Agricultural Waste Diversity and Sustainability Issues: Sub Saharan Africa as Case Study presents solutions for overcoming limitations, guiding developmental processes, and improving knowledge transfer in agricultural waste management and development. The book gives considerable attention to treatment and conversion, with best management practices involving the reduction and elimination of waste volume in its various forms, sectors and streams. Sections cover waste management in the agriculture and food sector, including methodological approaches in waste preparation and processes, the most important energy generation techniques and strategies, and best practices, management, sustainability, associated technologies, accountability, communications, and involvement surrounding diverse stakeholders. Agricultural Waste Diversity and Sustainability Issues: Sub Saharan Africa as Case Study illustrates the use of mathematical models to minimize operational cost in agro-waste management processes and discusses the application of eco-efficiency. Ultimately, the book focuses on the prospect of agro-wastes management and risk associated in the sub-Saharan African region, including Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa as case studies.

This book presents advances and innovations in grouping genetic algorithms, enriched with new and unique heuristic optimization techniques. These algorithms are specially designed for solving industrial grouping problems where system entities are to be partitioned or clustered into efficient groups according to a set of guiding decision criteria. Examples of such problems are: vehicle routing problems, team formation problems, timetabling problems, assembly line balancing, group maintenance planning, modular design, and task assignment. A wide range of industrial grouping problems, drawn from diverse fields such as logistics, supply chain management, project management, manufacturing systems, engineering design and healthcare, are presented. Typical complex industrial grouping problems, with multiple decision criteria and constraints, are clearly described using illustrative diagrams and formulations. The problems are mapped into a common group structure that can conveniently be used as an input scheme to specific variants of grouping genetic algorithms. Unique heuristic grouping techniques are developed to handle grouping problems efficiently and effectively. Illustrative examples and computational results are presented in tables and graphs to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithms. Researchers, decision analysts, software developers, and graduate students from various disciplines will find this in-depth reader-friendly exposition of advances and applications of grouping genetic algorithms an interesting, informative and valuable resource.

This book explores effective environmental impact mitigation for petroleum-based lubricants to reduce their negative persistence during usage and upon end-of-life disposal. The book reviews the basic tribology of lubricants as well as initiatives that may enhance the environmental and economic effectiveness of lubricating oils from the composition design perspective across industries. Considering the blending, application, and disposal of petroleum lubricants in a holistic manner, the book presents and extends current best practices that minimize or eliminate adverse environmental impact throughout the product's life cycle. The book reviews methods including: raw material substitution, minimizing oil losses during and after manufacturing, raw material and energy consumption reduction, and environmentally friendly applications of oil disposal as ways forward for cleaner and more effective production. This book provides readers with strategies for incorporating cleaner production practices into their operations - a benefit to both environmental legal compliance and business competitiveness - all the while preserving the environment for sustainable development. The book is therefore of interest to both manufacturers and consumers in the lubricants industry.

This book is the result of years of research following a realization of the mismatch of engineering skills produced by universities and those that industry required, based on the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, equally applicable to other regions in Africa and indeed worldwide. The book is meant to assist engineering academics and engineers in industry to build capacity and cope with the dynamic trends in technology brought on by the 4th Industrial Revolution and to prepare for the 5th Industrial Revolution, an era predicted to be dominated by critical and system thinkers with creative and innovative skills as basic necessities. The book is also useful for policy-making researchers in academia, industrial and public sector researchers, and implementers in governments that provide required funding for the development of human resources and skills. The book primarily consists of the novel research and innovation approaches of modelling and building systems thinking sub-models which were ultimately integrated into the Universal Systems Thinking (UST) model aimed at improving the quality of engineers and engineering practice. The initiatives in this book include strategies for bridging the gap between industry and academia through systems thinking research. The book provides information on how to model, simulate, adjust and implement integrated systems thinking approaches to engineering education and training for capacity building and sustainability. The book also covers approaches to address research gaps and mismatch of skills while capitalizing on the successes of several projects carried out and supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering over the years.

