscape level. Globally, more than half of the urban population is facing severe environmental and social challenges, especially those relating to climate change, agricultural land encroachment, green infrastructure and environmental degradation, mobility due to rapid rural¿urban transformation and anthropogenic interventions. Mapping and quantification of such threats at the landscape level are challenging for experts using traditional techniques; however, remote sensing technology provides diverse spatial data at a varying scale, volume and accessibility for mapping and modelling, and it also analyses challenges at urban and landscape levels.Together, they address challenges at urban and landscape levels to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This book presents a complete set of studies of alluvial fan sediments in southern Iran from the point of view of sedimentology, sedimentary geochemistry, tectonics, economic geology, groundwater, geomorphology, hazards and telemetry. In addition, the book focuses on advanced topics and theory, which practically serves as a model for the study of this type of sediment around the world.Alluvial fans are an important and fundamental factor in many sciences such as geology, environmental science, natural hazards, groundwater science, agriculture and many other related sciences. Lack of accurate knowledge of their constituent sediments has always been an important problem for experts in many science disciplines. From the economic point of view, the identification of alluvial fan deposits is of particular importance. For example, alluvial deposits are the centre of groundwater accumulation, and most groundwater reservoirs within the sedimentary basin are fed by water from alluvial deposits. Most of the gold production in South Africa has been formed as placer deposits in ancient alluvial fans. In addition, a large amount of uranium placer deposits is extracted from old alluvial fans in sedimentary basins in South Africa. This book serves as an ideal guide for experts in earth and environmental sciences and hydrology.

This book reviews the structure, applications, technologies, governance, environmental sustainability, smart communities, gender space and other issues related to smart cities. The book is divided into four parts. The first one entails the conceptual background, growth and development. The second part presents diverse issues on smart cities in terms of environmental sustainability, the role of the community, and gender space, among others. The third part revolves around economic and technological issues, and the fourth is a compilation of case studies in connection with smart cities. This collection of diverse issues from different locations presents a holistic view of smart cities contributed by authors who have undertaken research projects and implemented their own unique perspectives and methods. A variety of innovative concepts such as digital governance, polycentric structures, geodata repositories, geoweb services and advanced geospatial technologies in smart city planning, urban microclimatic parameters, and urban heat islands provide invaluable knowledge for researchers and practitioners in these fields.

This book shares with an international audience of teachers, scholars, and policymakers the experience of pedagogical practices to facilitate sustainability in the world. Sustainability is seen here as a journey toward the end state of sustainable development. Therefore, the authors contribute different roads to engage teachers and students with pedagogical discourse. Overall, the book demonstrates the value of powerful knowledge through action-oriented learning based on a bottom-up process. Consequently, pedagogical practices are understood as the instructional approaches based on a social constructivist model in which active learning is performed with student-to-student engagement.Secondary teachers in social sciences and university professors in geography find the study to be a valuable source of stimulation for incorporating new ideas and resolving common problems in their learning and teaching environments. Education policymakers around the world also benefit from the only publication that presents international perspectives on geographical knowledge related to sustainability.The contributing authors are experienced scientists in the field of geography education who are giving special attention to pedagogical practices that promote new directions toward sustainable thinking.This book is the first outcome of an international collaboration officially established in 2023 between the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Texas State University and the Department of Geography at the University of Bayreuth.

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.

The management of data to understand complex and interwoven processes of sustainable development has been a great challenge for researchers, planners, and decision makers. Remote sensing and GIS-based policy decision support systems not only help them to solve spatially related environmental and socio-economic issues; they also provide a powerful tool for integrating spatial and non-spatial datasets with analytical and spatial models and knowledge domains. Recent advances in the modern spatial tools of remote sensing and GIS combined with advanced computation techniques have enhanced the efficiency and capabilities of policy development. This book expands the scientific knowledge base in various physical and socio-economic issues among scholars, planners, and decision makers for policy development and research regarding sustainable development. It also demonstrates the importance of modern spatial decision support tools of remote sensing and GIS to better understand sustainable development processes and policy development. Furthermore, the book discusses case studies providing new insights as to how remote sensing and GIS-based decision support systems contribute to understanding physical and socio-economic processes and developing pragmatic policy for sustainable development.This book covers land surface temperature, hydrological processes, terrain mapping, flood and landslide hazards, land use and land cover dynamics, crime hotspots, urban health issues, tourism, agriculture, forest management, flood mitigation, urban sprawl, and village information systems, among others. Readers will find this book to be an invaluable resource for understanding and solving diverse physical and human issues for policy development related to sustainable planning and management.

This book identifies, evaluates and reports the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical, biological and socioeconomic environment, using the science and technology of geoinformatics. It encourages the environmental considerations in the future city and policy planning and decision-making. For example, according to the World Health Organization, 80% of people living in cities are exposed to polluted air that exceeds healthy levels. City planners have applied the developing concepts of sustainability to modern debates over how cities and regions should be reviewed, regenerated and reformed since the introduction of the concept in developmental science. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a remarkable drop in air pollution has been observed in India and other countries, which has accelerated the shift to green and sustainable development.Geoinformatics can provide solutions and resources for local, sustainable activities in education, health, sustainable agriculture, resource management and related fields. This book serves researchers in a variety of areas, including hazards, land surveys, remote sensing, cartography, geophysics, geology, natural resources, environment and geography.

