Natural Resources - Technology, Economics & Policy

by Aswathanarayana; U.

• ISBN13: 9780415897914
• ISBN10: 0415897912
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-22
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Natural resources management has two principal dimensions : Science-illuminated (earth, space, hydrological, pedological, information, etc. sciences) management of local resources (waters, soils, bioresources, minerals, rocks, sediments, etc.) in an ecologically-sustainable manner, and Value-addition through processing of natural products, through the application of technology is most marked in the case of some mineral products. The wellness of a community is dependent upon the security of food, water, environment and energy. Such a security is best realised through science-illuminated (earth, space, hydrological, pedological, information) management of local resources (waters, soils, bioresources, minerals, rocks, sediments, etc.) in an ecologically-sustainable and people-participatory manner, plus value-addition through processing of natural products. Moreover, the addition of value may increase a communities " wealth by advanced technologies, trading, exchange of knowledge, etc. Moreover, activities, employment and many other things come along with the availability of natural resources, which will require and affect policy. This volume provides guidelines for the implementation of technological, economical and policy advances in dealing with various aspects of natural resources. It is intended for researchers, professionals and students in environmental and earth sciences, mining, geography, sociology, economics and for policy makers and investors searching for potential in the natural resources industry. Ideal for consultation in combination with the editor's related publications Green Energy: Technology, Economics and Policy, Energy Portfoliosand Food and Water Security.

Author Biography

U. Aswathanarayana has extensive international teaching, R. D. and institutional capacity-building experience in a number of countries. He is the author of several books on natural resources and renewable energy published by CRC Press/Balkema. He was elected to the Fellowship of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to science, and to the development of science in the South. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Geophysical Education and International Awards of the American Geophysical Union, and of the Certificate of Recognition of the International Association of Geo-Chemistry (IAGC).

