A comprehensive resource to sustainability and its application to the environmental, industrial, agricultural and food security sectors Sustainability fills a gap in the literature in order to provide an important guide to the fundamental knowledge and practical applications of sustainability in a wide variety of areas. The authors – noted experts who represent a number of sustainability fields – bring together in one comprehensive volume the broad range of topics including basic concepts, impact assessment, environmental and the socio-economic aspects of sustainability. In addition, the book covers applications of sustainability in environmental, industrial, agricultural and food security, as well as carbon cycle and infrastructural aspects. Sustainability addresses the challenges the global community is facing due to population growth, depletion of non-renewable resources of energy, environmental degradation, poverty, excessive generation of wastes and more. Throughout the book the authors discuss the economics, ecological, social, technological and systems perspectives of sustainability. This important resource: Explores the fundamentals as well as the key concepts of sustainability; Covers basic concepts, impact assessment, environmental and socio-economic aspects, applications of sustainability in environmental, industrial, agricultural and food security, carbon cycle and infrastructural aspects; Argues the essentiality of sustainability in ensuring the propitious future of earth systems; and Authored by experts from a range of various fields related to sustainability. Written for researchers and scientists, students and academics, Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications is a comprehensive book that covers the basic knowledge of the topic combined with practical applications.

Understanding the advancement of sustainable development is critical to managing human activities to avoid the overexploitation of resources and pollution of the environment beyond tolerable levels. Sustainable development involves not only preservation and care of the environment, but also recognition of the complex relations between economic, social and living systems. Environmental Modeling for Sustainable Regional Development: System Approaches and Advanced Methods presents processing methods and their applications, which are practical for decision making and task management at the regional level as well as for scientific studies in sustainable development assessment. This book serves as a reference guide for post-graduate students in the field of management as well as a critical guide for managers, government officials, and information professionals.

A rigorous approach to environmental sustainability suitable for researchers and graduate students in environmental economics. Surveys a wide range of approaches to modeling sustainable development, including neo-classical, evolutionary, ecological economics, and neo-Ricardian. Examines how they deal with such fundamental issues as equity between and within generations, the very long term, the irreversibility of ecological change, uncertainty and system complexity, and processes of technological change. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In view of the current global scenario, which highlighted the importance of sustainable development and sustaining natural resources, the theme selected for the 2nd Regional ECOMOD 2007 Conference was indeed appropriate. This conference has generated overwhelming interest and I am sure the participants have focussed diligently on the serious issues concerning important environmental issues and steps needed to be taken towards a sustainable development and management of our natural resources and environment. As governments in the Asian region introduce new initiatives and development policies to rejuvenate and protect their environment and natural resources, it is imperative that universities and research institutions play a fundamental role in ensuring that the objectives of these policies are realized. Such institutions can complement government proposals by embarking on research that is relevant and valuable to the needs of respective nations and pursuing extensive research so that the outcome and technology generated can be transferred effectively to the end users. This concerted effort by all the researchers from different fields to improve and manage our natural resources should be lauded. I strongly believe that this conference is an extraordinary testimony to our capacity building at regional and local levels. I believe USM has something interesting to share with all of you in this area. Finally, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, I hope readers will find this book of proceedings useful, informative and stimulating.

There is widespread concern for long-term environmental issues in relation to economic processes and developments. Among the concerned scientists are economists, who have taken up the challenge to apply economic insights and tools for the study of long-term environment-economy interactions, and to give the concept of sustainable development 'economic hands and feet'. This book presents a pluralistic perspective on efforts, problems and successes in this area. This collection of papers was originally prepared for an international symposium titled Economic Modelling of Sustainable Development: Between Theory and Practice, which was hosted by the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, on December 20th 1996. The main motivation for this symposium was that the usefulness of the concept of sustainable development for theoretical and applied modelling is still being debated; growth theorists, resource economists, ecological economists, policy makers and many others are trying to deal with the concept in various, and sometimes conflicting, ways. The aim of the symposium was to bring together different theoretical and implementational perspectives on modelling for sustainable development. We hope that this volume will inform a wide audience about the perspectives and progress in this important area of research, as well as stimulate further research, notably on applied modelling and practical methods for the analysis of sustainable development at various (spatial) scales. The papers have, in due course, been revised several times based on comments made by discus sants, referees and the editors.

The book gives a comprehensive overview of all available types of ecological models. It is the first book of its kind that gives an overview of different model types and will be of interest to all those involved in ecological and environmental modelling and ecological informatics.

Addressing the basic concepts of ecological modelling, Jorgensen provides the user with a tool which can assist in the understanding of what various model types/network calculations can do, as well as outlining when to use which type as a tool to solve a specific problem.