The book is the only technical volume that explains how equivalency analysis methods mentioned in Annex II of the European Environmental Liability Directive should be implemented. It uses case studies to illustrate real-world application of the methods, which are based on the experience in the USA and in the European Union and have been tested in three years of training programs funded by the European Commission. Academically rigorous and technically comprehensive, the book is intended for technical experts wanting to assess damage and remediation options as well as for decision-makers wishing to commission such assessments and judge their quality. These include competent authorities, operators, financial security providers, academics, consultants and NGOs.

This book is a timely contribution towards the debate on the most effective way to bring about sustainable farming in marginal areas. It offers a detailed analysis of the social, economic, and agro-ecological characteristic of both Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) and Better Land Husbandry (BLH) and an analysis of case studies of BLH from Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.

Wildfires are a fact of life throughout many arid and semi-arid regions, such as the American West. With growing population pressures in these regions, human communities are increasingly developing in so-called ???urban-wildland interface zones, ??? where severe fire driven ecosystems co-exist uneasily with humans and their property. This edited volume addresses this problem???and its potential solutions???from an interdisciplinary perceptive, with contributions from authors in public policy, sociology, economics, ecology, computer modeling, planning, and ecology. The first section of the book addresses institutional and policy aspects, including chapters on national fire policy in the United States, local fire planning and policy, smart growth approaches to planning in fire zones, and institutional roadblocks to fuels management. The second section deals with economic aspects, including chapters on the role of information and disclosure of hazards in real estate markets, methods of underwriting fire insurance, and the consequences of state-mandated fire insurers of last resort. The third section deals with community level involvement in fire management, addressing a wide range of issues including models of community engagement, criteria for success, and approaches for institutionalizing this process, both in the US and abroad. The final section deals with management and ecology and includes chapters on the predicted effects of climate change on wildfire activity, new computer modeling tools for mitigating fire risk, and complex institutional mechanisms behind large-fire suppression in the US.
Advances in the Economics of Environmental Resources is now available online atScienceDirect ??? full-text online of volumes 3 onwards.
For more information about the Elsevier Book Series on ScienceDirect Program, please visit:
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*Addresses institutional and policy aspects, economic aspects, community level involvement in fire management, and the management and ecology of wildfires

The second edition of the popular RFF Reader brings together much of the best work published by researchers at Resources for the Future.

Many articles in the Reader were originally published in RFF's quarterly magazine, Resources. Wally Oates has supplemented that with material drawn from other RFF works, including issue briefs and special reports. The readings provide concise, insightful background and perspectives on a broad range of environmental issues including benefit-cost analysis, environmental regulation, hazardous and toxic waste, environmental equity, and the environmental challenges in developing nations and transitional economies. Natural-resource topics include resource management, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture. The articles address many of today's most difficult public policy questions, such as environmental policy and economic growth, and "When is a Life Too Costly to Save?" New to the second edition is an expanded set of readings on global climate change and sustainability, plus cutting-edge policy applications on topics like the environment and public health and the growing problem of antibiotic and pesticide resistance.

For general readers, the RFF Reader has been an accessible, nontechnical, authoritative introduction to key issues in environmental and natural resources policy. It has been especially effective in demonstrating the contribution that economics and other social science research can make toward improving public debate and decisionmaking. Organized to follow the contents of popular textbooks in environmental economics and politics, it has also found wide use in beginning environmental policy courses.

Food Security, Poverty and Nutrition Policy Analysis: Statistical Methods and Applications, Third Edition combines statistical data analysis and computer literacy, applying the results to develop policy alternatives through a series of statistical methods for real world food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty problems. The book presents the latest uses of statistical methods for policy analysis using the open source statistical environment R, in addition to having the original Stata files and applications. A new chapter on obesity brings in new datasets for analysis to effectively demonstrate the use of such data for addressing policy issues. Finally, program evaluation methods which can be directly applied to the data on food security, nutrition, poverty indicators and causal factors are included. This unique, real-world data takes the reader through a "hands-on" approach toward econometric practice whereby they can also test the effects of policy and program interventions. Further, this is the first book to explore actual data with STATA and R statistical packages that also provides a line-by-line guide to the programming and interpretation of results.