This book suggests sustainable economy from the viewpoint of tourism fostering low carbon footprint. Focussed on conserving heritage, culture and endemic biota of a crucial biodiversity hotspot of the world, the book discusses the impact of a large population, fast-paced development and excessive consumption of earth resources by tourism in a developing economy.The book (i) assesses the impact of overexploitation of earth resources on environmental components such as air, water, land and people, (ii) examines the sustainability of tourism on the physical, economic and socio-cultural environment including human lifestyles, (iii) presents the potential of tourism in promoting sustainable development, poverty alleviation and conservation of nature and (iv) formulates recommendations for tourism, fostering sustainable development in Goa, India.The book offers students, researchers, academics and professionals a comprehensive discourse integrating geological and societal perspectives on core issues. It generates critical thinking on the complex issue of sustainable tourism by providing in-depth perspective on peoples of different hues and their role in safeguarding the future of this unique region.

The Bay of Bengal is prone to tropical cyclones and storm surges as a result of its location, and many of the mostly poor people living along the coastal regions of South Asia lose their lives almost every year. These disasters have been particularly devastating and have caused serious damage. During the past five decades, the low-lying coastal and offshore islands have experienced a tragic history of 50 severe cyclones and storm surges, with more than one million victims dead or missing. People accepted and waited for the next disaster as they had no alternatives. Members of the poor families who survived the disasters experienced hard times recovering from damage and the loss of their loved ones. After disasters, epidemic diseases arise in the affected areas. Many of the people in distress are also deprived of public services. Providing all sorts of assistance and emergency health preparedness are most essential to overcome such a situation. The causes of these huge casualties have been mainly: (1) the high population density of costal settlements, (2) inadequate cyclone shelters in the disaster risk areas, (3) lack of awareness of the disaster risk by the vulnerable population, (4) deterministic attitudes of people who accept disasters as "e;fate"e;, (5) houses that are weakly constructed and (6) underdeveloped central awareness programmes and weather forecast systems. This book is based on an empirical study presenting a timeline analysis of major cyclones and their impacts and consequent losses through the super-cyclones in the disaster-prone coastal regions of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This study also investigates resilience mechanisms based on early warning systems, technology applications including GIS and remote sensing, best practices, success stories and case studies that can be used for effective cyclone management and development of a resilience mechanism among coastal communities.

Water is the elixir of life and is crucial for sustainable development. Earlier, it was considered to be a limitless or at least a fully renewable natural resource. During the past 20 years, however, there has been tremendous pressure on this precious natural resource mainly due to rapid urbanization, industrialization and the increase in the human population. Together, these have resulted in increasing demand for irrigation, industrial, and household purposes to meet supply-chain requirements. Keeping in mind the scarcity of available water resources in the near future and its impending threats, it has become imperative on the part of scientists in hydrology and allied disciplines such as geography, landscape planning, sustainability science etc. Regional planners and supply chain management experts also must be involved in studying the spatial and temporal nature of the growing demand for water and the future availability for its judicial use and sustainable management.  A primary intent of the book is to provide comprehensive scientific knowledge base on water resource management and sustainability. It covers geo-engineering and scientific problems, case studies, and sustainable solutions in the water resources management domain. Additionally and of equal importance, the chapters of the book provide in-depth coverage on water resource vulnerability, water quality, wastewater treatment, application of remote sensing and geographical information systems hydrological modeling and harvesting, climate variability and runoff, sediment discharge and irrigation planning, community participation in water governance, internet of things and machine learning applications for sustainable water resources management. This practical, state-of-the-art reference book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, scientists, policymakers, spatio-temporal designers of water resource systems, various stake holders interested in hydro-climatology and sustainable water resources management.

The world is currently experiencing changes in climate and environment that often lead to natural disasters. Nearly three million people worldwide may have been killed in the past 20 years by natural disasters. In total, 90% of the natural disasters and 95% of all disaster-related deaths occur in the developing countries. Recently such problems have accelerated due to LULC change, biodiversity degradation, increased tourism, urbanization and climate change. This book, consisting of 27 chapters, explores the topics of climate, environment and natural disasters in developing countries. It is essential to discuss these diverse issues in the field of geography as it encompasses interdisciplinary topics. The range of issues on national, regional and local dimensions is not only confined to geography but also concerned to other disciplines as well. Therefore, this book is a valuable source for scientists and researchers in allied fields such as climatology, disaster management, environmental science, hydrology, agriculture, and land use studies, among other areas. Furthermore, this book can be of immense help to the planners and decision-makers engaged in dealing with the problems of climate, environmental change and natural disasters in developing countries.

Agriculture is the backbone of our economic system. It provides not only food and raw material but also employment opportunities to a very large number of people. Higher atmospheric temperature has an impact on crop yields while the changes in rainfall could affect both crop quality and quantity. Climate change, therefore, could increase the prices of major crops in some regions. For the most vulnerable people, lower agricultural output means lower income. In addition, climate change is expected to increase the risk of illness and death from extreme heat and poor air quality. Recent evidence is the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, climate change also affects the occurrence of other infectious diseases. A number of well-known diseases are climate-sensitive - malaria, dengue fever, and cholera among others. Tourism is considered as an industry and alternative contributor to a nation¿s income. It can generate employment opportunities and boost up the economy. This book, consisting of 26 chapters, focuses on the issues of agriculture, tourism and health for livelihood enhancement. It is essential to discuss these diverse issues in the field of geography as it encompasses interdisciplinary topics. The range of concerns at the national, regional and local levels is not confined to geography only but also involves other disciplines as well. Therefore, this book is a valuable source for scientists and researchers in allied fields such as livelihood, agriculture, land use, tourism management, health care and tribal studies. Furthermore, this book can be of immense help to the researchers, planners and decision makers engaged in solving problems in these areas in developing countries and beyond.

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.The global coronavirus pandemic has brought unimaginable devastation and hardship in all corners of the globe, questioning the existing healthcare services, health policies, and health planning across the developed and developing countries. It has also exposed the lacunae in understanding health, the base of human happiness. The global community needs to gravely ponder the health issues we are facing and explore sustainable solutions for health recovery and the wellbeing of humanity.