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The Silang-Santa Rosa subwatershed feeds into Laguna Lake to the south-east of Metro Manila. This case study of the subwatershed provides some insights on the interactions between people and institutions within their given natural environment. The link between the socio-economic conditions of households and the quality of the ecosystem resources available is premised on the extent to which socio-economic conditions influence household decisions relating to the use and management of land and water resources. The major issue is how people might be able to improve, protect, and expand their current resource base or level of acquirement given the different types of risks they face. In the subwatershed’s upstream areas, the risk is from soil degradation coupled with inefficient farm production systems that lead to low farm productivity. In the downstream areas, households face poverty-related issues such as food insecurity and low income from declining fishery resources. In addition, pollution from both upstream and downstream areas threatens their livelihoods and increases the incidence of water-borne diseases. To address these issues, it is proposed that the different stakeholders could be enlisted to develop an integrated development plan that would reflect their common interests and vision for the watershed area feeding into Laguna Lake. The plan should deal with major issues such as land and water degradation, poverty, livelihoods, food security, health, farm production efficiency, and marketing systems, as well as regulatory and economic instruments that would reduce land and water degradation.

The communities in the district of Padang Terap, Kedah, were not used to flood events even though they had been living in the area for generations. Since 2000, flooding in this area had become a common occurrence as a result of the increased intensity and frequency of rain due to global warming and climate change. Recognizing the need to address the vulnerability and adaptation of the communities and relevant agencies, the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), carried out a project based on university-community engagement and education for sustainable development (ESD) in this area. The stakeholders involved in this project were from different entities, consisting of experts from USM, residents, local officials, and selected schools in the district. The project identified that the communities of Padang Terap needed counseling for trauma victims, training in handling and maintaining flood-related equipment, accredited flood rescue training, and the establishment of a formal community flood disaster committee consisting of village leaders and the local authorities. In addition, CGSS also addressed public awareness of the dangers of flooding via ESD activities implemented in schools and villages. Close cooperation and positive contributions from academia, local officials, and local communities ensured that the project was successful.

The city of Fort Dauphin is one of the most attractive tourist spots in Madagascar. In recent years, it has become one of the development centers of the island. However, the city is facing coastal erosion related to human activity as well as natural factors. Mitigation of coastal erosion at the catchment and regional scale is extremely important for the sustainable economic and social development of this region. Spatial analysis using satellite imagery over a long period has been considered as an important tool for determining the extent of the most affected areas and for analyzing how the erosion has developed in the past and at present. Measurement and field work need to be integrated to develop appropriate strategies to mitigate the problems. Satellite imagery analysis in combination with field work and measurement consists of generating long-term information required to determine threats and pressures in time and space. It takes into consideration assessment of land use, the geology of the area, urban planning, local and regional climate, and coastal management. Madagascar faces multiple challenges in mitigating coastal erosion, but the involvement of authorities and local communities plays a key role in long-term shoreline protection.

This chapter discusses some experiences of environmental pollution management in Japan. Cases include air pollution, water pollution, and toxic chemical regulation. From those experiences, it is concluded that in-process management of pollutants has been the major cause of pollutant reduction. End-of-pipe technologies, such as flue gas and wastewater treatment, are costly and not as efficient as cleaner production processes. In addition, governmental policies in environmental management, such as setting regulatory values and guiding industries, sometimes lead industries to take inefficient countermeasures. Thus, regulating agencies should take care to ensure that their policy is leading society the right way and have the flexibility to adapt their policy as necessary.

We are frequently required to assess, mitigate, and monitor certain environmental risks involved in our daily activities at both the local and global environment levels. Corporations, in particular, can cause environmental pollution or other risks as a result of either accidents or natural events. In order to limit, and hopefully prevent, these environmental impacts, environmental risk management places a strong emphasis on targeting the problems that could arise, and implements a system of metrics that help with prevention and management. Eutrophication is one example of a widespread environmental pollution phenomenon that is currently worsening in lake basins. Proliferation of phytoplankton is due primarily to high concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) discharged from industrial and urban waste. However, assessing, managing, and forecasting the pollution of basins requires considerable time and support tools to analyze a range of water quality indicators over time and geographical area. This study investigated the relationship between organic matter (chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total N, and P) and biomass of phytoplankton (indicated by Chlorophyll-a) in order to shorten the period required for analysis, predict eutrophication of lakes ahead of time, and promptly prevent the spread of contaminants. Based on this relationship, we can use Chlorophyll-a as a biological indicator in monitoring and assessing the levels of organic pollution. In addition, we can identify ways to reduce pollution and transportation of pollutants in stagnant lake basins, and contribute to reducing the damage due to environmental risks.