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xv
Foreword	p. xvii
List of Figures	p. xix
List of Tables	p. xxv
Units, Abbreviations and Acronyms, Definitions and Conversion Constants	p. xxix
About the Editor	p. xxxvii
Introduction	p. I
Symbiotic relationship between mangroves and coastal communities	p. 3
Earth system science for global sustainability	p. 5
"Virtual" natural resources	p. 7
Natural resources and globalization	p. 9
General considerations	p. 9
Different aspects of globalisation	p. 10
Natural resources and violent conflicts	p. 11
Innovation chain and economic growth	p. 13
References	p. 19
Water resources management	p. 21
Holistic water resources management, based on the hydrological cycle (U. Aswathanarayana, India)	p. 23
Introduction - water and culture	p. 23
Water balance	p. 24
Green and blue waters	p. 26
Conjunctive use of water resources	p. 28
Water resources endowments of countries	p. 32
Decision - Support system for water resources management	p. 34
Paradigm of global water resources management	p. 36
How best to use water resources - India as a case	p. 39
References	p. 44
Economic frameworks to inform decision-making (U. Aswathanarayana, India)	p. 47
An integrated economic approach to water scarcity	p. 48
Role of the private sector in the water resources management	p. 50
Tools for policy makers	p. 53
Quo vadis?	p. 55
Reference	p. 55
Multiple perspectives on water: A synthesis (Ramaswamy R. Iyer, India)	p. 57
Nature of water	p. 57
Perspectives on water	p. 57
References	p. 65
Water pollution (U. Aswathanarayana, India)	p. 67
Pathways of pollution	p. 67
Activities that can cause groundwater pollution	p. 68
Leachates from solid wastes, source-wise	p. 68
Pollution from liquid wastes, source-wise	p. 71
Contaminants, type-wise	p. 75
Anthropogenic acidification of waters	p. 80
Water pollution arising from waste disposal	p. 82
Transport of contaminant solutes in aquifers	p. 86
References	p. 87
Sequential use of water resources (U. Aswathanarayana, India)	p. 89
Water quality in relation to water use	p. 89
Estimates of water value for different uses	p. 91
Water value in system context	p. 94
Price coordination of water supplies	p. 94
Principles of optimization	p. 95
Price coordination of a typical irrigation system	p. 97
Optimization methods in water management	p. 98
Allocation of water to competing users	p. 101
Decision-making process	p. 104
References	p. 105
Wastewater reuse systems (U. Aswathanarayana, India)	p. 107
Introduction	p. 107
Bio-pond treatment of waste water	p. 108
Types of wastewater reuse	p. 111
Use of wastewater in irrigation	p. 112
Geopurification	p. 115
Economics of wastewater reuse	p. 117
Health hazards in wastewater reuse	p. 118
Use of sewage sludge as fertilizer	p. 119
References	p. 120
Etiology of diseases arising from toxic elements in linking water (U. Aswathanarayana, India)	p. 123
Routes and consequences of ingestion of toxic elements	p. 123
Arseniasis	p. 124
Fluorosis	p. 128
Risk assessment	p. 133
References	p. 134
Water and agriculture: Usefulness of agrometeorological advisories	p. 137
Introduction	p. 137
Impact of climatic variability on agricultural water challenges	p. 138
Usefulness of agro-climatic information in water use	p. 140
Farmer-customized agrometeorological advisories	p. 142
Integration of agro-climatic resources with agricultural inputs	p. 143
Projection of water status in Indian agriculture under future climate change scenario	p. 146
How to produce more food (through optimization of soil-water-plant system)	p. 150
How to do with less water (in agriculture, industry and domestic purposes)	p. 151
Conclusion	p. 152
References	p. 152
Remote sensing in water resources management (Venkat Lakshmi, USA)	p. 155
Background and societal importance	p. 155
Current monitoring methodologies	p. 157
Land surface modeling and data assimilation	p. 162
References	p. 172
Case history and exercises	p. 177
Introduction	p. 177
Description of the study area	p. 177
Rainfall analysis of the catchment area	p. 179
Analysis of inflows to the reservoirs	p. 179
Verification of the cropping area in the catchments	p. 181
Water table contour maps and analysis	p. 182
Discussion on hydrographs of observation wells	p. 184
Composite hydrographs of piezometer wells	p. 186
Rainfall and water level rise relationship	p. 187
Influence of premonsoon groundwater levels over the recharge of rainfall water to the ground	p. 188
Implications of the study and conclusions	p. 190
References	p. 192
Exercises	p. 193
Basic research and R&D	p. 199
Background - Traditional water resources management	p. 199
New paradigm for water resources management	p. 200
R&D for managing water resources under uncertainty	p. 204
Colorado river management - Case study	p. 207
References	p. 209
Mineral resources management	p. 211
Introduction	p. 213
Environmental challenges facing the mining industry	p. 214
Mining, environmental protection and sustainable development	p. 217
Economics of environmental protection in mining	p. 218
Technology trends in the mining industry	p. 219
Automation in the mining industry	p. 219
Technology-driven developments in the mining industry	p. 220
Mineral demand in response to emerging technological needs	p. 223
Emerging technological needs	p. 223
Rare earth elements	p. 224
Gold	p. 226
Aluminium	p. 228
Copper	p. 229
Lead	p. 230
Control technologies for minimizing the environmental impact of mining	p. 233
Acid mine drainage	p. 233
Tailings disposal	p. 241
Dust control technologies	p. 250
Low-waste technologies	p. 252
Treatment of wastewater	p. 255
Subsidence	p. 258
Noise and vibration	p. 260
Planning for mine closure	p. 262
Health and socio-economic impacts of the mining industry	p. 265
Health hazards of the mining industry	p. 265
Health hazards due to dusts	p. 267
Matrix diagrams	p. 268
Total project development - A visionary approach	p. 269
Artisanal mining	p. 273
Ways of ameliorating the adverse consequences of mining industry	p. 277
Rehabilitation of mined land	p. 277
Beneficial use of mining wastes	p. 278
Reuse of mine water	p. 280
Iron ore mine of Kiruna, Sweden - A case study	p. 281
Basic research and R&D	p. 283
References	p. 285
Energy resources management	p. 289
Coal resources	p. 291
Importance of coal in the energy economy	p. 291
Environmental impact of the coal cycle	p. 292
Wastes from coal industries	p. 295
Power generation technologies	p. 297
China - a country case study	p. 299
Oil and gas resources	p. 301
Oil	p. 301
Natural gas	p. 305
Shale gas	p. 308
Saudi Arabia - a country case study	p. 310
Nuclear fuel resources	p. 313
Introduction	p. 313
Resource position	p. 314
Cost of nuclear power	p. 317
Projected nuclear power capacity	p. 319
New reactor designs	p. 320
R&D areas	p. 321
Country case study of France	p. 322
Renewable energy resources	p. 323
Why renewables?	p. 323
Renewable energy sources	p. 325
Strategy for a low-carbon footprint	p. 339
Carbon emissions and climate change	p. 339
Mitigation of climate change	p. 341
Exercises	p. 345
References	p. 347
Bio resources and biodiversity	p. 349
Introduction	p. 351
What is biodiversity?	p. 353
Endernism and keystone species	p. 354
Why conserve biodiversity	p. 355
Global biodiversity resources	p. 357
Erosion of biodiversity	p. 359
Causes for the erosion of biodiversity	p. 360
Habitat loss	p. 361
Invasive alien species	p. 361
Pollution	p. 362
Human population	p. 362
Overexploitation	p. 362
Arresting biodiversity loss	p. 363
Climate change and biodiversity	p. 366
Role of forests in climate change mitigation	p. 366
Role of biodiversity in medicine, agriculture and forestry	p. 367
Biodiversity in medicine	p. 367
Agro-biodiversity	p. 370
Biodiversity and forestry	p. 372
Biodiversity and biotechnology	p. 377
Biotechnology for biodiversity assessment	p. 377
Biodiversity utilization	p. 378
Impacts	p. 378
Biotechnology for prospecting genetic diversity	p. 379
Genetically modified foods	p. 380
Environmental biotechnology	p. 380
Pragmatic use of biotechnology	p. 381
Economics and policy of biodiversity management	p. 383
Economics and policy	p. 383
Tangible and intangible uses of biodiversity	p. 384
Conservation strategy	p. 384
Future prospects	p. 387
The strategic plan -Aichi targets 2011-2020	p. 388
Scope for future research	p. 389
Conclusion: Living in harmony with nature	p. 391
Sample exercises	p. 393
References	p. 395
Disaster management	p. 397
Hazardous events (natural, mixed and technological)	p. 399
Vulnerability to hazardous events	p. 401
Earthquakes	p. 401
Tsunamis	p. 402
Volcanic hazards	p. 403
Slope failures, landslides and subsidence	p. 403
Marine hazards	p. 405
Introduction	p. 405
Types of marine hazards	p. 405
Natural hazards	p. 406
Man-made hazards	p. 410
References	p. 416
Nuclear energy accidents	p. 417
The Three Mile Island (TMI) accident	p. 417
Chernobyl reactor accident	p. 418
Fukushima - Daiichi reactor accident	p. 420
Integrated disaster preparedness	p. 425
Dual use technologies and practices	p. 425
Resiliency linked to social-ecological systems	p. 426
Risk management through securitisation	p. 426
Monitoring and warning systems	p. 428
Science-based and people-based Hazard preparedness systems	p. 429
Risk communication	p. 430
Rehabilitation measures	p. 431
Basic research and R&D	p. 433
References	p. 435
Overview and integration	p. 437
Author index	p. 465
Subject index	p. 469
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