Environmental Geology and Sustainability: Risk Mitigation in Urban Areas

This book explains the role of geology as the basis of sustainability. It discusses how humans have altered natural balances and the unique dimensions that geology brings to understanding sustainability. Focused on humans’ activities in shaping urban areas, this book helps readers identify natural geologic risks created, identify human actions that reduce or increase those risks, or create new risks with unintended negative environmental consequences. It provides sustainability-oriented solutions so that humans can live in harmony with nature. Features The first book to identify and describe geology as the foundation of sustainability. Provides the history and reasoning why geology is important to achieve sustainability and environmental stewardship. Goes beyond identifying natural geological and anthropogenic-induced risks by providing numerous case studies and potential solutions. Includes an overview of natural geologic and anthropogenic-induced impacts in major cities across the world. Examines where environmental regulations in many countries of the world have succeeded or failed and lists those areas where new sustainability-oriented environmental regulations are needed worldwide. This textbook is for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in environmental geology, Earth science and sustainability, urban planning, and environmental risk analysis. It also serves as an insightful reference for professionals, researchers, and academics in these fields.