The control of environmental risks arising from construction has become a major issue for the public. Environmental risk is defined as any risk or potential risk to the environment (of whatever degree or duration) and includes all types of impacts. Much of the research conducted has portrayed construction as a major contributor to environmental disruption and pollution. Pollution risks due to construction are typically classified as air pollution, waste pollution, noise pollution, and water pollution. Controlling the risks demands the ability to manage these types of pollution or eliminate their generation. The endorsement of environmental risk management and the mission of sustainable development have resulted in pressure demanding the adoption of proper methods to improve environmental performance in the construction industry. This chapter therefore places its focus on the risks arising from the construction industry, and how to manage these risks so as to strike a balance between development and environmental concerns. Real examples of construction activities are briefly presented to enable readers to envision the risks and the actual efforts undertaken to curb them. This chapter also presents the perception of the public at large regarding the risks caused by construction.

Recently, there has been a growing trend toward developing eco-cities that are rationally structured, function efficiently, and maintain a harmonious relationship with the environment. Functional eco-cities demonstrating symbiosis with nature are not merely a current urban development goal, but also make an important contribution to the establishment of sustainable development strategies across the world. The “near-natural” method of ecological construction and restoration has attracted attention worldwide, and has been widely proven to be an effective method of constructing ecological cities in practice. It will also play a key role in urban landscaping and greening in China. After studying the problems associated with constructing an eco-city in Shanghai, we proposed the use of the near-natural method to construct an urban ecosystem in the city and introduced a theory and methodology for creation of “near-natural forests” and “near-natural water systems.” All the cases we studied demonstrated that restoration using the near-natural method could be more effective, long lasting, and economical than existing methods, and that the method is now worthy of promotion as a means of constructing environments for human settlement.

Urban green areas not only provide aesthetic qualities but also provide important ecosystem services in ever-shrinking habitats, and therefore need sustainable management practices. The western and northwestern parts of Nairobi are within an upland dry forest that stretched from Karura to Ngong forests with a characteristic vegetation composition. Much of that vegetation has been replaced by exotic species and, over time, the original indigenous tree species composition may be lost. No previous studies have profiled the local vegetation structure in Kenya and then used this knowledge to restore the urban green environment. We carried out studies in Karura and Ngong forests and used 16 carefully selected species to recreate a natural forest using the ‘Miyawaki method’ at the College of Biological and Physical Sciences of the University of Nairobi. In just 16 months the species have established extremely well, with the best performing species () growing to more than 210 cm from just about 43 cm. We expect to recreate a quasi-natural forest and use such studies and methods to restore urban green environments in Kenya.

Effective risk management and sustainability promotion require proper assessment of the environment and social capacity for managing the environment. National governments and international agencies provide monitoring data on the environment such as data relating to air and water quality, forest cover, land, biodiversity, and waste management. While local communities and stakeholders need to play a vital role in managing risks and promoting sustainability at the field level, however, they often lack scientific information. Instead they rely on the experiential and observation-based information that is often the most useful in communicating to other community members and stakeholders. Participatory assessment can therefore provide a useful tool for community members and stakeholders to comprehend environmental risks and challenges in promoting sustainability. Meanwhile, the feedback from the communities and stakeholders constitutes useful information for decision-makers and practitioners to plan and facilitate transformation in policies and institutions in order to improve environmental risk management and promote sustainability.

Japanese call rural landscapes ‘’ ‘’ means village and ‘ means hill or forest. in the past produced much of the food, wood for fuel, timber, and water for communities. However many have rapidly deteriorated due to industrialization and urbanization. It was in the 1990s that people in general and scientists began to recognize the multiple benefits of landscapes in Japan. This led to the proliferation of conservation groups across Japan at the turn of the century. However, it is difficult for local action groups to rehabilitate devastated farmlands and forests through their own efforts alone. It requires policy measures to encourage citizen engagement in conservation programs. In this paper the author addresses governance issues in rural landscape conservation, referring to the case of the conservation program in the Kanagawa region.