A New Systems Thinking Approach to Sustainable Resource Management

A New Systems Thinking Approach to Sustainable Resource Management: Principles and Applications introduces an innovative approach to exploring systems holistically and understanding complex interconnected dynamics effectively among technical systems, natural systems, and human activities to address challenges in resource management. This book covers the fundamental principles of "systems" and "sustainability", and introduces the methodology of "new systems thinking," which comprises system modeling, mapping, integration, analysis, and sustainability assessment. The application of this new systems thinking approach is demonstrated through practical case studies, including waste management systems, food-energy-water nexus, and biorefinery systems. This is an excellent reference for academics, undergraduate and postgraduate students, professional engineers, and policymakers across various disciplines including: chemical and process engineering, environmental science, environmental engineering, and environmental management.

Kok Siew Ng is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering who leads the Biorefinery and Resource Recovery research group at Brunel University London, United Kingdom. Prior to joining Brunel, he was an NERC Industrial Innovation (Rutherford) Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, leading two NERC-funded interdisciplinary projects - SYNERGORS and the Agile Initiative. These projects explored innovative strategies to address organic waste management using a systems approach aimed at achieving a circular economy. He received his MEng (1st Class Honors) and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. Kok Siew has over 15 years of academic research and industrial consultancy experience. He co-authored an advanced textbook titled Biorefineries and Chemical Processes: Design, Integration and Sustainable Analysis in 2014. He has contributed to over 40 publications and participated in over 10 UK and international projects funded by NERC, EU, Innovate UK, Royal Academy of Engineering, and Newton Fund. Kok Siew's primary research interests focus on sustainable industrial system design and resource recovery from waste. His expertise spans systems engineering, industrial ecology, process design and integration, techno-economic assessment, life cycle assessment, and policy analysis. He extensively applies a systems approach in his work, combining computational modelling, system integration, and sustainability assessment to design and improve chemical, energy and waste treatment systems, with the vision of contributing to energy transition, promoting the circular economy, and achieving net-zero targets. Kok Siew was the recipient of the IChemE Junior Moulton Medal in 2011, recognizing his forward-looking contributions to the development of low-carbon technologies. He serves as a member of the Editorial Board of Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances journal.

Part 1: Introduction to Systems Thinking for Resource Management 1. What is a "System" 2. A New Systems Thinking Approach to Sustainable Resource Management Part 2: System Definition, Mapping, and Integration 3. Problem and System Definitions 4. System Modelling and Mapping 5. System Integration Part 3: Integrated Sustainability Assessment 6. Economic Assessment 7. Environmental Assessment 8. Social Assessment Part 4: Applications of New Systems Thinking Approach to Resource Management 9. Case Study 1: Plastic Packaging System 10. Case Study 2: Food-Energy-Water System 11. Case Study 3: Biorefinery System