After the drop in the price of oil, the issue of a carbon tax to complement the EU emission trading scheme is coming back to the fore of political debate. In this volume on carbon pricing, the reader can find an excellent mix of economic theory and policy analysis. To anyone interested in this field, this collection of papers represents a very important contribution to an in-depth understanding of the main tools that can be used to successfully fight climate change.' - Alberto Majocchi, University of Pavia, ItalyCarbon Pricing reflects upon and further develops the ongoing and worthwhile global debate into how to design carbon pricing, as well as how to utilize the financial proceeds in the best possible way for society. The world has recently witnessed a significant downward adjustment in fossil fuel prices, which has negative implications for the future of our environment. In light of these negative developments, it is important to understand the benefits of environmental sustainability through well-documented research. This discerning book considers the design of carbon taxes and examines the consequential outcomes of different taxation compositions as regulatory instruments. Expert contributors assess a variety of national experiences to provide an empirical insight into the use of carbon taxes, emissions trading, energy taxes and excise taxes. The overarching discussion concludes that successful policies used by some countries can be implemented in other jurisdictions with minimum new research and experimentation. This astute work will benefit scholars, practitioners and policymakers alike with an interest in the fields of environmental law, environmental economics, sustainable development and taxation law. Contributors: B. Bahn-Walkowiak, J. Bruha, H. Bruhova-Foltynova, B. Butcher, M. Calaf Forn, N. Chalifour, S. Cheng, E. Croci, S. Elgie, E. Guglyuvatyy, M. Jofra Sora, C. Kettner, K. Kratena, E. Meyer, I. Meyer, S. Onoda, J. Papy, T.F. Pedersen, V. Pisa, I. Puig Ventosa, A. Ravazzi Douvan, M. Sargl, K. Schlegelmilch, M.W. Sommer, N.P. Stoianoff, P. ten Brink, W.E. Weishaar, H. Wilts, S. Withana, Sirini, G. Wittmann, A. Wolfsteiner

Watershed modeling is at the heart of modern hydrology, supplying rich information that is vital to addressing resource planning, environmental, and social problems. Even in light of this important role, many books relegate the subject to a single chapter while books devoted to modeling focus only on a specific area of application. Recognizing the need for a broad, comprehensive overview of the various types of watershed models, renowned experts Singh and Frevert carefully selected several highly popular and useful models to produce this groundbreaking reference. Watershed Models comprises seven sections that encompass 24 models chosen for a variety of characteristics, such as physical bases, mathematical sophistication, comprehensiveness, broad-based applicability, and use of modern tools. After a concise introduction, the book examines the history and evolution of watershed modeling derived from the Stanford Watershed Model along with regional calibration of models. The following six sections explore large watershed, streamflow, water quality, urban watershed, agricultural watershed, and planning and management models. Each chapter contains a wealth of information on model parameters, the strengths of each model for particular purposes, and examples of applications. Offering an up-to-date review of models used worldwide, Watershed Models supplies broad, integrated knowledge necessary for solving the complex and ongoing problems involved in resource and environmental water management.

The Asia and Pacific region is home to the world's largest concentration of coral reefs and mangroves. It accommodates two-thirds of the world's human population and its economic activities have the highest growth rate in the world. This book gives an overview of the state-of-the-art understanding on the drivers, state, and responses to the coastal environmental changes in the Asia and Pacific region. It provides important perspectives on the subject for researchers.

Shortly, this book is the written up-graded version of the topics discussed during the Small Meeting of the 2nd International School Congress: Natural Resources, Sustainability and Humanity, held in Braga, Portugal, 5-8 May 2010 with the diverse participation of scientists, educators and governmental representatives.

The Earth hosts an immense ecosystem, colonized by millions of species for billions of years but only for a few tens of thousands of years by humans. Environmental history tells though that it was humankind that shaped the environment as no other species. History, geography, religion and politics among other reasons have differentiated populations with respect to access to safe food and water, education, health, and to space and natural resource utilization. The globalization era of trade, information and communication is shortening distances and increasing overall wealth, but, as is pointed out in this book, it is also contributing to the propagation of diseases, and to the modification or even destruction of native ecosystems by exotic invasive species.

Man is the only species that has the perception of its history, evolution, of the consequences of its decisions, and that there is a future ahead. It is also the only species that has the potential to change it. This awareness can be a source of anxiety and contradictory behaviours, but it is also the key to changing attitudes towards the construction of a common sustainable home, by committed education, interdisciplinary approaches, mobilization and empowerment of people and political consonant actions.

