Critical minerals play a vital role in the ongoing energy transition, which aims to shift global energy systems towards more sustainable and low-carbon alternatives. These minerals, also known as critical minerals, are essential components in various clean energy technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. They possess unique properties that enable efficient energy generation, storage, and transmission. For instance, neodymium, a rare earth element, is crucial for the production of high-performance magnets used in wind turbines and electric motors. Lithium, another critical mineral, is a key component in rechargeable batteries powering electric vehicles and energy storage solutions. As the demand for clean energy technologies continues to rise, securing a sustainable and reliable supply of critical minerals becomes increasingly important to support the global energy transition and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In this book, we investigate various aspects of critical mineral governance in the context of sustainability transition. We give perspectives around the critical metal requirements of sustainability transition in a forward-looking manner. We discuss the answers to the questions below: What role do the critical raw materials play in transition to a sustainable economy and energy systems transformation? What are the bottlenecks in achieving a sustainable critical material supply? How do the critical minerals enable renewable energy transition & sustainable development? What is their role in the sustainability transition? How is mineral criticality assessed? And how critical are minerals? What are some regional difference in terms of critical mineral availability, processing capacity and supply chain? What strategy should be followed in deciding between primary raw materials and secondary raw materials in supplying critical raw materials for the transition to a sustainable economy? What is the (known) critical material budget and how does it fit with the climate pledges? The book takes a multi-perspective approach and gives insights from an industrial ecology, environmental engineering and sustainable management of natural resources perspective. It will help the reader understand critical metal requirements of future key technologies and the decide for the supply strategy.

This book presents selected papers from the 2022 7th Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, which was held in Kyoto, Japan, November 4–6, 2022. The event was co-sponsored by the International Network for Environmental and Humanitarian Cooperation, and technically supported by Yokohama National University and the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan. The book focuses on environmental restoration and ecological engineering, global environmental change and ecosystems management, environmental dynamics, wastewater and sludge treatment, air pollution and control, and environmental sustainability. The volume is a valuable resource for those in both academia and industry.

This book collects the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of environmental science and sustainable development, which were presented by scholars and researchers at the 2021 6th Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, held in Phuket, Thailand, November 6-8, 2021. The book covers highly diverse topics, including environmental dynamics, global environmental change and ecosystems management, environmental restoration and ecological engineering, water treatment and reclamation, environmental sustainability, health and the environment, wastewater and sludge treatment, solid waste management, air pollution and control. The contributions, which were selected in a rigorous international peer-review process, highlight numerous exciting ideas that will spur novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary collaborations.

Water Resources Management for Rural Development: Challenges and Mitigation provides an overview of the current challenges of rural water and its management strategies. The content contains practical and theoretical aspects of the water crisis in rural areas in a changing climate era, with an emphasis on recent water crisis research and management strategies. The book's structure contains fundamentals of water resources, pollution, remediation, supply and management strategies. Case studies included provide different water-related issues around the globe, introducing the reader to the paths of reducing the burden on the groundwater and the alternative options for the supply of water in rural areas. Decision-makers and water supply authorities will benefit from this unique resource that comprehensively covers rural water management in ways no comparable book has achieved.

This book collects the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of environmental science and sustainable development, which were presented by scholars and researchers at the 2021 6th Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, held in Phuket, Thailand, November 6–8, 2021. The book covers highly diverse topics, including environmental dynamics, global environmental change and ecosystems management, environmental restoration and ecological engineering, water treatment and reclamation, environmental sustainability, health and the environment, wastewater and sludge treatment, solid waste management, air pollution and control. The contributions, which were selected in a rigorous international peer-review process, highlight numerous exciting ideas that will spur novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary collaborations.