Socio-Ecological Resilience and Sustainable Quality of Life

The purpose of writing of this book is to address the pressing challenges posed by the complicated relationship between human societies and their socio-ecological environments. It explores the interdependencies that define socio-ecological resilience, emphasising the importance of an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to achieving sustainable quality of life. The book will deepen our understanding of the interconnectedness of ethical considerations, community well-being, and environmental stewardship by examining contemporary global issues. The chapters will delve into the human-environment nexus, exploring how natural resources and geopolitical dynamics influence resilience and sustainability. The book will also addresses socio-ecological threats, including climate conflict, habitat destruction, and inequality, highlighting their impact on global quality of life. Furthermore, it presents strategies for creating restorative environments, emphasising sustainable development practices, natural resource management, and the transition to renewable energy systems. Through comprehensive discussions on the role of governance, the impact of global pandemics, and the significance of sustainable economic models, the book will offer a holistic approach to addressing these challenges. Ultimately, it will serve as a guide for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, providing models and frameworks that foster a sustainable environment and enhance the quality of life for present and future generations.

Dr. Avishek Bhunia is an Assistant Professor and Head in the Dept. of Geography in K.D. College of Commerce & General Studies, India. He did Post-Graduate in Applied Geography, School of Regional Studies and Earth Sciences from Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha, India and awarded M. Phil as well as Doctoral Degrees from the same institution. His area of academic and research interests includes quality of life assessment, quantitative research methodology and contemporary social issues in Human Geography, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Geography etc. Dr. Shouraseni Sen Roy received all her pre-doctoral education from the University of Delhi, including B.A., M.A., and M.Phil. She completed her Ph.D. from the Arizona State University in 2005 and joined as a faculty in the Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of Miami in 2005. Her core area of research over the last two decades has concentrated on expanding our understanding of long-term trends in climatic processes, in view of impending climate change. Her research methodology incorporates extensive spatial analysis using advanced geo-statistical techniques to analyse trends in climatic variables. In addition to researching on climate processes over the Indian subcontinent, she has addressed targeted climate-related research questions in other regions of the world including the United States, Myanmar, Burundi, China, and South Africa. In addition, she has recently started working on crime patterns in South Florida. Dr. Suraj Kumar Mallick is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Geography in Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi, India. Dr. Mallick done his Post-Doctoral Research from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IITB), India. He was earlier associated with ICSSR-sponsored major project in Geography department, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi for six months. Before that, he awarded his Doctoral Degree, and did Post-Graduate in Urban Geography and Regional Planning from Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, India. Dr. Mallick is skilled in Geospatial Techniques and interested in Landscape and Urban Planning research primarily. Although, he has diversified interested in research including Climate Change Research, Water Resource Management, Environmental Research and Sustainable Development. Dr. Higueras is an architect, full time lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, since 2001. She is a specialist in environmental planning and microclimate issues, with theoretical research, 24 doctoral theses and more than 10 professional project. Since 2015 she has been addressing the design of healthy urban neighbourhoods from a planning perspective, and has edited the Guia para planificar ciudades saludables, commissioned by the Spanish Ministry of Health, published in 2022. She has written numerous high impact articles is a reviewer in specialised journals, invited to national and international congresses. She studies educational innovation through challenge-based learning in the UNWW group of which she has been the director since 2014.

Part-I: Introduction.- Building Bridges: Conceptualizing Socio-Ecological Resilience for Sustainable Quality of Life.- Part-II: Human-Environment Nexus and QoL: A Transition Toward Sustainability.- Ecofeminism Perspectives on Socio-Ecological Resilience: Pathways to a Sustainable Quality of Life in Bengaluru.- Empowering Young Agricultural Entrepreneurs in a Small Island Developing State: The Case of Mauritius.- Examining the Nexus between Social Well-Being and Social Security: Focus on Marginalized Communities in North Eastern Part of India.-Geostatistical Insights of Quality of Life among Marginalised Communities in the Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) Region, Odisha, India.- Urban Quality of Life and Environment Nexus: EKLIPSE Methodology and Nature-Based Solutions in the New European Bauhaus.- Part-III: Socio-Ecological Threats and Quality of Life.- Resilience vs Quality of Life in Cities.- Understanding Environmental Stressors in the Anthropocene: A Socio-Ecological Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy Pathways and Global Change Dynamics.-Urban air quality factors that affect children’s health.- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life in Informal Settlements: A Case Study of Iran.- Part-IV: Socio-Ecological Resilience and Quality of Life- Restorative Environments.- The Relationship Between Individual, Neighborhood, Community, and Country Factors in Shaping Quality of Life and Well-Being.- Influence of the Environment on Microclimatic Variations at the Pedestrian Scale: Tools for Climate-Sensitive Design.- Neighborhood Design: Walking Access to Urban Services and the Impact on Quality of Life in Kayseri.- The role of housing in urban planning: a tool to achieve quality of life and generate community? The case of Madrid.- Revamping Greens of Jaipur: The insights, impacts and user ecosystem.-Reconfiguring Energy Geopolitics through the Biofuel Alliance: India-Africa Partnerships for Socio-Ecological Resilience and Sustainable Quality of Life.- Part-V: Moving towards Sustainable Environment, Management and Quality life.- An evaluation model to assess the urban sustainability of development projects in hilly and arid areas of Mendoza, Argentina.- Healthy Urban Design: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis in the Basque Country (Spain).