This book poses the question of whether identifiable individual-level attributes (e.g., values, interests, knowledge, demographic characteristics) lead to support for or opposition to the development and implementation of alternative energy technologies. In recent years, attempts to site alternative energy technologies (e.g., wind, solar, wave) have been met by intense opposition from a variety of sources, including many environmentalists from whom one might expect support for non-carbon based renewable energy initiatives. This volume argues that there are indeed such discernible attributes, and moreover that the identification and exploration are important for the development of support strategies for the well-informed and achievable siting of such technologies.

Over the years, the electric power industry has been using optimization methods to help them solve the unit commitment problem. The result has been savings of tens and perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel costs. Things are changing, however. Optimization technology is improving, and the industry is undergoing radical restructuring. Consequently, the role of commitment models is changing, and the value of the improved solutions that better algorithms might yield is increasing. The dual purpose of this book is to explore the technology and needs of the next generation of computer models for aiding unit commitment decisions. Because of the unit commitment problem's size and complexity and because of the large economic benefits that could result from its improved solution, considerable attention has been devoted to algorithm development in the book. More systematic procedures based on a variety of widely researched algorithms have been proposed and tested. These techniques have included dynamic programming, branch-and-bound mixed integer programming (MIP), linear and network programming approaches, and Benders decomposition methods, among others. Recently, metaheuristic methods have been tested, such as genetic programming and simulated annealing, along with expert systems and neural networks. Because electric markets are changing rapidly, how UC models are solved and what purposes they serve need reconsideration. Hence, the book brings together people who understand the problem and people who know what improvements in algorithms are really possible. The two-fold result in The Next Generation of Electric Power Unit Commitment Models is an assessment of industry needs and new formulations and computational approaches that promise to make unit commitment models more responsive to those needs.

This book is an outcome of a research project on "Sustainable Forestry and the Environment in Developing Countries." The project has been run by Metsantutki muslaitos METLA -the Finnish Forest Research Institute since 1987 and will be completed this year. A major output by this project has so far been a report in three volumes on "Deforestation or development in the Third World?" The purpose of our multidisciplinary research project is to generate new knowl edge about the causes of deforestation, its scenarios and consequences. More knowledge is needed for more effective, efficient and equitable public policy, both at the national and intemationallevels in supporting sustainable forestry in develop ing countries. Our project has specifically focused on 90 tropical countries as one group and on three subgroups by continents, as well as the three case study countries, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Chile. The University of Joensuu has been our active partner in the Philippine study. We have complemented the three cases by the analyzes of Brazil and Indonesia, the two largest tropical forest-owning countries. Some other interesting country studies were annexed to complement our book both by geography and expertise. The United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economics Research, UNUIWIDER in Helsinki Finland has also been partly engaged. Most of the results from its project on "The Forest in the South and North in Context of Global Warming" will, however, be published later in a separate book."

This book is a collection of selected papers that were presented at the First International Conference of the Asia-Pacific Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics (APSAFE 2013), which was held at Chulalongkorn University from November 28 - 30, 2013. The papers are interdisciplinary, containing insights into food security and food ethics from a variety of perspectives, including, but not limited to, philosophy, sociology, law, sociology, economics, as well as the natural sciences. The theme of the conference was to consider the interplay and balance between food security and food ethics as the world approaches the middle part of the twenty-first century.

This book deals with the application of techniques and methods of chemical analysis for the study of biomass and its conversion processes, aiming to fill the current gap in the book literature on the subject. The use of various techniques and analytical methods is presented and discussed in a straightforward manner, providing the reader with the possibility of choosing the most appropriate methodologies for analysis of the major classes of plant biomass and its products. In the present volume, a select group of international specialists describes different approaches to understand the biomass structure, their physical and chemical properties, the parameters of conversion processes, the products and by-products formation and quantification, quality parameters, etc. Modern chemistry plays a strong economic role in industrial activities based on biomass, with an increasing trend of the importance of its application from the deployment of biorefineries and the principles of green chemistry, which make use of the potential of biomass with decreasing impact negative environmental. In this context, analytical chemistry can contribute significantly to the supply chains of biomass, be it plant or animal origin; however, with the first offering the greatest challenges and the greatest opportunity for technical, scientific and economic progress, given its diversified chemical constitution. Thus, the chemical analysis can be used to examine the composition for characterizing physicochemical properties and to monitor their conversion processes, in order to obtain better products and uses of biomass. The quality of the biomass used determines the product quality. Therefore, reliable information is required about the chemical composition of the biomass to establish the best use (e.g., most suitable conversion process and its conditions), which will influence harvest and preparation steps. Conversion processes should be monitored for their yield, integrity, safety, and environmental impact. Effluent or residues should be monitored and analyzed for environmental control. Co-products need to be monitored to avoid interference with the product yield and product purity; however, co-products are also a good opportunity to add value to the biomass chain. Finally, products need to be monitored and analyzed to determine their yields and purity and to ensure their quality. In this context, analytical chemistry can contribute significantly to the biomass supply chains, be it of plant or animal origin.

