El libro va dirigido tanto a los técnicos redactores de proyectos como a los responsables de industrias y actividades contaminantes, y a los gestores de la Administración garantes del cumplimiento de las disposiciones en materia de Medio Ambiente. También puede ser un libro de texto o de consulta para los estudiosos o personas interesadas en el tema.

Comprising a collection of papers from the 4th International Conference on Environmental and Economic Impact on Sustainable Development, the research studies included in this book consider the impact of economic constraints on the environment, taking into account the social aspects as well as the over-use of natural resources. The papers examine issues related to whether some forms of development are compatible with environmental protection, particularly in cases of possible serious contamination and toxicity. Uncontrolled development can result in damage to the environment in terms of the release of toxic substances and hazardous waste. Addressing problems of great importance, this book examines more constructive and progressive approaches to ensure sustainability. A major motivation is to learn from past failure, to avoid repeating similar mistakes, while attempting to prevent emerging threats to environmental and ecological systems. Fundamental to these concepts are the analysis of the inherent risk and the development of appropriate strategies.

Delegates to the 3rd International Conference on Environmental and Economic Impact on Sustainable Development contributed the peer-reviewed papers contained in this book. The papers discuss the most serious problems affecting sustainable development. They consider the impact of economic constraints on the environment, taking into account the social aspects as well as the over-use of natural resources. Uncontrolled development can also result in damage to the environment in terms of the release of toxic substances and hazardous waste. Thus, attention is paid to issues related to whether some forms of development are compatible with environmental protection, particularly in cases of possible serious contamination and toxicity. The focus in the book is on more constructive and progressive approaches to the problems discussed, to ensure sustainability. The hope is that through the shared experiences of experts, we can learn from past failure, to avoid repeating similar mistakes, while attempting to prevent emerging threats to the environmental and ecological systems. Fundamental to these concepts are an analysis of the inherent risks and the development of appropriate strategies. The papers in the book address such topics as: Environmental policies and planning; Environmental assessments; Development issues; Sustainable cities; Economic impact; Natural resources management; Energy and the environment; Food production systems and policies; Ecosystems health; Soil contamination; Remediation; Decommissioning of hazardous plants; Brownfields rehabilitation; Water resources management; Air and water pollution; Toxicity studies; Pollution and public health; Environmental health risk; Community participation; Legislation and regulations.