Sustainable Development Goals Series

This book addresses climate change and sustainability management from a transdisciplinary perspective which encompasses within itself how different humanistic disciplines can culminate with each other to move ahead with the agenda.

Issues of adapting to climate change and sustainability management have been gaining global prominence over the past few decades. There have also been volumes of literature that highlight the technical dimensions of climate change and sustainability across regions and cultures. However, they have had limited strength to bring direct and desirable impact in promoting pro-climate action and sustainability behaviour. The major reason for this is limited inclusion of pluralistic perspectives into human cognition and affect, and resultant limited public acceptability.

Although behavioural science as a discipline has taken a front seat in promoting behavioural transformation, the book argues that other humanistic fields of understanding like education, art, literature, philosophy, political science, sociology, economics, etc., have to be integrated in order to present a holistic standpoint to sustainability literature.

This volume provokes conversations and reflections on the most appropriate methodologies to pursue Career Development Learning (CDL) research within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s. Drawing on studies with Australian students from diverse backgrounds, including low socioeconomic status, regional, rural and remote, with disability, etc., this volume uniquely highlights considerations for contextual and inclusive CDL research which advances multiple SDGs and quality futures across the globe. Although situated in Australian contexts, the case studies have international applicability.

This Open Access book provides eight problem solving lectures for sustainable development for people, peace, and partnerships. Those are three of the five keywords for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): people, the planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships or “the 5Ps”.

Each of these lectures is classified into one of the keywords for SDGs and based on the history of social thought, human development, law, education, sociology, and peace studies. Further, each lecture delineates the essence of each discipline when it is practically applied to development studies. This book, Sustainable Development Disciplines for Humanity, along with its sister volume related to the planet and prosperity, Society, will be useful in studying development. 

Interdisciplinary research is necessary to achieve the SDGs advocated by the United Nations. Hence, it is essential to learn the basics of individual disciplines, as they each offer ample knowledge fostering problem solving through the accumulation of existing research. This and its sister volume are the first comprehensive textbooks summarizing the essence of each necessary discipline to approach development studies from an interdisciplinary perspective.

In developing countries, this book will provide access to development research for readers aiming to further develop their own nations. Moreover, in developed countries, the book will provide access to problem-solving research for readers seeking holistic solutions to complex social problems.

This book is written by prominent academics and practitioners, exploring problems and opportunities of growth in different aspects of sustainable development. The overarching themes running throughout the book are energy access, policy, climate change, human development and resource allocation in the context of India. The book will benefit policymakers and researchers with its inclusion of new evidence and solutions to meet developmental challenges.

This book analyses the systematic and procedural issues that are faced by women in the Parliament and brings to light the systematic ignorance of certain issues supported by data on the Parliamentary Debates, Question Hours and functioning of Parliamentary Committees. Combining these technical issues with substantive legal arguments in favour of gender mainstreaming, this book acts as a tool of strategic advantage for policymakers, legislators, advocates and researchers. This work unearths not only the problem areas of the research theme, but also dedicates a solution which relies on effective monitoring techniques used globally, specifically to achieve the SDGs in the field of Nutrition, Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health.

This book provides novel perspectives to the ongoing global discussions on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Current knowledge on circular economy and the SDGs target in developing and emerging countries are mostly fragmented and empirical evidence is limited. The approach taken in the book is unique as it presents holistic viewpoints about the synergies, opportunities and challenges between circular economy and SDGs targets in developing and emerging countries. The book presents diverse contents on the topic including literature reviews, conceptual discussions, case studies, and empirical analysis.

This book offers an examination of Africa’s scientific landscape based on extensive empirical data encompassing fifty-four African countries. It traces the evolution of science on the continent, highlighting research areas, global partnerships, funding sources, research capacity, and the impact of science policies. Acknowledging that Africa relies heavily on external sources, particularly from the Global North, for scientific research, the book identifies and addresses obstacles hindering self-reliance and underscores the urgent need for revitalized partnerships and cooperation to bolster Africa's scientific autonomy. It offers valuable recommendations to promote self-reliance, making it an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

This book is written by prominent academics and practitioners, exploring problems and opportunities of growth in different aspects of sustainable development. The overarching themes running throughout the book are energy access, policy, climate change, human development and resource allocation in the context of India. The book will benefit policymakers and researchers with its inclusion of new evidence and solutions to meet developmental challenges.