Environment, Economy and the `Great Transformation' The State in the Forest uses a case study of conflict over use of wood - the principal source of energy and the primary raw material at the time - to offer an environmental history of the nineteenth century `great transformation'. The focus is on Cadore, a supposedly peripheral area that was, in fact, at the core of the wood economy. The region comprises several valleys of the Eastern Italian Alps that constituted the main timber supply basin of Venice and other cities of the Veneto plain. With vivid and in-depth description of the role of forest resources for both local communities and state apparatus, the book sheds new light on key aspects of the nineteenth century agrarian world: the debate on wood shortage and the rise of scientific forestry; the social and environmental consequences of Napoleonic administrative reforms; the ambivalent relationship between privatisation of common lands and the restrictions imposed by state authorities on common and customary activities; the reorganisation of timber trade networks during the first steps of the industrial transition in continental Europe. Local socio-economic dynamics illuminate the interrelations between the macro and micro scales, showing how general transformations were perceived and experienced on the ground and how local actors were both subjects and agents of these events.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications. "

This series is dedicated to serving the growing community of scholars and practitioners concerned with the principles and applications of environ mental management. Each volume is a thorough treatment of a specific topic of importance for proper management practices. A fundamental objective of these books is to help the reader discern and implement man's stewardship of our environment and the world's renewable re sources. For we must strive to understand the relationship between man and nature, act to bring harmony to it, and nurture an environment that is both stable and productive. These objectives have often eluded us because the pursuit of other individual and societal goals has diverted us from a course of living in balance with the environment. At times, therefore, the environmental manager may have to exert restrictive control, which is usually best applied to man, not nature. Attempts to alter or harness nature have often failed or backfired, as exemplified by the results of imprudent use of herbicides, fertilizers, water, and other agents. Each book in this series will shed light on the fundamental and applied aspects of environmental management. It is hoped that each will help solve a practical and serious environmental problem."

During the past 10 years following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, invaluable lessons have been learned and great changes have been observed. Immediately after the disaster, the second World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held in Kobe, Japan, and formulated the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA: 2005-2015). HFA provided a platform and framework for changes and innovations, many of which were part of the recovery programs in the different countries affected by the 2004 disaster. This book is a modest attempt to review the lessons learned through the recovery process in the affected region. The book has 31 chapters, drawing lessons from four countries: India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. There are five sections: Overview (10 chapters), Indonesia (8 chapters), India (6 chapters), Sri Lanka (5 chapters), and Thailand (2 chapters). The primary target groups for this book are students and researchers in the fields of disaster risk reduction, environment, and development. The book provides them with a good idea of the current research trends and lessons over the past decade of recovery initiatives. Another target group comprises practitioners and policy makers, who will be able to apply the knowledge collected here to establishing policy and making decisions.

Insects are the major component of the world's biodiversity. By their vast numbers of both species and individuals, they are vital determinants of the terrestrial ecological processes. Quantitatively, insects are important pointers for the species-rich geographical areas. Qualitatively, they are also important, whether the subjects of conservation themselves or as tools for identifying biotic areas with high endemism. "Insect Conservation Biology" covers a wide range of topics from single species to landscape conservation, and from rare butterflies to the benefits-and-risks of biocontrol agents. The approach is both positive and realistic, with insects being discussed in the contexts of sustainable development, agroecology and monitoring environmental change. Ethical issues surrounding insects are also considered as well as preservation technology and restoration ecology. Conservation circles have given too little attention to the ecological significance of insects, while entomologists have been employed mostly to control a tiny minority of species of insect pests. The realms of conservationist and entomologist are brought together in this book. This book should be of interest to conservation managers/biologists, entomologists, ecologists, and environmental scientists interested in biological diversity.

Despite recent improvements in water management, approximately 1.4 billion people lack adequate water and about 3 billion people lack adequate sanitation services. It is commonly acknowledged that these and other water problems affect the poor adversely in terms of their livelihoods, their health, and their vulnerability to water-related natural disasters.

The authors of this edited volume have broad experience managing water development projects - integrated social-economic programs aimed directly at poverty reduction in different regions of the developing world. In the book's four Parts, they offer an interdisciplinary approach to many issues that contribute to the relationship between water and poverty.

