This book provides a rigorous and practical analysis of sustainable development prospects today by applying the innovative sustainomics framework. Developed by the eminent environmental scientist ...Mohan Munasinghe, sustainomics explores the practical steps in making the transition from the risky business-as-usual scenario to a safe and sustainable future. Its main message is optimistic – although the problems are serious, an effective response can be mounted to make development more sustainable if initiated immediately. The book explains the key principles underlying sustainomics cogently, concisely and with minimum technical jargon. It illustrates the methodology with empirical case studies that are practical and policy-relevant over a wide range of time and geographic scales, countries, sectors, ecosystems and circumstances. The extensive bibliography is useful to researchers of specific issues within sustainable development. This book appeals to a wide audience, including students, researchers from many disciplines, policy analysts, public and private-sector decision makers, and development practitioners.
This paper compares the experiences of the 2004 Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, to highlight the importance of social capital in strengthening resilience against extreme events. ...Key issues and implications for policy and research are discussed.
Climate change and variability has become the primary environmental concern of the 21st Century. The potential impacts and mitigation of climate change need to be analyzed within the context of ...sustainable development. Primer on Climate Change and Sustainable Development presents a condensed and accessible review of the latest state-of-the-art assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The book begins with a foreword from the chair of the IPCC. Our current knowledge of the basic science of climate change is described, before moving on to future scenarios of development within the context of climate change. Possible adaptation and mitigation measures, including cost and benefit analysis, are discussed. The book will be an invaluable textbook for students of environmental science and policy, and researchers and policy makers involved in all aspects of climate change.
Following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, and the 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, sustainable development ...has become a widely accepted concept. World decision makers are seeking a more sustainable development path through the ongoing UN Post-2105 Agenda discussions, which includes key themes like the Green Economy (GE) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). They are hoping to find integrated solutions to many critical problems, including traditional development issues (such as energy scarcity, economic stagnation, poverty, hunger, and illness), as well as newer challenges (like climate change and globalisation). Energy is critical for sustainable development. Sustainable energy development (SED) is an operational framework involving the harnessing of energy resources for human use, in a manner that supports lasting development Munasinghe (1995). We begin with a review of sustainable development itself, before describing the key role of energy. The World Commission on Environment and Development originally defined it as “development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, and there have been many subsequent redefinitions.
Household consumption drives modern economies, but unsustainable consumption, production, and resource exploitation have led to multiple crises that threaten the future survival of humanity. Climate ...change is now considered the ultimate threat multiplier that will exacerbate the formidable problems of development we already face - such as poverty, hunger, illness, water and energy scarcities, and conflict. The world is facing economic, social, and environmental risks, best characterized by a bubble metaphor based on greed and false expectations, whereby a few enjoy immediate gains and the vast, unsuspecting majority will pay huge future costs. These threats may interact catastrophically unless they are addressed urgently and in an integrated fashion.
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