The Alang-Sosiya Shipbreaking industry is an important source of employment generation and has the potential of producing economic benefits in terms of mild steel and other reusable equipment, furniture, cutlery, etc. However there is a significant human and labour cost associated with this industry which has emerged as a more sinister form of garbage imperialism for the third world. Most of the heavy shipbreaking in the world takes place on the yards of developing nations such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan as the economic values dominate the market in these countries. This volume offers valuable insights into the occupational and environmental health hazards faced by marginalized migrant labour working on the yards of Alang-Sosiya. It also paints a picture of the administrative and legislative loopholes regarding transboundary trade of wastes which has led to transition economies being treated as pollution heavens by the industrialised countries of the world. The study endeavours to draw the attention of national and international organisations as well as civil societies towards the perilous nature of the shipbreaking industry in India and hence emphasises the need for policy reforms to pave way for a sustainable ship recycling process especially in the third world.

Repair, reuse and disposal are closely interlinked phenomena related to the service lives and persistence of technologies. When technical artefacts become old and worn out, decisions have to be taken: is it necessary, worthwhile or even possible to maintain and repair, reuse or dismantle them - or must they be discarded? These decisions depend on factors such as the availability of second-hand markets, repair infrastructures and dismantling or disposal facilities. In telling the stories of China's power grid, Canadian telephones, German automobiles and India's shipbreaking business, among others, the contributions in this volume highlight the persistence of technologies and show that maintenance and repair are not obsolete in modern industries and consumer societies.

The sector of solid waste management in India falls entirely into the informal category, and despite the high number of people involved in it, there is very little statistical data available on the safety or hygiene standards in this sector. Calls for integrating recyclers of solid waste management into the formal sector have largely been ignored, causing hazardous working conditions, unequal and inadequate pay, and, in a broader sense, a less sustainable environment. In a study conducted during 2009-18, Federico Demaria finds the issue of waste management is more of a political one rather than an ecological one; and there are power relations, social and cultural predispositions, and economic drivers at play within it. He focusses on two emblematic case studies - ship-breaking in Alang, Gujarat, and solid waste management in New Delhi - to argue that the environment is a politicized and contested space, rendering its participants victims to exploitation and isolation. His case studies draw on theories in political ecology and environmental economics to create a critical understanding of the technical, social, and political underpinnings in solid waste management in India.

The book contains high-quality research papers presented at Sixth International Conference on Solid Waste Management held at Jadavpur University, Kolkata India during November 23-26, 2016. The Conference, IconSWM 2016, is organized by Centre for Quality Management System, Jadavpur University in association with premier institutes and societies of India. The researchers from more than 30 countries presented their work in Solid Waste Management. The book is divided into two volumes and deliberates on various issues related to innovation and implementation in sustainable waste management, segregation, collection, transportation of waste, treatment technology, policy and strategies, energy recovery, life cycle analysis, climate change, research and business opportunities.

Circularity in Action: Solid Waste Management for Resource-Efficient Systems promotes innovation and shares best practices based on the principles of circular economy and resource conservation on different aspects of sustainable solid waste management. It also explains sources, impacts and recycling potential of emerging wastes. This book presents management strategies including emerging green infrastructure and digitalization for recycling and gainful application of waste. In addition, it highlights various environmental and health hazards while providing different management strategies based on the principle of resource recovery and circular economy that can help to minimize the environmental impacts. - Provides insights for effective management practices with solid waste using case studies on sustainable waste management - Covers not only the scientific and technical aspects but also environmental, legal and policy aspects of solid waste management with a particular focus on recycling potential for various gainful applications - Contributes a platform for scientists and environmental researchers and planners to discuss environmental degradation and methodological approaches to sustainable management of recycled products

This encyclopedia adopts a wider definition for the concept of ocean engineering. Specifically, it includes (1) offshore engineering: fixed and floating offshore oil and gas platforms; pipelines and risers; cables and moorings; buoy technology; foundation engineering; ocean mining; marine and offshore renewable energy; aquaculture engineering; and subsea engineering; (2) naval architecture: ship and special marine vehicle design; intact and damaged stability; technology for energy efficiency and green shipping; ship production technology; decommissioning and recycling; (3) polar and Arctic Engineering: ice mechanics; ice-structure interaction; polar operations; polar design; environmental protection; (4) underwater technologies: AUV/ROV design; AUV/ROV hydrodynamics; maneuvering and control; and underwater-specific communicating and sensing systems for AUV/ROVs. It summarizes the A–Z of the background and application knowledge of ocean engineering for use by ocean scientists and ocean engineers as well as nonspecialists such as engineers and scientists from all disciplines, economists, students, and politicians. Ocean engineering theories, ocean devices and equipment, ocean design and operation technologies are described by international experts, many from industry and each entry offers an introduction and references for further study, making current technology and operating practices available for future generations to learn from. The book also furthers our understanding of the current state of the art, leading to new and more efficient technologies with breakthroughs from new theory and materials. As the land resources approach the exploitation limit, ocean resources are becoming the next choice for the sustainable development. As such, ocean engineering is vital in the 21st century.

This book presents an enquiry into the interface between nature, economy and society, which is still in its early stages, notwithstanding the commendable progress and advances made in the field of environmental and natural resource economics within the ever-expanding boundaries of economics as a discipline. It further delineates the evolution of an inter-disciplinary framework for analyzing the status, the future goals, mechanisms and policy instruments that can help move towards a more ecologically sustainable, economically beneficial and socially just future. A pre-requisite for preparing a comprehensive and coherent framework involves unfolding the multiple layers of interconnectedness between the three systems nature, economy and society, each of which has its own internal consistencies as well as externalities. Against this backdrop, the book presents scholarly contributions that focus on four broadly defined building blocks, namely: i) accounting for ecosystems services for life and human well-being; ii) impacts of economic growth on ecosystems; iii) social norms, equity, and governance; and iv) alternative approaches to green and socio-economic systems. The analyses, presented by some of the most eminent national and international scholars, address the major environmental challenges that nations around the world face today and consider which specific policy directions at the international and national level are needed. In particular, the choices India and South Asia now face, as development and environment both need to be addressed adequately, touch on many of these challenges.

In this open access book, ecological economics and political ecology traditions converge into a single academic school. The book constitutes a common ground where multiple and critical voices are expressed, covering a broad scope of urgent matters at the crossroad between society, economy and the natural environment. The manuscripts composing this compendium offer appealing material for both experienced and younger researchers interested in interdisciplinary exchanges in the field of the social environmental sciences. It combines historical accounts with recent theoretical and empirical developments revolving around the interaction between three foundational notions of the Barcelona School: social metabolism, environmental justice and self-reflective science.

Organizations of all types are consistently working on new initiatives, product lines, and workflows as a way to remain competitive in the modern business environment. No matter the type of project at hand, employing the best methods for effective execution and timely completion of the task is essential to business success. Operations and Service Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a comprehensive reference source for the latest research on business operations and production processes. It examines the need for a customer focus and highlights a range of pertinent topics such as financial performance measures, human resource development, and business analytics, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for managers, professionals, students, researchers, and academics interested in operations and service management.

This collection of scholarly articles takes as its subject matter discourses on environmental justice. The concept emerged in recent decades as an important framing concept for a wide variety of environmental movements and objectives, and has gained considerable currency due to the scope and normative force that its principles contain, whether in legal, political, or philosophical applications. This collection is an invaluable resource for researchers and scholars in this field given that the multiple theories and analyses of environmental justice are likely to remain central to the ongoing development of normative theorizing about the human role in the environment in the foreseeable future.