Environmental Impact Assessments and Mitigation examines various assessments for developmental projects in the housing, mining, energy, and waste management areas. As the world continues to shift toward concerns over climate change and environmental protection issues, developmental projects must have environmental impact assessments (EIA) conducted as well as environmental management plans (EMP). This book describes how all phases of a project, from planning, to operation, to post operation, must consider potential environmental impacts and their mitigation. Features: Presents numerous sustainable development considerations for key industries Discusses how environmental impact assessments are prepared for each stage of a project Describes different environmental management plans for established projects Offers mitigation plans for various potential environmental impacts Includes practical examples from the construction, manufacturing, transport, and mining industries Useful for practicing professional engineers as well as upper-level students, this book covers all aspects of environmental impact assessments from start to finish.

Contributing to research, knowledge, and discourse on humanitarian logistics and supply chains in Africa, Supply Networks in Developing Countries introduces a unique perspective on the developing world, and how their supply networks can be enhanced and optimized. The authors highlight the 4th Industrial Revolution, information technology, reverse logistics, supply chain modelling and block-chains, and how these can be the key to strengthening humanitarian logistics in developing countries. It discusses humanitarian supply chain management issues in relation to the increasing numbers of disasters and the complexity and magnitude of global emergency relief operations. By exploring the roles and responsibilities of major stakeholders including donors, relief agencies, NGOs, governments, academia and cooperate business, this book provides the skills and knowledge needed to manage supply chains in both unpredictable and dire environments.

Healthcare operations, in hospitals and home healthcare settings, are inundated with complex fuzzy features that impose difficulties in the creation of work schedules. As healthcare workers call for schedules that accommodate their individual preferences and patients continue to call for more personalized healthcare, further research into multi-criteria solution approaches to staff scheduling is imperative. Healthcare Staff Scheduling: Emerging Fuzzy Optimization Approaches presents in-depth research into emerging approaches to healthcare staff scheduling. It starts by reviewing the key issues and challenges inherent in staff scheduling, along with the basic concepts of fuzzy set theory. Examining research applications in healthcare staff scheduling, it details promising fuzzy optimization algorithms derived from biologically inspired approaches and fuzzy theory. Providing researchers, operations analysts, scientists, and practitioners with a practical and in-depth understanding of modern fuzzy metaheuristic optimization approaches, the book presents cutting-edge research on multi-criteria algorithms and their applications in healthcare operations, particularly in staff scheduling. The book illustrates flexible techniques for solving complex scheduling problems that account for the variability that results from imprecise human preferences. Covering recent developments in the methods utilized to create high-quality staff schedules, it includes many instructive examples of healthcare schedule problems along with potential solutions. Considering avenues for future research, this book will help readers pave the way to new and improved methods for solving staff scheduling problems that are difficult to evaluate quantitatively due to imprecision, fuzziness, and vagueness. To promote the quality of the work presented, all chapters in this book have been rigorously reviewed by leading international experts and researche

This book focuses on the application of workstudy in productivity of manufacturing SMEs locally and abroad and also explores various industrial problems which face manufacturing SMEs in developing and underdeveloped countries in the rest of the world. Low productivity is currently a serious challenge facing manufacturing SMEs, where these SMEs are operating below expected production output levels which makes it difficult for them to compete in the global market. SMEs are the engine drivers of economic growth, one of which is manufacturing. The challenge is that government from various countries in developing and underdeveloped countries, mandated agencies in their respective areas, to ensure that there is economic progress for these SMEs, but productivity remains low in the manufacturing SMEs. When SMEs do not perform well, productivity of manufacturing SMEs declines and unemployment increases. Thus, an increase in unemployment results in a drop of GDP in the country and can become a global and economic crisis. This book describes a process which enables the reader to use effective knowledge that addresses problems facing the productivity of manufacturing SMEs such as work study tools and case studies and provides solutions and applications to improve the running of the manufacturing SMEs in growing their productivity.

