Sustainable Living with Environmental Risks

We are not free from environmental risks that accompany the development of human societies. Modern economic development has accelerated environmental pollution, caused loss of natural habitats, and modified landscapes. These environmental changes have impacted natural systems : water and heat circulation, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. These changes in natural systems degrade ecosystem services and subsequently increase environmental risks for humans., Environmental risks, therefore, are not only human health risks by pollution, climatic anomalies, and natural disasters, but also degradation of ecosystem services on which most people are relying for their lives. We cannot entirely eliminate the risks, because it is not possible to attain zero impact on the environment, but we need to find a mechanism that minimizes environmental risks for human sustainably. This is the idea of the interdisciplinary framework of "environmental risk management" theory, which advocates harmony between economic development and environmental conservation. Based on this theory, the Sustainable Living with Environmental Risk (SLER) programme, adopted by the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) as one of its strategic programmes, has been training graduate students at the Yokohama National University, Japan, from 2009 to 2013 to become future environmental leaders who will take the initiative in reducing the level of environmental risks and in protecting natural resources in the developing nations of Asia and Africa. This book provides students and teachers of this new academic field with a comprehensive coverage of case studies of environmental risks and their practical management technologies not only in Japan but also in developing nations in Asia and Africa Front Matter....Pages i-xv Managing Environmental Risks and Promoting Sustainability, Scientific Advancement, and Leadership Development....Pages 1-15 Front Matter....Pages 17-17 Biodiversity Agriculture Supports Human Populations....Pages 19-25 Conservation and Sustainable Management of Soil Biodiversity for Agricultural Productivity....Pages 27-34 Conservation Tillage Assessment for Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emission in Rainfed Agro-Ecosystems....Pages 35-44 Improving Biodiversity in Rice Paddy Fields to Promote Land Sustainability....Pages 45-55 Agroforestry Models for Promoting Effective Risk Management and Building Sustainable Communities....Pages 57-71 Managing Environmental Risks and Promoting Sustainability: Conservation of Forest Resources in Madagascar....Pages 73-86 Community-Based Mangrove Forest Management in Thailand: Key Lesson Learned for Environmental Risk Management....Pages 87-96 Front Matter....Pages 97-97 Necessity of Adaptive Risk Management for Fisheries and Wildlife....Pages 99-109 Valuation of Non-Marketed Agricultural Ecosystem Services, and Food Security in Southeast Asia....Pages 111-121 Emerging Socio-Economic and Environmental Issues Affecting Food Security: A Case Study of Silang-Santa Rosa Subwatershed....Pages 123-135 Strengthening the Capacity of Flood-Affected Rural Communities in Padang Terap, State of Kedah, Malaysia....Pages 137-145 Mitigating Coastal Erosion in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar....Pages 147-164 Front Matter....Pages 165-165 Risk Management of Chemical Pollution: Principles from the Japanese Experience....Pages 167-176 Research on the Correlation Between Chlorophyll-a and Organic Matter BOD, COD, Phosphorus, and Total Nitrogen in Stagnant Lake Basins....Pages 177-191 Managing Construction Development Risks to the Environment....Pages 193-202 Ecosystem Restoration Using the Near-Natural Method in Shanghai....Pages 203-221 Sustainable Management of Urban Green Environments: Challenges and Opportunities....Pages 223-236 Front Matter....Pages 237-237 Participatory Sustainability Research for Risk Management and Leadership Development....Pages 239-252 Rural Landscape Conservation in Japan: Lessons from the Satoyama Conservation Program in Kanagawa Prefecture....Pages 253-263 Front Matter....Pages 237-237 Enhancing Students’ Ecological Thinking to Improve Understanding of Environmental Risk....Pages 265-272 Development of Interactive Multimedia Education System (IMES) as an International Education Platform....Pages 273-284 Back Matter....Pages 285-286 This book demystifies the models we use to simulate present and future climates, allowing readers to better understand how to use climate model results. In order to predict the future trajectory of the Earth?s climate, climate-system simulation models are necessary. When and how do we trust climate model predictions? The book offers a framework for answering this question. It provides readers with a basic primer on climate and climate change, and offers non-technical explanations for how climate models are constructed, why they are uncertain, and what level of confidence we should place in them. It presents current results and the key uncertainties concerning them. Uncertainty is not a weakness but understanding uncertainty is a strength and a key part of using any model, including climate models. Case studies of how climate model output has been used and how it might be used in the future are provided. The ultimate goal of this book is to promote a better understanding of the structure and uncertainties of climate models among users, including scientists, engineers and policymakers Earth System Sciences; Environmental Management; Sustainable Development; Environmental Risk Management; Sustainable Society; Biodiversity and Environment; Interdisciplinary Science; Leadership Education; Sustainable Living with Environmental Risks (SLER)