The pursuit of energy security and climate action is inextricably linked to the intricate web of geopolitical dynamics. This book offers a fresh perspective, masterfully weaving together the threads of energy, geopolitics, and sustainability to create a powerful tapestry of insights and solutions. It delves into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17, emphasizing the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to revitalize global partnerships and align countries towards a shared vision for climate action. It introduces the innovative concept of Cooperative Sustainable Development (CSD), which synergizes energy security, climate action, and geopolitical dynamics.

Delving into the heart of the Indo-Pacific region, a crucible of power struggles and resource competition, the authors expertly navigate the complexities of this geostrategic chessboard. Through meticulous research and incisive analysis, they unveil the intricate interplay between energy insecurity, political tensions, and the urgent need for climate action. Utilizing a multi-dimensional approach, this book offers readers a comprehensive, one-stop resource for understanding the geopolitics of energy and the path towards a peaceful, stable, secure, and clean Indo-Pacific powered by renewable energy.

This book delves into the pressing issue of energy justice as it relates to SDG 7 and its far-reaching implications for society. With a comprehensive exploration of various aspects, from reducing energy burdens to political considerations, environmental justice, and human rights, this thought-provoking collection of chapters offers a profound understanding of the challenges and potential solutions surrounding energy justice.

Starting with an introduction to the concept of energy justice and its significance, the editors lay the groundwork for an engaging discourse. The book then delves into the disproportionate energy burdens faced by low-income communities, shedding light on the difficult choices they must make to meet their basic needs. It further examines the intricate interplay between energy justice, politics, and environmental concerns, striving to find a harmonious balance.

Drawing from a diverse range of perspectives, the chapters explore the intersection of energy justice with human rights, analyzing its implications for countries worldwide. The book also investigates the influence of disruptive events on renewable energy programs, presents an Islamic perspective on energy justice, and highlights the roles of the financial sector, fossil fuel industry, nuclear energy sector, and energy technology innovation in mitigating energy injustice.

Chapter 'The Role of the Financial Sector in Energy Justice' is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book systematically explores the lives and varied experiences of older people in South Africa. Though a relatively youthful country, the share of the population aged sixty and above in South Africa is increasing steadily and is projected to reach 10% of the population by 2025. Population ageing is having major and far-reaching implications for a country with widespread poverty, changing household structures, a heavy burden of communicable diseases, and inadequate health infrastructure. Pandemics, such as HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, exacerbate many of the challenges faced by older people. Drawing on original research from national surveys and case studies, this book explores the various experiences and challenges of older people in their daily lives, such as their healthcare, social and family lives, their socio-economic status, mental health, and what it means to be an older person in South Africa today.

This book highlights innovative solutions that not only combat climate change but also address energy poverty, ensuring a more sustainable and equitable future. It explores common roots, synergies, and trade-offs between energy poverty and climate change. It argues that policies to combat climate change like decarbonization, can negatively impact energy poverty alleviation, whereas policies to reduce energy poverty like increasing energy access, reduction in energy prices, or rise in energy demand, may increase energy-related carbon emission that contributes to climate change.

This book meticulously delves into the challenges of providing clean, reliable, and modern energy access to millions of energy-poor people, without creating any negative impact on the environment. It not only provides a comprehensive review of the intricacies of energy poverty and climate change mitigation but also gives a clear understanding of the policy challenges encountered to address the dual problem. Moreover, given the sustainable development goals of attaining SDG7 by 2030 and SDG13 by 2050, the content is timely and significant. Apart from students, this book will be beneficial to academics, working as development economists or energy economists, government policymakers, media personnel covering the climate crisis, and social activists.

This book records real-life experiences of transgender violence and victimisation, analysing the legal lacunae in granting protection to the historically vulnerable community and their perspective of the law and safety. It is an outcome of extensive empirical legal research conducted in the state of West Bengal, India. With exploration of global scenario of violence, a systematic pattern of victimisation has been identified leading to a reasonable conclusion of internationalisation of transgender violence and victimisation that is largely ignored and is bereft of any legal protection. Premised on the fact that without safety and protection against grave crimes, no amount of civil rights protection is effective, the book provides an account of the ever-increasing gravity of transgender violence and victimisation. Recognising that there is a paucity of research on type of targeted violence against transgender persons, yet even with that scarcity of consistent and reliable reporting to official law enforcement sources, the data that is available from governments, public interest groups, and community surveys about SOGI motivated violence reveals that precarity, prevalence, violence and the harm caused are graver as against other types of crimes and crimes against LGB population,, the author deliberately chose to focus on unearthing violence and victimisation. The culturally sensitive approach to the problem is first of its kind in the legal landscape and expects to contribute to the developing jurisprudence.