Part I includes articles on the conceptual and methodological issues concerning poverty reduction through water resources development. It also offers analysis of quantitative measurements of poverty reduction, including some approaches for creating a Water Poverty Index. Part II considers the institutional frameworks for management of water and poverty reduction. Topics range from community-based decision making to international leadership. Part III encompasses discussions on participatory irrigation management and the privatization of urban water supplies and sewerage and the link to poverty. Case studies from India, Turkey, and Jordan make up Part IV. The studies present diverse water management and development practices for poverty reduction, including realistic pricing and effective irrigation practices, the use of water as an engine for sustainable development, small and large scale strategies for reducing the risks and uncertainties in water availability and food security, the economic value of improved water supplies, and the positive impact of small-scale development projects.

This book presents up-to-date information on the status of water resources in India. It presents an assessment of the surface water and groundwater condition to help stakeholders take the necessary actions to control pollution and make the country's water resources sustainable. The book addresses various topics, including forest-water interactions for governing water quality at catchment scales, water quality status, rainwater harvesting methods, acid-mine drainage, water pollution, management strategies, drinking water quality, and treatment of industrial wastewater. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable tool for policy planners who wish to improve the current situation and move toward sustainable water resources in India.

Tran Van Nao (Editor) The last decade has witnessed a seriously increasing incidence of forest fires in many countries. Substantial economic and ecological losses have been incurred, although the estimation of total damage This has been due to the lack assessment has often been inaccurate. of standardized methods for collecting data on fire occurrence and area burnt, as well as information such as the value of the vegetation destroyed and restoration costs, and the implications for recreation, tourism and other social activities. The Mediterranean region was initially considered one of the most vulnerable to forest fires because of its' dry climate and strong winds. No region is immune to forest fires, however, and damage has been especially severe in areas where pine is the predominant species. Although forest fires are normally considered a national problem, they become an international one when they occur in border area forests or when the ecological impacts are felt over long distances. The potential for forest fires exists in every country -unless it is a complete desert - and for this reason, there is a need to promote better understanding of the fires, and closer cooperation between countries in controlling them.

The objective of this book is to summarize and critically assess the current status, development trends and needs of three basic defensive elements that safeguard the quality and environmental safety of soil and water/sediments: early warning monitoring, protection and remediation measures, with particular regard to the viability of methods and technologies, i.e. easiness-to-use, reliability, cost-effectiveness, high efficiency and non-destructive character of remediation that is of particular importance considering the scale of application. The primary aim of the book is to contribute to the improving maintenance of ecosystems, and specifically to summarize and add to information on how best to protect our soils and aquifers, prevent migration and mobilization of pollutants and how to enhance their degradation and/or immobilization. Mechanism of action is considered the first priority, but optimization of technical construction/application details are of no lesser importance. In the permeable reactive barriers, and other preventive/remediation measures, a number of novel integrated physicochemical and biochemical methods are presented. The remediation solutions for soil pollution are focused on non-destructive methods such as phyto- and ecoremediation that would preserve soil properties during and after decontamination. The contributors to the book are internationally recognized experts, which present both state-of-the art and novel approaches in the above fields that makes the book unique with respect to the scope.

The conference "Combating Desertification with Plants" was held in Beer Sheva, Israel, from November 2-5, 1999, and was attended by 70 participants from 30 countries and/or international organisations. Desertification - the degradation of soils in drylands - is a phenomenon occurring in scores of countries around the globe. The number of people (in semiarid regions) affected by the steady decline in the productivity of their lands is in the hundred millions. The measures required to halt and reverse the process of desertification fall into many categories - policy, institutional, sociological-anthropological, and technical. Although technical "solutions" are not currently in vogue, the conference organizers felt that perhaps the pendulum had swung too far in the direction of "participatory approaches." Hence IPALAC - The International Program for Arid Land Crops - whose function is to serve as a catalyst for optimizing the contribution of plant germplasm to sustainable development in desertification-prone regions - felt the time was opportune for providing a platform for projects where the "plant-driven" approach to development finds expression. Some 45 papers were delivered at the conference, falling into the categories of this volume: Overview, Potential Germplasm for Arid Lands, Introduction, Domestication and Dissemination of Arid Land Plants, Land Rehabilitation, and Mechanisms of Plant Transfer. The conference was funded by UNESCO (Division of Ecological Sciences), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and MASHAV, Israel's Center for International Development Cooperation.