This book documents a decade of research, methodological innovation, and lessons learned in an eco-regional research-for-development program operating in the eastern African highlands, the African Highlands Initiative (AHI). It does this through reflections of the protagonists themselves—AHI site teams and partners applying action research to development innovation as a means to enhance the impact of their research. The book summarizes the experiences of farmers, research and development workers and policy and decision-makers who have interacted within an innovation system with the common goal of implementing an integrated approach to natural resource management (NRM) in the humid highlands. This book demonstrates the crucial importance of "approach" in shaping the outcomes of research and development, and distils lessons learned on what works, where and why. It is enriched with examples and case studies from five benchmark sites in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, whose variability provides the reader with an in-depth knowledge of the complexities of integrated NRM in agro-ecosystems that play an important role in the rural economy of the region. It is shown that the struggle to achieve sustainable agricultural development in challenging environments is a complex one, and can only be effectively achieved through combined efforts and commitment of individuals and institutions with complementary roles.

Integrated research (IR) is about achieving holistic understanding of complex biophysical & social issues & problems. It is driven by the need to improve understanding about such systems & to improve resource mgmt. by using the results of IR processes. Integrated questions drives the search for integrated understand., but tradition, inertia, institutional culture, budgets, training, & lack of effective leadership foster reductionism or minimal degrees of integration rather than any substantial, sustainable effort toward integrated research. This paper discusses a phased approach to framing IR questions & addressing the substantial barriers that impede integrated efforts. Progress must begin with more effective leadership throughout various levels of a research org.

This book offers readers the chance to learn from the experiences of researchers involved in integrated mission-directed research, particularly in the areas of natural resource management and regional development. Integrated Mission-directed Research covers important issues in integration science, supported by case studies that detail how to engage individuals and communities, and support policy decisions and development. The authors explore case studies undertaken in Australia, Europe, Thailand and Indonesia, as well as perspectives from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Closing chapters demonstrate key challenges for researchers and essential questions that should be answered when trying to set up integrated research. Potential benefits that could be obtained from effective integrated mission-directed research are included, as well as assessment questions to assist researchers to see if such benefits have been truly obtained. Written by experienced researchers, many of whom were involved in CSIRO’s Social and Economic Integration Emerging Science Initiative, the book explores how integrated research is now seen as crucial in achieving sustainability outcomes in natural resource management.

This book is a sister volume to Volume 20 of the Handbook of Environmental Engineering Series, "Integrated Natural Resources Management", and expands on the themes of that volume by addressing the conservation and protection of natural resources in an environmental engineering context through state-of-the-art research methodologies and technologies. With a focus on water and wastewater treatment, the book takes a multidisciplinary approach to provide readers with an understanding of developments in natural resources technology over the last few decades, and how technology and industry methods will progress to ensure cleaner and sustainable methods of natural resources management. The key topics covered include biological activated carbon treatment for recycling biotreated wastewater, composting for food processing wastes, treatment of wastewater from chemical industries, agricultural waste as a low-cost adsorbent, and the invention, design and construction of potable water dissolved air flotation and filtration plants. The book will be useful to environmental resources engineers, researchers, water treatment plant managers, chemical engineers, industrial plant managers, and environmental conservation agencies.

This edited book has been designed to serve as a natural resources engineering reference book as well as a supplemental textbook. This volume is part of the Handbook of Environmental Engineering series, an incredible collection of methodologies that study the effects of resources and wastes in their three basic forms: gas, solid, and liquid. It complements two other books in the series including "Natural Resources and Control Processes" and "Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering". Together they serve as a basis for advanced study or specialized investigation of the theory and analysis of various natural resources systems. The purpose of this book is to thoroughly prepare the reader for understanding the topics of global warming, climate change, glacier melting, salmon protection, village-driven latrines, engineers without borders (USA), surface water quality analysis, electrical and electronic wastes treatment, water quality control, tidal rivers and estuaries, geographic information systems, remote sensing applications, water losses investigations, wet infrastructure, lake restoration, acidic water control, biohydrogen production, mixed culture dark anaerobic fermentation, industrial waste recycle, agricultural waste recycle, recycled adsorbents, heavy metals removal, magnetic technology, recycled biohydrogen materials, lignocellulosic biomass, extremely halotolerant bacterial communities, salt pan and salt damaged soil. The chapters provide information on some of the most innovative and ground-breaking advances in resources conversation, protection, recycling, and reuse from a panel of esteemed experts.

This book, which contains 15 separately authored chapters, discusses both the principles and applications of an integrated approach to natural resource management. Such an approach must embrace the complexity of systems and redirect research towards the greater inclusion of issues such as participatory approaches, multi-scale analysis and an array of tools for system analysis, information management and impact assessment. Case studies, particularly from developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, are included. This book is of interest to a wide range of readers in many disciplines, including forestry, soil and management sciences, agriculture, and development studies.

In this edited open access book leading scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds wrestle with social science integration opportunities and challenges. This book explores the growing concern of how best to achieve effective integration of the social science disciplines as a means for furthering natural resource social science and environmental problem solving. The chapters provide an overview of the history, vision, advances, examples and methods that could lead to integration. The quest for integration among the social sciences is not new. Some argue that the social sciences have lagged in their advancements and contributions to society due to their inability to address integration related issues. Integration merits debate for a number of reasons. First, natural resource issues are complex and are affected by multiple proximate driving social factors. Single disciplinary studies focused at one level are unlikely to provide explanations that represent this complexity and are limited in their ability to inform policy recommendations. Complex problems are best explored across disciplines that examine social-ecological phenomenon from different scales. Second, multi-disciplinary initiatives such as those with physical and biological scientists are necessary to understand the scope of the social sciences. Too frequently there is a belief that one social scientist on a multi-disciplinary team provides adequate social science representation. Third, more complete models of human behavior will be achieved through a synthesis of diverse social science perspectives.

This book documents a decade of research, methodological innovation, and lessons learned in an eco-regional research-for-development program operating in the eastern African highlands, the African Highlands Initiative (AHI). It does this through reflections of the protagonists themselves—AHI site teams and partners applying action research to development innovation as a means to enhance the impact of their research. The book summarizes the experiences of farmers, research and development workers and policy and decision-makers who have interacted within an innovation system with the common goal of implementing an integrated approach to natural resource management (NRM) in the humid highlands. This book demonstrates the crucial importance of "approach" in shaping the outcomes of research and development, and distils lessons learned on what works, where and why. It is enriched with examples and case studies from five benchmark sites in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, whose variability provides the reader with an in-depth knowledge of the complexities of integrated NRM in agro-ecosystems that play an important role in the rural economy of the region. It is shown that the struggle to achieve sustainable agricultural development in challenging environments is a complex one, and can only be effectively achieved through combined efforts and commitment of individuals and institutions with complementary roles.