Healthcare operations, in hospitals and home healthcare settings, are inundated with complex fuzzy features that impose difficulties in the creation of work schedules. As healthcare workers call for schedules that accommodate their individual preferences and patients continue to call for more personalized healthcare, further research into multi-criteria solution approaches to staff scheduling is imperative. Healthcare Staff Scheduling: Emerging Fuzzy Optimization Approaches presents in-depth research into emerging approaches to healthcare staff scheduling. It starts by reviewing the key issues and challenges inherent in staff scheduling, along with the basic concepts of fuzzy set theory. Examining research applications in healthcare staff scheduling, it details promising fuzzy optimization algorithms derived from biologically inspired approaches and fuzzy theory. Providing researchers, operations analysts, scientists, and practitioners with a practical and in-depth understanding of modern fuzzy metaheuristic optimization approaches, the book presents cutting-edge research on multi-criteria algorithms and their applications in healthcare operations, particularly in staff scheduling. The book illustrates flexible techniques for solving complex scheduling problems that account for the variability that results from imprecise human preferences. Covering recent developments in the methods utilized to create high-quality staff schedules, it includes many instructive examples of healthcare schedule problems along with potential solutions. Considering avenues for future research, this book will help readers pave the way to new and improved methods for solving staff scheduling problems that are difficult to evaluate quantitatively due to imprecision, fuzziness, and vagueness. To promote the quality of the work presented, all chapters in this book have been rigorously reviewed by leading international experts and researche

Environmental Impact Assessments and Mitigation examines various assessments for developmental projects in the housing, mining, energy, and waste management areas. As the world continues to shift toward concerns over climate change and environmental protection issues, developmental projects must have environmental impact assessments (EIA) conducted as well as environmental management plans (EMP). This book describes how all phases of a project, from planning, to operation, to post operation, must consider potential environmental impacts and their mitigation. Features: Presents numerous sustainable development considerations for key industries Discusses how environmental impact assessments are prepared for each stage of a project Describes different environmental management plans for established projects Offers mitigation plans for various potential environmental impacts Includes practical examples from the construction, manufacturing, transport, and mining industries Useful for practicing professional engineers as well as upper-level students, this book covers all aspects of environmental impact assessments from start to finish.

This book is the result of years of research following a realization of the mismatch of engineering skills produced by universities and those that industry required, based on the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, equally applicable to other regions in Africa and indeed worldwide. The book is meant to assist engineering academics and engineers in industry to build capacity and cope with the dynamic trends in technology brought on by the 4th Industrial Revolution and to prepare for the 5th Industrial Revolution, an era predicted to be dominated by critical and system thinkers with creative and innovative skills as basic necessities. The book is also useful for policy-making researchers in academia, industrial and public sector researchers, and implementers in governments that provide required funding for the development of human resources and skills. The book primarily consists of the novel research and innovation approaches of modelling and building systems thinking sub-models which were ultimately integrated into the Universal Systems Thinking (UST) model aimed at improving the quality of engineers and engineering practice. The initiatives in this book include strategies for bridging the gap between industry and academia through systems thinking research. The book provides information on how to model, simulate, adjust and implement integrated systems thinking approaches to engineering education and training for capacity building and sustainability. The book also covers approaches to address research gaps and mismatch of skills while capitalizing on the successes of several projects carried out and supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering over the years.

Water, energy, and food are basic requirements for life, and this book presents solutions for obtaining these from sewage wastewater treatment plants. It describes the optimal recovery of value-added products from municipal sewage plants in developing countries, and explains how the plants' operations can become both economical and sustainable. Further, it shows how the clean effluent that is obtained is then suitable for agricultural use in the production of bio-fertilizers, and graywater for irrigation, and how the recovered biogas could be used for energy and heating needs. Practical case studies from three separate sewage plants are presented to illustrate the processes involved.