The book navigates through the transgender jurisprudence to conclude that attempts made by the law-makers across the world is only tokenistic and that the real pulse of the community is far from being recognised in law. The in-depth interviews with law enforcement bodies and transgender activists and victims reveal gaps between laws and realities, whose impact assessment has been attempted in the book to suggest possible best practices to reduce vulnerability and auger empowerment. The book expects to open doors for more legal and interdisciplinary research, in India and abroad by scholars of law, sociology, victimology and others.

The book summarizes the latest research achievements of the "CAS Earth Poles: Big Data for the Three Poles" project in actively responding to the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs). The book covers six aspects: projections of future climate change in polar regions, assessment and response to climate-related cryospheric disasters, land water resource and terrestrial ecological environments in polar regions, marine environmental changes, the SDG big data platform, and big data products that support sustainable development. The book emphasizes the critical role of Earth's three poles in achieving global sustainable development, and identifies current shortcomings, and outlines major challenges. However, the book provides a comprehensive review of scientific actions and the latest research progress toward achieving SDGs at Earth’s three poles. Furthermore, the book introduces the three-pole big data platform and data products that support calculations and assessments for polar SDGs. Finally, the book offers recommendations for revising SDGs and indicators specific to the three-pole regions, and discusses pathways to achieve sustainable development in these regions. Ultimately, the book aims to address the gaps between polar sustainable development and the United Nations' SDGs, ensuring that the sustainable development of the Earth’s three poles keeps pace with global efforts.

This book extensively covers issues and concerns related to plastics and micro/nano-plastics (MNPs) in the environment, offering a comprehensive exploration beyond simple collection and disposal processes. It uniquely integrates core public health and community medicine aspects with environmental and biodiversity-related consequences, supported by case studies of microplastics and associated components. The book emphasizes the impact of microplastics on environmental, animal, and human health, with a special focus on ecosystems and biodiversity, marine and aquatic ecosystems, agricultural and food safety, air, water, and soil degradation, ecological dysbiosis, and associated health hazards.

Readers will encounter a balanced distribution of insights from experienced authors, including professionals from academia and industry across various countries. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including the mechanisms of environmental degradation of plastics, methods for identifying and quantifying micro and nano plastics, and their air, water, and soil contamination. Readers will also discover the effects of these pollutants on various ecosystems, such as lentic and lotic systems, floodplain aquifers, and even remote regions like Antarctica. The book further explores the impact on wildlife, biodiversity, and human health, addressing critical issues like cardiovascular complications, gut and immune function, and carcinogenicity.

This book is an essential resource for students at all academic levels in science, technology, engineering, and medical fields, as well as a valuable reference for government agencies, research institutes, industry professionals, NGOs, and researchers focused on innovation and sustainability. It presents innovative solutions, including bioplastics and nature-based approaches, and discusses the potential for technological innovation in plastics waste management. It extensively addresses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 6, 12, 13, 14, and 15, highlighting the challenges micro-nano-plastics pose for a sustainable future. This volume is particularly relevant for those working towards achieving the environmental protection and public health SDGs.

This open access book examines migrant settlement in regional Australia, offering policy recommendations and conceptual frameworks for sustainable integration. With a focus on key areas such as socio-political contexts, employment, education, health, and family challenges, this book provides a holistic approach to understanding and addressing the complexities of migrant settlement.

Australia's rich cultural landscape is shaped by its status as a migration nation, with over half of its population either born overseas or having at least one migrant parent. While migration is a key element of Australia's growth, regional areas face unique challenges in attracting and retaining migrants. Despite government initiatives, skill shortages persist in regional industries, prompting a need for comprehensive policy addressing migrant needs and regional development.

This book fills a critical gap in the literature, offering valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and service providers. It not only highlights the challenges faced by migrants in regional Australia but also underscores the importance of community capacity-building and support services in facilitating successful settlement.