This book presents advances and innovations in grouping genetic algorithms, enriched with new and unique heuristic optimization techniques. These algorithms are specially designed for solving industrial grouping problems where system entities are to be partitioned or clustered into efficient groups according to a set of guiding decision criteria. Examples of such problems are: vehicle routing problems, team formation problems, timetabling problems, assembly line balancing, group maintenance planning, modular design, and task assignment. A wide range of industrial grouping problems, drawn from diverse fields such as logistics, supply chain management, project management, manufacturing systems, engineering design and healthcare, are presented. Typical complex industrial grouping problems, with multiple decision criteria and constraints, are clearly described using illustrative diagrams and formulations. The problems are mapped into a common group structure that can conveniently be used as an input scheme to specific variants of grouping genetic algorithms. Unique heuristic grouping techniques are developed to handle grouping problems efficiently and effectively. Illustrative examples and computational results are presented in tables and graphs to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithms. Researchers, decision analysts, software developers, and graduate students from various disciplines will find this in-depth reader-friendly exposition of advances and applications of grouping genetic algorithms an interesting, informative and valuable resource.

This book explores effective environmental impact mitigation for petroleum-based lubricants to reduce their negative persistence during usage and upon end-of-life disposal. The book reviews the basic tribology of lubricants as well as initiatives that may enhance the environmental and economic effectiveness of lubricating oils from the composition design perspective across industries. Considering the blending, application, and disposal of petroleum lubricants in a holistic manner, the book presents and extends current best practices that minimize or eliminate adverse environmental impact throughout the product's life cycle. The book reviews methods including: raw material substitution, minimizing oil losses during and after manufacturing, raw material and energy consumption reduction, and environmentally friendly applications of oil disposal as ways forward for cleaner and more effective production. This book provides readers with strategies for incorporating cleaner production practices into their operations - a benefit to both environmental legal compliance and business competitiveness - all the while preserving the environment for sustainable development. The book is therefore of interest to both manufacturers and consumers in the lubricants industry.

This book focuses on the application of workstudy in productivity of manufacturing SMEs locally and abroad and also explores various industrial problems which face manufacturing SMEs in developing and underdeveloped countries in the rest of the world. Low productivity is currently a serious challenge facing manufacturing SMEs, where these SMEs are operating below expected production output levels which makes it difficult for them to compete in the global market. SMEs are the engine drivers of economic growth, one of which is manufacturing. The challenge is that government from various countries in developing and underdeveloped countries, mandated agencies in their respective areas, to ensure that there is economic progress for these SMEs, but productivity remains low in the manufacturing SMEs. When SMEs do not perform well, productivity of manufacturing SMEs declines and unemployment increases. Thus, an increase in unemployment results in a drop of GDP in the country and can become a global and economic crisis. This book describes a process which enables the reader to use effective knowledge that addresses problems facing the productivity of manufacturing SMEs such as work study tools and case studies and provides solutions and applications to improve the running of the manufacturing SMEs in growing their productivity.

This book discusses sustainable waste management technologies for managing end-of-life (EoL) post-consumer and packaging plastic solid waste (PSW) from domestic and commercial waste streams. It does so particularly in the context of providing a way forward for developing economies. Treating recycling and composting of, and energy recovery from, plastics, the book is directed at individuals who are responsible for or have a significant role in solid waste management. Academics and students in solid waste management pursuing research or study in solid waste management with particular interest in plastics will find this book useful. Sustainable options for managing PSW are presented with reference to the scientific, engineering, and management standpoints to enable decision makers and relevant stakeholders in industry arrive at the best decision for achieving sustainable resource management. The book further integrates waste management and technologies so that PSW recycling can be viewed from environmental, economic, and social perspectives. Greener technologies for PSW management are addressed so as to provide drivers that will influence key stakeholders and policy-makers achieve sustainability in this field.